Indiana

Order in which state was run: 6

Order in which state was admitted into the union: 19

The flags dimensions shall be three feet fly by two feet hoist; or five feet fly by three feet hoist; or any size proportionate to either of those dimensions. The field of the flag shall be blue with nineteen stars and a flaming torch in gold or buff. Thirteen stars shall be arranged in an outer circle, representing the original thirteen states; five stars shall be arranged in a half circle below the torch and inside the outer circle of stars, representing the states admitted prior to Indiana; and the nineteenth star, appreciably larger than the others and representing Indiana shall be placed above the flame of the torch. The outer circle of stars shall be so arranged that one star shall appear directly in the middle at the top of the circle, and the word "Indiana" shall be placed in a half circle over and above the star representing Indiana and midway between it and the star in the center above it. Rays shall be shown radiating from the torch to the three stars on each side of the star in the upper center of the circle.

My one and only visit to Indiana was to run what was at the time (and may still be) the largest 1/2 marathon in the United States.  The mini marathon, as its called, started and finished in downtown Indianapolis.  The highlight of the race was a lap around the Motor Speedway where the Indianapolis 500 is run every May.

The pre race pasta dinner featured John Bingham.  This was my first exposure to the Penguin; I found him very entertaining.  I stayed in Indiana an extra day and returned to the speedway to watch the first weekend of qualifying for the Indy 500.  I got autographs from the Andretti Green racing team (I knew nothing about racing and their line was manageable).  Dario Franchitti (the former Mr. Ashley Judd), Bryan Herta, Tony Kanaan (a Brazilian IronMan as well as race car driver), and Dan Wheldon (died in a tragic race car accident in Vegas) made up Andretti Green.  At least 3 of the 4 went on to win the Indy 500 after my 2004 meeting them.

Up next: Kentucky

Alabama

Order in which state was run: 5

Order in which state was admitted into the union: 22

Crimson St. Andrew's cross on a white field, patterned after the Confederate Battle Flag, and adopted in 1895. The bars forming the cross must not be less than six inches broad and must extend diagonally across the flag from side to side.

Prior to running my first marathon in 2000, Alabama was the only state other than Louisiana where I had run a race.  In 1997 and 1998 I ran the Azalea Trail 10k Run in Mobile.  I returned to Alabama in 2004 to run a half in Birmingham on February 8th.  The race was a companion half ran on mostly the same course as the Mercedes marathon.

This race had the most attended post race party of any event I have attended as the race host Mercedes gave away a vehicle at the post race party.  Winner had to be present so it was definetely worth your while to hang around to see if you were maybe the lucky one.

Mercedes was the US Men's Olympic qualifying marathon in 2004.  I was able to watch Alan Culpepper, Meb Keflezighi, and Dan Browne qualify for the 2004 U S Olympic team.  This was my first exposure to the US marathon quallifying event as well as the first time I heard Meb's name.  Meb's still out there kicking butt today.  Meb went on to win the silver medal at the 2004 games in Athens.

Running a half in Birmingham was my second time running in hills after I had run a half in Nashville the prior year.  Birmingham was also the coldest weather that I had run in to date.  There were snow flurries the Saturday before the race while watching the trials as well as Sunday morning while running.

This was also my first traveling with a marathon chaser. 

Oops... I totally forgot that I returned to Alabama this year to run the first of the Gulf Coast Half events in Gulf Shores in January.

The Gulf Coast Series boast the world's most useful race medals.  Ever try opening a beer bottle with Mickey ears? Good luck with that!!!

Up next: Indiana

Virginia

Order in which state was run: 4

 

Order in which state was admitted into the union: 10

A deep blue field contains the seal of Virginia with the Latin motto "Sic Semper Tyrannis" - "Thus Always to Tyrants". Adopted in 1776. The two figures are acting out the meaning of the motto. Both are dressed as warriors. The woman, Virtue, represents Virginia. The man holding a scourge and chain shows that he is a tyrant. His fallen crown is nearby.

 

 

Race: Rock n Roll Half Marathon, Virginia Beach, VA August 31, 2003

The Rock n Roll Half Marathon in Virginia Beach was my 3rd state in which I participated in a race in 2003.  At the time, it was the most half marathons that I'd run within a year.  Today it looks like I was lolly gagging!

The half marathon was run on Labor Day weekend as part of an end of summer music festival.  Traveling from New Orleans I was expecting a break from the heat further up north.  That didn't happen.  It was actually warmer in Va Beach than it was in Nola that weekend.  Not good for running but definetely nice beach weather with bands performing all weekend on temporary stages set up on the beach.

Running both this race and the Country Music Half in Nashville earlier in the year earned me my first additional medal for completing two Elite events in the same year. 26.2 Musical Miles!

Up next: Alabama

Spirit of the Marathon II

Just seven hours until the one time showing of Spirit of the Marathon II in select theaters nationwide. Louisiana only has 6 theaters participating in the showing so I feel very fortunate that one of them is only a couple of miles away from my house.

Here's the scoop on the movie from their website:

Fathom Events and Competitor Group invite you to run the scenic streets and endure the life-changing challenges of the Rome Marathon when Spirit of the Marathon II arrives in movie theaters across the country for only one night on Wednesday, June 12 at 7:00pm (local time)! From the producers of the award-winning documentary Spirit of the Marathon (2008), this highly-anticipated sequel follows seven runners from around the world as they journey to the starting line of the 2012 Rome Marathon. Spirit of the Marathon II weaves the compelling stories of each runner - the trials and the triumphs - that paved their road to Rome.

The documentary also features insightful interviews with marathon greats such as Stefano Baldini, Paula Radcliffe, Frank Shorter, and many others, as they offer perspective and insight into this legendary race. In addition, immediately following the presentation, movie theater audiences will be treated to an exclusive featurette with never-before-seen interviews, deleted scenes and memorable outtakes from the filming of the documentary.

My Two Left Feet

Ghost 5 & Glycerin 10

 

It's not time to retire the Brooks Ghost 4 and Glycerin 9 shoes that I am currently running in (if I would be running) but discontinued replacement models are online at discounted prices so I grabbed a pair.  Right shoes as well!

Tennessee

Order in which state was run: 3

Order in which state was admitted into the union: 16

State Flag

 

The three stars on the flag represent the three different land forms in Tennessee. Mountains in the east, highlands in the middle and lowlands in the west. On the flag these regions are bound together in an unbroken circle. The field is crimson with a blue background for the stars. The final blue strip relieves the sameness of the crimson field and prevents the flag from showing too much crimson when it is limp.

  



One could argue that running the Country Music Half Marathon in Nashville in 2003 was when my state chasing began.  In 2003, Elite Racing had three races; the Rock n Roll Marathon in San Diego, the Rock n Roll 1/2 Marathon in Virginia Beach and the Country Music Marathon and 1/2 Marathon in Nashville.  Today elite puts on over a race a month and now has international events in addition to U. S. events in many cities.

For this 2003 race, I had a Timex Ironman? watch that could track up to 30 splits.  No Garmin watch, no Garmin GPS for the rental car.  Actually no rental car.  I took the airport shuttle downtown to the hotel and cabbed it I believe to the Grand Ole Opry.  I do remember attending the post race concert that evening which was a first and only for me.

 

This may be a PR

Not a running PR but a PR for farthest out that I've booked a running trip. 

10 months, 4 weeks and not quite 2 days away from running my 50th state on my 50th birthday and my flight to Boston is booked.  United's travel calendar only extends beyond 5/4/14 by a few days but that is good enough for me.

Given my recent running injury history, I have time to get injured a couple of times and healed before the race rolls around. Hopefully that won't be the cause.  But if it is, I feel confident that I will be able to complete Rhode Island regardless.  Running 2:12 in South Dakota and 2:15 in North Dakota with virtually no training (and still injured) gives me that confidence.

So for now I will be running in Pawtucket Sunday, May 4th in a half only event.  The flight I booked gets to Boston Thursday, May 1st around noon. I'm leaning towards visiting Acadia National Park in Maine pre race but nothing is decided yet.

In the meantime, I'm working on week 2 of no running hoping my knee will heal itself.  I may start yoga to get some fitness in as it is almost impossible to not use your knee when exercising.