Did I say Tucson, New Mexico?...

I really meant Tucson, AZ. I just momentarily forgot my geography. My 50 in all States is not that far fetched...I had no real idea where I was when I ran that marathon anyway. It was one of the toughest ones for me. I guess for a couple of reasons. First, I had just completed Marine Corps and then just came back from 10 days in Malaysia literally the day before I left for Arizona. I was easily 10-15 lbs heavier than marathon weight. Second, the down hill does take a toll on your legs if you're not ready. So, if you plan on running Tucson this winter then you better do your down hill training and properly hydrate. It starts at 4400 ft and drops to 2200 ft at the end. For Dallas runners both start and finish are quite a bit higher than we're used to.

Now the hotel on the other hand was very nice. Westward Look Resort245 East Ina Road, Tucson, AZ 85704. I certainly recommend if you can afford it, $140+ per night. Get a roomy. Hot tub after the marathon was great and a nice little porch outside your room facing the pool and back patio/restaurant, if you get the right spot. Very enjoyable place. I'll talk more about the Italian restaurant we went to night before the marathon. I cannot remember the place but some of my buddies will remember for sure.

14 Miles Today

On my way to the October 14th marathon in Denver I ran 14 miles today with my training group. This is the longest run I've done since the Austin half marathon in February. Felt pretty good. I'm trying to run with my own hydration system these days. I've tried the water belt, twice and hated it each time. Now I'm simply carrying a 16.9 oz Ozarka bottle. They have this new nipple deal that's very easy to pop open and sip on without getting too much in. Not bad, still mastering the technique of switching hands and all that.

My formula in my hydration kit includes one NUUN tablet. It is suppose to have 700 mg of electrolytes. I think this is important because I lose a lot of water weight during my runs. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 8-10 pounds in a marathon. You know that's all water and in order to maintain the proper weight you must take in water with electrolytes. So, I'm giving this NUUN a try to see if it can give me what I need without upsetting my stomach. I tried the Electrolyte Stamina Replacement powder but it was giving my belly all kinds of trouble. Additionally, my taste buds get very sensitive somewhere around mile 15. Too sensitive to tolerate the flavor in ESR.

One of my running buddies said I'm always trying something new and experimenting. Darn right, I'm going to find the right solution to give me all the advantage I can get. Too many times I found myself too weak to perform well near the end of a 26.2 and I know it's not because of my training. I bet losing 10 lbs during the process has something to do with it. If I can keep half that weight wonder how much better I can do. More to come. We'll see how it goes.

Climbing Back to Marathon Season

This calendar year I only have 2 marathons scheduled. Denver in October and West Palm Beach in December. I'm one of those guys who wants to run a marathon in every state in the U.S. No, I am not an official member of either 50 States or 50 State plus DC. I don't want to confine my running to someone elses rules. This is my goal and I set my own rules. I imagine when I get to some of those remote states I'll be running one of their marathons though. Seven states down and only 43 more to go. So far I've completed:

Dallas, Texas - December 2004
Chicago, Illinois - October 2005
Atlanta, Georgia - Thanksgiving Day 2005
St. Louis, Missouri - April 2006
San Diego, California - June 2006
Marine Corps, Maryland - October 2006 (yes, I count this one as Maryland, remember - my rules)
Tuscon, New Mexico - December 2006

I'm giving myself until my 50th Birthday to accomplish this mission. Between that time lies, my most consuming quest, Boston. I've got 13 years to get all these marathons done.

Did you know that the first year the Boston Marathon required a qualifying time was 1970?

Hills, Hills, Hills - WTH?

Alright, there's a weekly run in my group that we do at 5:30 am on Tuesdays. It consist of hills. Our town is suppose to be flat y'all. Tell that to this neighborhood. This will be the beginning of my Tuesday routine thru my final marathon this year on December 2. Besides the hills keeps us flat city runners honest and me more prepared for the October marathon in Denver.

So I've been in my hometown Detroit for a couple weeks and just got back last Friday. I managed to run maybe 5 out of the 10 days I was there. It sucks running alone even when I have my trusty Oakley Thump Pros on. I can't seem to find any good music these days to put on them. I would be willing to take suggestions. I hate slow music in this case. Only fast beat music for me.

Now Detroit, Detroit is flat. No variation to speak of. Boring. I don't know when I will run my marathon there but, I imagine it will be in the next two years.