Cary Greenways Half-Marathon Recap

A Runner's Ramblings: Volume 20; 3rd Edition
52.4 miles run in 2026 races
Race: Cary Greenways Half-Marathon
Place: Wilmington, NC
Miles from home: 1212 miles
Weather: 65 degrees, 98 % humidity

 It is never fun to write recaps where the race experience wasn't fun.

Have to address one thing at the start of this recap. On the race website and at the start of the race on Sunday, a great deal of attention was paid to whether or not GPS is accurate in measuring a course. I agree that too many people do not understand about running the tangents of race course and when they end up with a half marathon that is say 13.22 they claim the race is long. However, I am very well versed in running the tangents and usually run near the front of a race where I don't have to run around anyone and can see exactly where I should run. Having designed courses and measured them myself, I know the path you should take. 

So when a race course comes up at 13.55 on my GPS I know it wasn't simply because GPS is inaccurate. Furthermore after going to such great lengths to deride the GPS is not being accurate enough, for the race website to then add that it's not USATF certified, it's a little hard not to think that the course is likely not accurately measured. And if the race is going to talk this much about it I'd like to understand exactly how they measured it so that I can feel that the course is at least marginally close to its stated distance. Now that's out of the way, let's move on to my recap

As I continue to try to race a marathon and a half marathon in every state before I turn 50, it's quite coincidental that after finishing the 50 States in the marathon 3 weeks ago in North Carolina that my next race had me back here in the Tar Heel state to cross off the half marathon.

I am unfortunately still dealing with some lingering muscle issues in my quad on one leg and on my calf and the other that have limited me to just 13 total runs in the last two months and that includes 3 separate races. It's a little bit frustrating after dealing with two knee surgeries and all that entailed for over 2 years to finally having about six months of progress until this January where I've had two months of stagnation or going backwards. But we play with the cards that have been dealt to us.

Race Morning:

I had gone from my Airbnb to where the race started the night before just to see how long it would take to get me there and I saw that it was a short drive. However parking was limited and as I was going to be facing a very tight window from finish to catching my flight I knew that I'd have to be down at the start earlier than I would like to be. With a race time of 8:00 AM I arrived a little after 7:00 AM and walked to go get my packet. This was an interesting experience to say the least.

As already noted with the course length discrepancy, there was just a lot that was odd about this race. For instance, I found out afterward I had been aged up in age groups to the 50-54 group so that it coincided with their race points system for multiple races. Hey, it is your race and you can do what you want but it was just odd.

When I went to get my packet I was asked for ID. With such a small race, I didn’t think this was necessary and had none on me. They asked if I had my phone. I said I left in my car as I was here to race and not take photos. I was told I needed it, so I walked back to my car and got it, about two blocks away.

I was feeling a little salty so when I approached the well-meaning volunteer, who I know was just doing her job, I put the phone down with a google search of my name that has about eleventy billion pictures of me including one, coincidentally wearing the exact same singlet I happened to be wearing that morning.

“Well, that’s a first for me”, she said and told me my race number. That might have been a little arrogant or annoying or what not but I just was sort of over it at that point.  Then a many wrote my number on a piece of scrap paer and handed it to me.  After that I had to walk down a hill to a pavilion where someone check my piece of paper, asked me for my name, then checked off my name. I was then directed to another table for my bib number where they double checked it to make sure it was right. Now, I appreciate the redundancy here but for the love of pete, can I just have my bib number? I was then give a chip to put on my shoes like this was 1997 or something. I was beginning to feel like there was some sort of candid camera thing going on. But I fixed it to my shoes and walked back out of the pavilion and up the hill and back to sit in my car until it was about time to go to the race.

We lined up for the start which was done by runners getting into a single file lane and waiting until the person at the start read off your number and away you went. There was number rhyme or reason to this line anyone could line up in any order that they wanted. This was done because the start and most of the race was done on an open to the public narrow path. Suffice it to say before I even took my first step this was an interesting day.

First 5k:

As I have not run once in well over a week since I was given some muscle relaxants and some cream to put on my muscles to try to soothe them into feeling better I had no idea what the first couple of steps of this race was going to feel like. I was mildly relieved that I wasn't in too much pain but also quite irked that there was still something wrong with my quad for sure. As the race started and immediately left a parking lot to go down a rooted dirt path I was quite trepidatious about how my leg was going to hold up.

By the time I had gone more than a tenth of a mile I had passed about four people in front of me. Another tenth and I was now in about 8^th place overall. I could tell this was going ot be very unique in trying to figure out what actual place I was in by the end of it all.

After this biggest downhill of the race (which would then be the biggest uphill literally feet before the finish) we were shot out onto a running path wit ha few twists and turns around a park entrance,  through a field, down a hill and then back up a long sloping hill to the high point of the race, all before mile 2.  I had two guys pass me and passed two more in front of me.  

As we approached the turn around for those running the 10k, which I noticed already had me at 3.33 miles (not a good sign), I had run a 7:41, 8:15, and 7:47.  Not what I was hoping for but given all the circumstances of my leg, the ridiculous humidity, the not-so-great for racing course, I was pleased. This would have me run around a 1:42 half which I would have taken on this day.

To the turn around:

I was in a little no man’s land for the next two miles as I ran with no one in sight in front of me and I couldn’t hear anyone coming up from behind. I was surprised when my 4^th and 5^th miles were 8:02 and 8:17 as I felt I had picked up the pace.  Then in quick succession three men passed me. I could tell that this was the beginning of the end.

My 6^th mile, as the leaders of the race passed me heading in the opposite direction was a 8:53 and I knew I was cooked. I have written on many occasions how I have Gilbert’s Syndrome, which annoys me to no end is often classified in Wikipedia articles as harmless. Any doctor who I have talked to said that while normally harmless, GS rendering those who are pushing themselves hard in an athletic event rather useless on occasion is far from harmless. I guess in the “if you stop exercising and rest, it won’t hurt you further” way, it doesn’t cause any damage per se. But when you are running a half-marathon or something akin to that, the affect is quite debilitating.

As I turned around to head back, I could see an onslaught of runners on my heels ready to overtake me.

 To mile 10:

Almost immediately I had three runners pass me. Then another. Then another. I ran nearly 9 minutes for my 7^th mile and couldn’t believe how badly I was slowing.  As the next few runners passed me, I would try to keep up with them and that would simply pull me along for a few seconds before falling back again, as is shown by a 8:50 for my 8^th mile.

Right after my 8^th mile, an extremely tan woman passed me and I was determined to stay with her. I noticed she had a long scar on her spine and later learned she had been in a serious cycling accident a few years ago. I couldn’t stay with her and she too disappeared from my sight. (I see she set a PR but won’t name her as she didn’t have her pictures on the race website and appears to wish to remain private.  But if she sees this, congrats on your new half-marathon PR!)

I found that no matter how hard I tried, each person that passed me would soon follow suit and quickly disappear out of sight.  My first mile over 9 minutes hit with the 9^th mile and I could only watch as I continued to bleed time.

A 9:09 followed for my 10^th mile and I had to take a small walk break. I had nothing left in me. Drenched in sweat, leaving wet footprints behind me, I was a mess.

Onto the Finish:

Other than the steep finish, the next mile was the toughest as we began a slow steady incline. I was playing cat and mouse with this one young lady who would pass me, come to a walk, and then I would slow jog by her.  Then we would repeat this. At least four times we did this until finally with two miles left, she left my sight and I wouldn’t see her again.

There were multiple times we had to cross roads which were not closed to traffic.  As we hit the last major one with two miles to go, I was actually hoping the police officers would stop me and left the traffic go.  But as they continued to hold the cars, I had to keep running, much to my chagrin.

I ran down what was the biggest downhill left, hoping it would spur me on to some sub 9-minute miles.  It did not.

Now I was looking at the clock and the mileage and realizing that the course was going to be about a half mile long. At my current pace that was another 5 minutes. Holy crap, am I going to run over two hours for this half?!

I put my head down and began ushing with all I had which was not much.  I hit the 13^th mile in 9:19 and saw I was no where near the finish. I still had a field to run through, a small hill to climb, a path to cross and then the steep uphill finish over the exposed roots. I looked at my watch as I finally hit the pavement and more or less threw myself across the finish:

1:59:56. My worst half-marathon finish ever where I wasn't also carrying a canoe.

Four people are listed to have been in front of me time-wise in the minute before two hours but none of them were actually there. Obviously they finished behind me but started further back time-wise. Quite an odd arrangement for a race seemingly so concerned with results that I got aged up to 50-54. (Coincidentally, I was 2^nd in both this age group and the one I am actually in. I tried to inform the race so another person in the 50-54 age group would have a podium finish but that was when I learned of their different award system.  Oh well!)

I sat down to get my chip taken off and then had to walk back down the hill to the pavilion to chose my finisher’s medal out of three choices: another first for me in over 400 races run. I now had less than 90 minutes to get back to my car, drive to my Airbnb, shower, drive to the rental car place, take the shuttle to the airport and somehow still make my flight. With all the TSA nonsense going on (fuck Trump and every Trump supporter. If this bothers you, good.) I was almost certain to miss my flight, with the next one home being 7 hours later if I could get on it.

Fortunately for me, while they were obviously set up to handle an onslaught of travelers by how I had to walk back and forth through 9 lanes of roped off lines, there was virtually no one in front of me. I made it to my plane with 9 minutes to spare.

Then my body shut down. Sitting on the plane was almost too much for me to handle. I was certain I was going to lean on the seat in front of me in order to keep from passing out. Fortunately, my Glibert’s abated and I was able to keep upright. I finally found a semi-comfortable position in spite of the large person next to me continuing to encroach on my space as they knitted away. I was too tired jam in elbow into their haunch and too happy to be on my flight to cause any further ruckus.

I now have three weeks until my next half-marathon.  Then I have another the next day. Then another four days later. I can’t say I feel these are going to go too well.  But somehow, three weeks ago, I goth through my first marathon in three years rather smashingly.  Hopefully I can have the same good luck as I knock out, Louisiana, Arkansas and Missouri in a week.

Then do it all over again in Hawaii a week after that. Egads.

A Marathon in all 50 states - Some Stats

I have finally ran a marathon in all 50 states. 

I say finally because this was my original plan in 2005 when I found out I was fairly decent at running marathons with little recovery time. I thought it would be novel. I thought it would be unique. Then I found out hundreds of people had already done it.  So I came up with another idea: to run a certified marathon race every weekend for an entire year.

That decision has shaped the rest of my life.

Doing so in a fashion which has rarely been done before or since, set me up for a life in the running world. When I gained a bit of a following on social media, I tried my best to use my powers for good. I found out if you do that, often you get bitten in the ass.

When the orange parasite currently defiling the White House came on the political scene, I was adamant towards him. It cost me every running sponsorship I had and countless speaking engagements. It also partially changed my marathon trajectory.

The Louisiana Marathon, which I ran in 2016, was the 49th state I had run a marathon in. So much of the previous five years of my life had been about racing but more about all the other things where I was making a living: speaking at expos, book signings, etc. With some of that forcibly removed from me, I could concentrate on just running as fast as I could again.  I had my eyes set on a fast race in North Carolina, which was the only state I had left to run a marathon in.

On my 40th birthday, I ran 40km around a track in Portland Oregon. Quite sore and tired that night, I slept in the next morning. I realized, too late, that I had missed the registration for that North Carolina race as it opened and filled quickly June 1st.

As time went on, North Carolina became a place where democracy did not exist. I decided that I would boycott North Carolina from my racing until things got much better. Some asked me why I didn’t boycott Texas, which was also bad (and was where I lived) or some of the other places. They obviously didn’t understand that not running a marathon in Texas, a state where I had already run my 24th fastest marathon, wouldn’t be much of a boycott. It had to affect me detrimentally in order to make a point.
Fast forward more than a few years and the situation had become much better in North Carolina.  But then COVID hit.  Then my mother died.  Then I tore the root meniscus in my knee, had surgery to fix it which failed, and then had to have a partial knee replacement. I found myself staring down the barrel of being 50 years old and not having run a marathon in all 50 states, something which I had almost done when I was 39.

Last weekend, I was able to complete that challenge, even surprising myself with a 3:36:07 time, far better than I deserved.  This was the least prepared for a marathon I had ever been, barring maybe my first marathon ever. It might have been my 153rd fastest marathon but I got it done and under four hours (another sub-goal of mine).

So now I am going to lay out some random stats because boy howdy do I like me some numbers.

•    From my first marathon and state to my 49th it took me less than fifteen years: 11/11/01 to 01/17/16. It then took me another ten years to get one more state, only running 9 marathons during that time. (I did a double take when I saw that I had only run 9 marathons in the last ten years.)
 

 

 

 

 

 

•    The only state that has a slower marathon than my last is Rhode Island, which I did on the back end of two marathons in two days, where at the 17th mile in the first marathon in Connecticut, an ugly Achilles problem reared its head. The next day in Rhode Island, I jogged a 3:47:07.

•    My lifetime average for marathons is a 3:18:31. This is weighed down tremendously by just a handful of marathons, including twice in Leadville, CO, Pikes Peak, a trail marathon with many knee-deep water crossings, a marathon in China where I had food poisoning and a marathon around a cruise ship where I got sun stroke. In fact, if you remove just my 8 slowest marathons, my time drops to 3:13:47. If you remove my 8 fastest marathons, my time barely increases to 3:19:46.

 

•    I’ve run 100 marathons under 3:16. I have run 64 marathons under 3:10. I have run 18 marathons under sub-3. My last sub-3 was coincidentally on the same day, February 28th (2013), as my 50th state.
•    While I have qualified to run the Boston Marathon 79 times, I was surprised to remember that I haven’t run a BQ in 19 different states. This might be my biggest project going forward.  Already scoped out races in: GA, NM, OR, WI, RI, ID, ME, WY, MT, AK, SD, NJ, WV, NC, KY, DE, AL, HI, and CT.
•    I have run 33 marathons that either no longer exist or have changed so much they are not even remotely the same race.

•    I have run 26 marathons at least twice with Marine Corps Marathon being the race I ran the most, at 5 times.

•    There have been over 400,000 runners in marathons I have run but over half of that number comes from just 12 separate marathons. I tend to run smaller ones with 97 marathons having less than 1000 finishers. That said, the 18 sub-3s I have run have averaged 2548 finishers (skewed a bit by the Marine Corps Marathon but even removing that still makes it 1483 per race.)

If I don’t stop here I will go on forever.  Happy to have been able to do what I have done so far and hope to do much more! 

Wilmington Marathon Recap

A Runner's Ramblings: Volume 20; 2nd Edition
39.3 miles run in 2026 races
Race: Wilmington Marathon
Place: Wilmington, NC
Miles from home: 1318 miles
Weather: 50 degrees,100 % humidity, 

This recap was supposed to happen a decade ago.

I've been sitting at a marathon in 49 states since January of 2016 when I ran the Louisiana Marathon in 3:06 just a few weeks after breaking my hand  I don't have the energy right now to go into everything that has gone wrong in the world in the past decade but I think if you even follow me remotely you understand what I'm talking about. From a horrible election, to a global pandemic, to more personally, my own loss of my mother and then two knee surgeries, 10 years can go by rather quickly. And that's how it gets to just a few months before I turn 50 still needing to get North Carolina as a state in which I've run a marathon in to complete running a marathon in every state.

(I will be writing something about that specific journey later but this is going to be a recap about this particular race itself.)

In January, just a little over six months after my first one-mile run recovering from a partial knee replacement, I had been riding a streak of consistently faster races. Any runner knows however, you don't get faster always. While doing a heavy training cycle that included  a10, 11, and 12 mile run in a row I felt some major discomfort in my right calf muscle. As I had a 30K race coming up a week later I decided to take time off from running. This 18.6 mile race would not only be the longest I had run in three years but would also serve as my longest run for my marathon coming up on the last day of February. It was extremely important.

Unfortunately, that race went very poorly causing me to pull out with about four miles left in the run. There was nothing particularly bad about that day other than it was simply one of those days where you don't have the energy to go further. My calf had moderately cooperated but I figured doing the final loop would be nothing but bad. I figured I could get one more 15 miler in in about which might suffice in getting to my goal.

A week later I found myself in Milan on a wonderful vacation to watch the Winter Olympics. But on my very first run there I had pain shoot through my quad on my left leg from the very first step I took. There's no rhyme or reason of why this happened as I had no trauma or felt any pain on a small run two days prior. Even a few massages while I was in Italy couldn't abate the pain. I had two more massages in quick succession after I got back to the United States which made it feel slightly better but unresolved. I had a great deal of trepidation even up until the day before the race in North Carolina.

I was able to get one quick half hour massage that evening which seemed to actually do a great deal for the bunching of all the muscles in my quad. I nevertheless  had a very fitful night of sleep wondering if I should even be attempting this 26.2 mile endeavor.

My goal was not to only check off the state but to also finish under four hours, something which had never been a problem before. I began doing all the calculations necessary to see what it would take to get me to that finish line hopefully under that four hour mark. I finally came to the conclusion that even if it took me 5 or 6 hours I would walk it if I had to. That would mean that I would also miss my flight back home  but knocking out a marathon here in North Carolina was something I needed to do now.  Getting it under four hours was something I could always come back and do later.

Race Morning:

The Wilmington marathon is a point to point race.  With a fair amount of runners running one of the various events, it requires a shuttle service that leads to a bottleneck at the starting point on Wrightsville Beach. I had noticed that the race actually mentioned if possible you should get your own transportation so I booked myself an Uber for the next morning at 5:45 AM. Even though the race didn't start until 7 a.m. I knew I was probably going to run into traffic. (Mostly because there were a million signs saying that if you got on the last shuttle at 6 a.m. they couldn't guarantee you would get there prior to the gun firing.)

It ends up I planned perfectly because even though we did run into a lot of traffic and the 12 mile drive ended up taking nearly 45 minutes, I got to spend that in the comfort of the back seat of a nice car rather than jammed into one of the shuttle buses that the race provided. No shade at the race at all. Just this was a much nicer way to go. 

My Uber had to drop me off short of the starting area but it was just about a half mile walk to where all the runners were gathering. I hadn't been to a race this size in nearly a decade. The energy was palpable.  The runners were buzzing.  It felt like a race day.

I queued up to get into line to go to the bathroom and more or less had about three minutes to spare when I stepped out of the porta potty. I made my way towards the start line with butterflies in my stomach. When I had woken up that morning I was the least excited I think I have ever been to run a race but for some reason I was feeling much better as the countdown to the marathon began.

First 6 miles

The first 6 miles of this race were enjoyable from a runner standpoint who simply wants to go more or less one direction and not have to think. After 1/3 of a mile running through the streets of the beach town of Wrightsville Beach, we made a right turn and started heading along a “stroad”, that ohh so American combination of street and road. Many lanes of asphalt leading to strip malls, office parks, car dealerships and everything else. The bane of any urban planner who prioritizes pedestrianism. This is not exactly a scenic run per se but for the most part I was fine with that. As long as I didn't have to think about where to go I was happy. Other than the occasional rude runner who was more concerned about advancding five feet and not looking who they were cutting off, didn't even have to watch my surroundings.

My first mile surprised me being right around eight minutes because it felt a lot easier. I've run a few marathons where my overall pace ended up being eight minutes per mile but that was usually because something bad happened in the last 10K that had me walking. I had never attempted to run a marathon at this pace from the start and this felt pleasant.  Then again, it was the first mile!

Even as the 3:30 pace group (which is essentially an 8 minute mile drew) further and further away from me as each mile went by, I saw that my pace continued to be slightly under 8 minutes every mile. I tried not to get too excited here early in the race.

I could say that this first 10K was rather uneventful if not for the fact that at one point a runner in front of me began to veer off of the coned area in which we were supposed to be running and almost into oncoming traffic. He tilted and ran almost disagonally sometimes barely missing the side mirros of cars that were slowing to avoid him. I couldn't figure out what he was doing and yelled at him a few times to be careful.

I finally ran up to him and could see that he was in distress but didn't want to put hands on a stranger. I got on his right and gently nudged him back into the masses of people. It was clear that he was in not doing well. The air was saturated with 100% humidity, even if it was only 50 degrees.  I realized this could have easily been me with how bad I perform in the muck.

As I got him towards middle of the pack a few other runners took it upon themselves to kind of guide him completely to the side and sit him down. When they caught back up to me I asked if he was OK and they said it seemed like he might have been a diabetic who was low on blood sugar. I can only hope that he got the attention that he needed. Nevertheless, a wonderful display of humans caring for humans happened right there as runners stopped their own run to help a stranger.

To the Half-marathon:

The first hill of any note came when the road we were running on took us up and over it on an overpass. It slowed me down a touch but I made-up for it on the other side with the downhill. My watch showed another 8-minute mile. We ran straight a bit more as the clouds never stopped and the humidity reigned.  One guy in front of me has a luscious mane of hair and I could not figure out he possible was not drenched. I was running my hand over my head to alleviate it from about six ounces of sweat every time my fingers passed through my hair. We made a left turn and once again got on a bit of a highway which was blocked off for us runners on one side but still quite active with traffic on the other. Again not exactly that scenic but it served its purpose. I was impressed how many people were out on this lonely strecth cheering us on!

I was again pleasantly surprised as the miles went by and my pace seemed to stay steady even without a great deal of effort. I felt surely I was slowing down but instead it was those around me speeding up. The 3:30 pace group was now out of sight. No idea what they were doing

My pace dipped a smidgen as we left the highway and went up an exit which was decidedly uphill. I had forgotten about this part when looking at the map the night before. It was a little bit of a surprise. Another nice thing about running at this pace is that when I was running more to my speed I rarely had other runners around me. Here with both half-marathon and a marathon going on I had constant companions to either feed off of their energy or follow them. However, as we got past the 10 mile mark you could tell who the half- marathoners were because they suddenly began to pick up the pace. I had to tell myself that not only was I not racing anyone, I definitely wasn't raising those who were going to be done in less than a 5K.

After a couple of twists and turns we ended up on a dirt path that led us close to downtown Wilmington. I was a little surprised by this path and it slowed me a touch but soon we were back on the streets. As we approached the area where the half marathoners went straight to finish, us marathoners turned right up a hill and began to run away from our target destination.

To Mile 20:

I have been doing math all along and realized that if I hit the half marathon about where it looked like I would, I could average a 10-minute mile for the last thirteen miles and still get under four hours. I didn't want that to happen but nice to know I had that cushion. I crossed under the half marathon sensors in 1:47:37 or an 8:12 pace. I also passed about 100 feet away from my Airbnb which I had said pre-race would be calling to me like the sirens of old to crash on the rocks of comfort and give up here if I was having a bad day. Fortunately while I was absolutely lacquered in sweat from the humidity I was somehow still feeling like this would not require me to crawl to the finish.

We completed another straight line through downtown Wilmington and another area of not-so-scenic traffic on one side. Then at mile 15 we began a very twisty-turny running segment. Sometimes we ran on the city streets and sometimes on the path that surrounded Greenfield Lake. I'm glad that the running crowds thinned a little bit here because there was ample room for one or two runners on these paths but not much more side by side. The crowds and fans, however, grew even more!

I ran a series of miles either one second over or one second under 8 minutes per per mile mile here. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and all of a sudden the nine-minute-mile to come out of the woods and drag me to the bottom of the lake. But somehow I kept putting up consistently good miles. We crossed underneath sensors around mile 20 and then did a little turn around and for the rest of the race we would be heading back towards the finish. Heading back to the finish always does something to me psychologically, even if it it thirteen miles away. I have done run after run in my life where as soon as I turn around, it is like a different runner takes over my body. I was fairly certain there would be no explosion of speed here today but I could feel success in my shoes. (I had actually sprinkled my mother and father's ashes on them as I have done in every race since I began running again.  I take those ashes with me every where I go so my parents can "See" the places I visit. Some might find that odd. That's ok.)

To The Finish:

After going over eight minutes for my 20th mile, my 21st mile put me just under at a 7:59. I struggled to keep my pace as we weaved around the lake and the hill between miles 23 and 24 was exceptionally cruel. I actually stopped and walked for about a five count before starting again. I could see now that barring a huge cramp or collapse that I was going to succeed in all that I had set out to do today. I now simply put on blinders and didn't care who I was passing or who was passing me.

The miles became a blur and I focused on a point ahead of me on this straight line finish. I had completely forgotten to pack running sunglasses for this run which might be something I have only done a handful of times in all 167 marathons. Fortunately there was no sun to be seen (it popped out about an hour later) and no squinting was needed on my part.

We had a little bit of an uphill to contend with on the 25th mile and after not walking that at all I got to the top and simply had to take a 10 or 15 second break. I don't know how much that did for my energy or if I hadn't stopped anything would have happened detrimental but I did it regardless. Cheering crowds told me "You've got this!" and I wanted to mindmeld with them and tell them "I know I do."

I gingerly went down the last hill with about half of a mile to go before really locking in as the ample crowds, which had been along the entire course, began to fervently cheer on all the runners. I actually even laughed at the first original marathon sign I had seen in years. (It referenced Prison Mike from The Office.)

In the last quarter mile with the end around the corner I began to pick up the pace. A woman who had just passed me didn't affect me at all and I had no desire to beat her per se but I found that my pace soon put me in front of her again. I was running the fastest I had run all day as I streaked towards the finish line.

Cowbells ringing, people shaking signs, other runners in front of me, and feet from the finish I heard the announcer: "Dane Rauschenberg all the way from Minneapolis!"

I crossed in 3:36:07, hit my watch, and let out a huge breath. I was done.

I finished 364th overall which was my worst place finish since the Twin Cities Marathon 11 years ago where I placed 396th. In fact I've only placed worse in seven marathons in my life. You won't be surprised to learn that two of those were the Boston Marathon and one was the New York City marathon. But it didn't matter. I had finished one of the most challenging marathons in my life which had nothing to do with the course or the weather. It was the longest I had run in just shy of three years. It was also the 11th anniversary of the last sub-three hour marathon that I ran. I never thought at the time that it might be my actual last sub three hour marathon but it could easily be that way.

I made it back to my Airbnb and to the plane on time as well. An endeavor that I had first thought up over 20 years ago and then shuttled because I realized how many other people had done it, was now complete. It didn't end with the bang I was hoping it would but I would definitely say that this wasn't a whimper either.

My surgically repaired knee held up perfectly and the aches and pains in my legs, while still present, were not debilitating. I will definitely be taking a few days off of with no exercise before I get ready to, coincidentally, come back to North Carolina for 1/2 marathon here in less than three weeks.

The race itself was very well-run. Amazing course support from fans, ample aid stations, good organization.  It is obviously fast as well as nearly 100 runners broke the 3 hour mark. Poor Jarred Beverly was the first runner to NOT make it under 3 hours, missing by just three seconds in 3:00:02.  I sure hope

he has some sub-3s elsewhere in his running career as that is just brutal. 

In the next few days I'll probably write a post containing all kinds of fun statistics as I am wont to do. Right now however, I finished a marathon in all 50 states before I turned 50 and have three months to knock out six more half marathons to do the same. 

My membership in the 50 states completed and 50 states completed under 4 hours clubs has been stamped. 

I am definitely pleased. And so damn sore.

 

Mobile Half-Marathon Recap

A Runner's Ramblings: Volume 20; 1st Edition
13.1 miles run in 2026 races
Race: Mobile Half-Marathon
Place: Mobile, AL
Miles from home: 1176 miles
Weather: 43 degrees, 76% humidity, windy

Took 3 tries. But I got Alabama done.

In December, I was scheduled to run a half-marathon in Alabama as I attempt to run a half-marathon and a marathon in every state before I turn 50 (in May of this year.  Egads.)  As I am on the tarmac to fly to New Orleans to then make a drive to Alabama I get an email telling me the race is canceled because of flooding. I land in NO, get right back on the flight I flew in on, and went back home. They rescheduled the race for two weeks later. I booked my flight. Then on the Tuesday before the race they rescheduled it again for January because they did not have the police to handle the traffic for the race.

First one is on Mother Nature. Second one is on the race. They had to know this wasn't going to work. So I bailed on that race altogether. That meant I was going to have a busier than expected 2026. Fortunately, I found a rare weekend open and booked myself the Mobile Half-Marathon.

This race used to be called the First Light Marathon and benefited an organization where people with disabilities live and work in a home with those who don't. It just so happened to be the organization that I raised $43,000 for in 2006 running 52 consecutive weekly marathons. I ran it again in 2010 as I ran back to back marathons on the same weekend. And then I haven't been back to Mobile since. Life is funny like that.

Fortunately, this time the weather and all associated traveled to get to Mobile went smoothly and I arrived in Mobile with time to spare. That allowed me to indulge in a little bit of driving. You see, along with my goal of trying to run a marathon and a half mile in every state I have other little side goals that I’ve been working on that I incorporate to my travels. Namely, I’m trying to visit every county in the United States. So when I get somewhere with a little bit of time to kill, I usually take the less convenient but more expedient way to drive through as many different counties as possible. I didn’t want to spend an entire day in the car the day before this race, but I knew I could knock out a few counties with a little hour and a half drive. So I called my aunt to wish her a happy birthday and had two more counties under my belt by the time I got back home.

 

Then I had an extraordinarily stressful evening watching my favorite Chicago Bears somehow pull off a miraculous comeback victory, which kept me up later than I would’ve liked and well into the night as I continued to think about it. But I got some good sleep, and found myself ready to go.

Race Morning:

 

I had the foresight to find an Airbnb that was just mere blocks away from the start and finish. It was so close in fact that I left there with 15 minutes before the race got outside decided to use my own bathroom in the Airbnb again. I did my business before once again heading to the starting line. I still got there with plenty of time to spare, but interestingly ran into a guy on the way who said “Do you know where the marathon start is?” I pointed in the direction we were heading and he said "Are we supposed to register for this beforehand?”

 

I told him that he might still have time, but he would have to hurry. I looked at my watch and it was 7:18 AM. He had 12 minutes to register and get ready. That’s cutting it close! It boggles my mind people who will hopefully put in the correct effort to train for a race, but not know when they have to sign up for it!

I sauntered down to the starting line and was happy for the chilly weather, even if it was a bit windy. I had designs on running a 1:36:14 half-marathon because that would be my 99 fastest half marathon ever. After starting running again in June, I have been patient with my recovery and building strength and slowly getting faster. But at the same time I have been impatiently wanting to at least get my finish times to be in the double digits when it came to overall personal times. Wasn’t quite sure I had that in me just yet as that would be a nearly four minute drop off my previous personal best for my new knee, but I was going to give it a go.

First 5K:

 

One of the many inconveniences of my knee surgery and recovery is, I have lost a lot of my ability to

know exactly the pace I am running and whether it is the pace that I want to be running for that race. I used to have a metronome inside me that would tell me what was going on. Now I don’t know if I’m running too fast or too slow. My first couple of half marathons back my first mile was way too fast and I could kind of tell, but I didn’t know how fast. This one felt fast but felt controlled. It ended up kind of being in between what I was usually used to running and what I wanted to run today, which was 7:20 minute mile. It did take a little bit of energy and I was hoping it was a little faster, but I rolled with it when I saw a 7:12 on my watch. The next mile was even a little bit faster at 7:11. That mile felt good as I felt like I wasn't working too hard.  But I immediately slowed down, trying to get back closer to my goal pace, not wanting to blow up later in the race. 

The wind was swirling, and it was hard to tell which direction it would be blowing at any given time. You’d turn a corner with the wind directly in your face, and it somehow would still be hitting you head-on. Nothing too bad, but not helping. We rounded the corner near a cemetery and ran under some moss- covered tree-line streets, which were absolutely lovely. There were a few spectators out in this neighborhood and their involvement was appreciated. I hit the 3rd mile in the 7:28 which was disappointing because I felt like I had slowed down, but not that much. 

 

To the 10k:

 

As we continue to do a couple of little out and backs in the neighborhood, I was appreciating that we had a lot of long straightaways in this race. I really like being able to just sit into my run and not have to think about turns or anything. I knew the longest straightaways lay ahead so I was bidding my time waiting to get to them, I felt like I was working but not too hard. My fourth mile gave me a 7:24 which felt reasonable.  In the next mile, I began to hear the loud WHOMP WHOMP of a runner behind me.  As I haven't raced much in the past few years, I was unable to prove what I had heard about may of the new super shoes that are out there.  Not that they help performance, which they do (and who cares) but rather that they were so damn loud. I couldn't shake the guy behind me and right after the fifth mile, which I ran in 7:25, I let him go bye. Sure enough, super shoes.


But now I was on the long straightaway of Government Street and I was ready to turn on the jets.  If that meant I ha to run with SuperWhomper, than so be it.  But in spite of my desires, nothing happened with my leg.  My 6th mile was a 7:37, my slowest of the day.  Determined not to let time slip away, I gritted my teeth and quickened my pace.

Onto 10 miles:

This drive to run faster netted me a 7:26 for my 7th mile and I felt like the ship had been righted. We left Government Street onto OLD Government Street (this just made me laugh) and I could see the Super Whomper had put no more distance between us. I also hadn't closed the gap. We turned a little bit later onto a slow small uprising of a hill and I could feel myself slowing.  Sure enough by the time I hit me 8 I had run a 7:40.  Right here is where we can see the fast fast runners heading back towards us. Knowing I will soon be heading in the direction of the finish almost ALWAYS lights a fire under me.  A 7:35 for the ninth mile wasn't a fire per se but I knew if I pack at my pace for the 10th mile, I would have a shot to really turn it on in the last 5k and still eke out a 1:36:xx.

We did a little one block circleback and then began heading home. Not long after this I noticed an older woman who was not too far behind me. Sure enough, 62 year old Mary Trufant set a new state record for 60 and older with a time of 1:42:28! Holy crap!

 

I figured this would spur me on and as it hit the tenth mile, I looked t my watch: 7:46.  My slowest mile of the day. Drats. 

 

Bring it Home to Finish:

That's ok. I have had lulls before and made up for it. Today would be one of those days. Since Super Whomper, who I can barely see in the distance, had passed me at mile 5, I had neither caught anyone or had anyone else pass me. As we ran down Dauphin Street, which was ridiculously desolate of both traffic, spectators, and any other noise, I was all by myself. No one to contend with. No one to draft off of. No one to drag me along. No one to chase. No problem. So many of my races have been like this. I try my best to rely off internal motivation. And that netted me a 7:41.

 

Finally, I heard some footsteps and a runner passed me.  Someone had a sign that said "Run Like You Stole Something" and I pretend to steal their sign.  Sill things like this usually spur me on. But as a few other footsteps came into my ears, my effort results in another 7:41.

Most of my time goals were now out the window so I just wanted to make sure I didn't twist an ankle, get a cramp, or trip and fall. A few runners did indeed go by me but more than half of them were running the marathon.  (The course for them was two loops of this course I was on. Right now I can't imagine doing another 13 miles.) 

 

I passed the 13th mile at 7:40 and laughed. I basically had run the exact same time for six miles. I saw the finish clock ahead and although it was disappointing, I realized if I hoofed it, I could beat my previous new knee PR by a minute.  

 

So, I did.

I finished 21st overall in a time of 1:38:53. This is only my 112th fastest half-marathon, nestled right in amongst a bunch of times where I was doing something silly which would make times slow (like six in six days in six states). But it was a new PR, nonetheless.

Now I don't have another half-marathon until March.That will be after my final state marathon on February 28th in North Carolina. Right now, I feel massively under-prepared for 26.2 miles but I still have 7 weeks to go and a 30k race in between now and then.

Southwest Series Half-Marathon: Arizona Recap

A Runner's Ramblings: Volume 19; 7th Edition
91.7 miles run in 2025 races
Race: Southwest Series Half-Marathon: Arizona
Place: Flagstaff, AZ
Miles from home: 1547 miles
Weather: 39 degrees, 69% humidity, slight wind

My race on Sunday, a half-marathon just a week after a big race breakthrough post-knee surgery, was a mixture of feelings. For one I was extraordinarily pleased with how I had placed given I had just raced one week prior, was running at elevation, and all of the other things that made it more difficult than it normally would have been prior to my knee injury. On the other hand I didn't really have much of a desire to race again just three days later at even higher elevation in Flagstaff at nearly 7000 feet.

Somehow, the next day when I was making the drive from Farmington NM to Flagstaff AZ something clicked at me and my emotions changed. My ankle has been a little sore the past couple of weeks on the same leg as my reconstructed knee. It's obvious the two are at least tangentially connected. Also my knee is just a little sore and inflamed which gives me trepidation even though I know or at least I'm pretty sure that nothing is wrong. 

Nevertheless, when I got to Flagstaff I suddenly regained an urge to race. It appeared that the two gentlemen who bested me in the race on Sunday would be racing again. As such I was hoping to exact a little revenge on having been beaten by both of them in New Mexico. I know they would both be tired as it appears they were running the two half marathons in between and I was taking time off so to speak. But in every race you take the runners as they are. I've said this for a long time that you should never once apologize for who shows up at the race. Getting to the starting line is probably equally as difficult as getting to the finish line. I know neither of these runners were too bothered by the fact that I had a brand new knee and two surgeries in the past year so I figured it was simply time to lace them up and go

Race Morning:

I wasn't as close to the race start as I was the previous two races I have done but I wasn't much further away just barely over a mile. That meant once again I could get up relatively late with regards to the start of the race and still make it there on time ready to go. We were promised another cool crisp day and the weather delivered. I had noticed that the guy who won the half marathon on Sunday did not finish or did not have a result on Monday even though I saw that they had posted a picture of him running. I didn't know what had happened and if he would even be here. The second place finisher however did post a result in the previous two races so I assumed he would be there attempting to run as fast as he could as well. Then I realized that none of this matters as any could show up for any race at anytime.  I just had to race who was there.

As I pulled into the parking lot and parked, I realized I had to use the bathroom again. Blessed with the luxury of my lodging being so close and me being a fast driver, I eschewed the portapotty and potential line and simply went back home. Seven minutes later and I was back in the parking lot hearing the ending instructions being given out by the race director.

The course was like so many other races that the Mainly Marathons people put on and that was more or less a one mile out and back that we ran 6 times for the half marathon. This one would be run completely on a crushed gravel surface with long gradual uphill to finish the back portion of each out and back. That means, I would be getting the same downhill portion to start each loop. But that was only after another longer gradual uphill to begin each loop.  And small undulations in between.  I am not joking when I say you were rarely running flat for long on this course even if it didn't look too hilly to begin with.

My prediction was that unlike in Farmington where I really enjoyed the return portion, that the out portion would be my better miles today.

Instructions were given, the countdown was done, and away we went. 

First Three Miles:

I took off with the race director in the lead but within 100 yards I could feel my lungs were just really going to be working hard today. Before long the runner who I was most concerned abut winning followed another runner who I had seen previously but didn’t know he could run this fast as they passed me. 

I was shocked my first mile was exactly 8:00 when it felt half a minute slower. As we finished the first out and back, I had an another 8:00 mile even with the hill on the course which would seemingly get higher each loop. At the 5k turn around, the new-to-me runner turned around. That explained his sudden speed burst. He was now done for the day! 

The sun was now fully over the horizon and on the return trip of the first two loops we were running directly into it. I was beyond happy I was wearing sunglasses. 

With the other runner gone, now it was just me and the guy from the first day. I had learned right before the race started that  he had done the 5k on the second day of this series but it was clear he wasn’t doing that today. What was also clear was that no matter what race he was running today, I wasn’t going to be able to keep up with him at the pace he was going. (His first two miles were 7:51 and 7:45). 

Then as shocking as my first two miles being right at 8:00 was, it was even more shocking that my third mile was an 8:23. That mile felt faster than the previous two. Today was obviously going to be interesting.

To the 10k:

As I came down to the turn at the 4th mile I was surprised to see another runner closing in behind me. I thought the only person I had to contend with for an overall victory was the guy in front of me but now I had another pushing me from behind. I would like to say this spurred me to new faster times but all that followed was a 8:16, 8:18, 8:18. Consistent but slow. Those first two miles now seemed like an apparition. Meanwhile, as I saw the lead runner coming back at me it was clear he was not running the 10k and would indeed be racing me for the half overall finish. Bummer. I really didn't want to work this hard today.  My lungs were burning. I had no zip.  And I still had seven miles to go.

But just as quickly as the guy behind me appeared, he disappeared. I have no idea where he went as I ran back to the start. Did I somehow miss him in the wide open plateau? One of the problems with these races, for those of who are actually racing, is the sheer unknowns. Racers can start early and then you are ranked against them in results even though you never really raced them. (This is what happened with the guy who placed second on the first day.  I saw him during the race already started and then right at my third loop saw him finished wit ha medal.) People can jump in and out of races as they please. There is just no real continuity to each day. I get that is not what the stated goals for this race series is but to me, if there is a start line and a finish line and a moving clock, it is a race. I want to know who I am racing.

Onto Mile 10:

The lead runner had just about a two minute lead over me and this is where we would stay for mile after mile. My 7th mile was the worst of the day so far at 8:27 but then I followed it up with an 8:10. There was no rhyme or reason to my running. My lungs were burning from the height, the stress and the acrid smoke in the air. I have always had wussy lungs. When I was a young fella I had to had lung treatments as they would filled with so much phlegm that you could hear it rattle when I took a breath. The fact I can do any of the endurance stuff I do now is the product of miracles. Most of the time now I am free of breathing problems but when they rear their ugly head it is extremely noticeable.

I ran an 8:22 tenth mile but somehow had cut the lead to the runner in front of me by 30 seconds.  I made the turn at the table that contained rubber bands you could grab to help you keep track of your laps (but which were not mandatory to take) and headed back out. Could I pull out a win?

Heading home to Finish: 

By the time I saw the leader next, the answer was clear: no I could not. I ran an 8:25 mile and even though it was clear he was slowing down as well, my body did not yet have in it what I wanted. Even with just one loop left I couldn’t summon the power to make it close. I ran an 8:39 mile and was beginning to wonder if I would even break 1:50 for the race.

I wove through the crowds of people, doing my absolute best to greet them all and cheer them on. But I was using every bit of energy I had just to keep moving forward. On the return trip of each loop we were running full on into the rising sun. The first two loops had been awful as we could barely see. It was better now but still tough. There was also a surprising amount of wind. I was glad I had kept my gloves on when I almost ditched them at the start.

I dug in and climbed the long hill to the final straightaway. All day it has been up and down small hills and this big hill leading to the downhill straightaway to the finish. I could not find a rhythm. I could not find my lungs. I could not find the energy to take first place.

Here, nestled at 7,100-something feet I was going to taste defeat again. As I got about a third of the way along the final stretch, I could see the runner in front of me finish. He started each day with a button-up shirt on but always took it off to run bare-chested. He was always easy to see from afar as he was also the only other runner moving about my speed. The other runner who had been behind me again appeared out of nowhere.  This time he settled in behind me at about the same distance as he had been previously.  He wasn't getting any closer.  He was not a threat even if he was running my race and even if he was even on my same lap.

The clock was ticking up so fast. This straightaway was longer than it seemed at well over 1/3 of a mile. I kept glancing at my watch and too much time was slipping by. I knew this was going to be slower than Sunday's race but  was hoping it wouldn't be THAT much slower.  Crunching gravel gave way to the few feet of pavement at the finish. I was pushing with all I had to make sure I made it respectably close behind the shirtless.  

As it stands, I made right at two minutes as I finished in 1:48:57 to his 1:46:54.

This is my third slowest half marathon ever with the only two slower are my first race back after knee surgery in Alaska in July and the death march I did in a half-Ironman two years ago barely a month before I tore my knee. (Technically my half-marathon carrying a canoe is my slowest but that doesn’t count.  Heck, the 70.3 shouldn’t either, if I think about it.) But given all the variables for this race it pleased me I was able to run as fast as I did. 

To begin with, these past two half-marathons are two of the highest half-marathons I have ever un. Throw in everything else I have already droned on about ad nauseum and this is a really good barometer of where my fitness is at.  

I have come a long way since my first one-mile run the last week of June. I will get faster. I will lose weight. I will run more. I will hit the gym to re-establish leg muscles which have been left to die the past two years. I refuse to simply go out there and jog (or even worse, walk) races where I am giving less than my best. I truly do not understand how able-bodied people think that is an achievement. I will be looking to improve not just on my post-surgery times but to also take some shots at setting a new half-marathon personal best.

It might not happen, but if that’s true, it won’t be from a lack of pointed, intelligent, hard-working effort on my part. This is just the beginning and I am pleased with my start.

Three weeks and change until I take on the next half-marathon in Alabama. Much lower elevation; much higher humidity. Pray for the Sweatatron 3000 that the weather isn't exactly what it always is down there!