#8: 50 Marathons in 50 States

Early one morning I woke Steve because I had just determined what my (ok, actually our) next pursuit would be: running a full marathon in each of the 50 states. An article in the newspaper detailed how a man with MS had completed this challenge and I knew we could too. Steve agreed under one condition: we would enjoy the journey. And boy, did we! 

This goal required us to save and plan mindfully. We are not rich, but we weren’t going to let money become a roadblock either. We made a conscious choice to invest in memories over our savings account. When the kids were younger, we would build a family vacation around a race and state. As they got older, we would occasionally need to miss a last-minute tournament. But if there is a will, there is a way (even if that means we had to make certain sacrifices).

 The memories we made are priceless. Each race was special in its own way, and we were always sure to enjoy the food and state afterwards. This challenge enabled us to visit places we would have never chosen to experience otherwise. We had so much fun in the most unexpected places. We also connected with so many interesting people and made great friends on our journey around the country too! 

But I am most grateful for how this challenge brought Steve and I closer. We became empty nesters in the midst of this goal, and I believe our transition was smoother because of it. We spent SO much time together: traveling, training, running, and vacationing. We can reminisce on some pretty amazing moments, because we shared them. 

Some of Our Favorite Run Memories from our 50 States are: 
Favorite: Big Sur 
Hardest: Old Farts 
Best Post Race Meal: Aspen or Green Bay 
Hardest To Train For: Boston 
Best Post-Race Party: Outer Banks or Savannah 
Most Spiritual: Antelope Canyon 50 Miler 
Best Finish Line: IRONMAN Chattanooga (hearing those words… “Pollyann you are an IRONMAN”) 

I’ve been asked if I would like to expand my goal to other countries, but that goal doesn’t resonate. Instead, we will try to run the 50 states again. I would love the chance to get to know each place (and race) a little better, while in the company of my most favorite travel companion, running buddy, and best friend: my husband Steve. I have so many lessons and stories from those fifty races and will share more with you in future posts. But for now, I hope you are inspired to Invest in memories, set goals, and enjoy the journey!

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Until Next Monday…