Lifetime Big, Long Thing (Marathon or longer) #181 completed at the Hoosier Ultra Frigid Fifty (50k) in Chain O’Lakes State Park in Albion, Indiana. A chilly but tolerable day for December in Northern Indiana (Overcast with a high of 31) made this two loop course with about 2300 feet of elevation gain a nice workout…

Jacksonville Marathon 2018 and Jungle Bell Jog
Andy’s birthday marathon, Cade’s 250th, a PR for Kevin, and even me—the Grinch—in a Santa suit for a 5k. It was a full weekend at the Jacksonville Marathon and the Jingle Bell Jog 5k with fellow Frontrunners and Amy. The rain held off at Jacksonville and it was its typical flat suburban course on a…

Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon 2018
Year to date big long thing #25 completed at the Mississippi gulf coast marathon in Biloxi, Mississippi. Chilly and overcast, on a super flat course along the beach. The only hill was an overpass with a wicked camber in the last 2 miles. Last year this race was too short because of a turnaround. Having…

Rehoboth Seashore Marathon 2018
Alicja’s 50th State. She was hit by a car in California, threatened with a missile strike in Hawaii, and nearly drown in Vermont. So glad I could be here for it at the Rehoboth Seashore Marathon in Delaware. The course is a flat but interesting mix of road, dirt, some boardwalk in the park and…

Palm Beaches Marathon 2018
30th Florida marathon done at the Palm Beaches Marathon. A flat, road marathon along the intercoastal waterway. They somehow managed to make the course even more dull than last year by removing the portion in Palm Beach. So rightly this is the West Palm Beach Marathon. Support folks were great but the sun was relentless…

Maratón Internacional de Panamá 2018
Marathon country #12 done at the Maratón Internacional de Panamá in Ciudad de Panamá. Warm towards the end, but mostly flat with a view of the Casco Viejo, turning around at the Maracana (soccer stadium) headed back through the central business district, Panama Viejo (the original 1519 settlement of Panama) and some condo developments in…

Flying Monkey Marathon 2018
Big long thing number 175 complete at the Flying Monkey Marathon. For those unfamiliar with the Flying Monkey Marathon it is a fundraiser for the eradication of a dangerous invasive species of flying monkey found in the Warner Park system in Nashville Tennessee. This is my third monkey and as I am wont to do…

2018 RDC Marathon
Marathon or longer #174 at the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Marathon in North Carolina. A 2 mile loop around a mall to spread out the field before sending them on a 24 mile out and back on the American Tobacco Trail, a rails-to-trails flat course, before wrapping the final quarter mile in the mall parking lot. This…

2018 Richmond Marathon
Big long thing #173 complete at the Anthem Richmond Marathon. A relatively flat trip out of town along the James River (the Jim to friends), and back into the Virginia Commonwealth Capital. Well supported and lots of coaches helping along first timers. I don’t know if it’s the friendliest marathon as billed, but it’s certainly…