BURLINGTON VERMONT STATE #48

HERE IS JOHN IN HIS FRONT YARD AT HIS PIECE OF HEAVEN- LAKE MOOSALOOSA. WISH HIM LUCK AS HE DOES A 100 MILE RACE THIS WEEKEND IN THE MOUNTAIN BEHIND HIM. 

 THE RACE STARTED WITH A BUS RIDE FROM YOUR BED TO THE START.  THIS EVENT CROSSED EVERY T. A VERY FRIENDLY LADY IN RED/WHITE GREETED THE BUS AND WISHED US A GREAT DAY WITH KIND WORDS THAT BROUGHT ON TEARS.  I JUST STILL MARVEL THAT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WERE GOING TO DEDICATE THEIR DAY TO OUR 26 MILE SHUFFLE.

 

WHILE I WAS ENJOYING THIS VIEW:

 

THE FIRST 50 STATER I MET WAS DOING NUMBER 50….ALL UNDER 4:00  AND ALMOST ALL UNDER 3:30 !!!

 

THIS IS JOESPH LEGAT FROM NEVADA. CONGRATS TO YOU BUDDY.  HIS FINAL TIME WAS 3:22.   50 STATES DONE WITH ANOTHER GREAT SIDEBAR. IN ADDITION TO RUNNING THE STATE HE ALSO HIKES TO THE HIGHEST POINT IN THE STATE. TALK ABOUT A GREAT SET OF LEGS AND A GREAT CHALLENGE. WELL DONE JOE !!

 

WHEN THE RACES START I WILL SHARE THAT THE NATIONAL ANTHEM IS GETTING VERY MEANINGFUL AFTER HAVING VISITED THE STATES.

 

I HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO LINE UP NEXT TO A FIRST TIME RACER FROM THE EXEL-ERATOR RELAY TEAM WHO HAD NEVER RUN A STEP UNTIL THIS MARCH. SHE WAS SO PUMPED TO DO HER FIRST RACE. HER TEAM  OF 5 RAN 10 MINUTE MILES FOR THE WHOLE 26 SO BRAVO GALLAGHER FLYNN RUNNERS!

 

UP THE ROAD WHO APPEARS ? MY BFF  IN ROYAL BLUE  FROM WISCONSIN WHO I MET IN PLYMOUTH ROCK -DENEEN. SHE IS WELL AND ROCKING THE GALLOWAY AND PLANNING A 3-4 MONTH CAMPING TRIP TO ALASKA AND THE WEST TO DO SOME STATES THIS SUMMER.  WHAT A BRAVE LADY !

 

THE DQ’S CAME OUT TO CHEER AND I WAS INSPIRED

 

THE ROUTE WAS VERY SPECTATOR FRIENDLY WE CAME BACK TO TOWN 4 TIMES AND DEB AND I GOT A SELFIE

 

DEB IGNORED THE FREE BUSES AND OUR CAR AND WALKED 3 HOURS ALL OVER TOWN TO PREPARE FOR HATFIELD MCCOY IN 2 WEEKS.

 

YOU WANT INSPIRATION ? LARRY MACON OVER 1300 MARATHONS, WORLD RECORD HOLDER WHO DID TRAVERSE CITY MI ON SATURDAY AND DOESN’T HE LOOK TERRIFIC ? GO LARRY GO. KNOW NO LIMITS.

 

 

HOW ABOUT THESE GREAT SIGNS:

 

 

THE LONGEST B— OF A HILL HAD TAIKO DRUMMERS IN PERFECT SYNC. IT WAS TOO SWEET.

 

THE ROUTE VIEWS WERE TERRIFIC

 

 THIS IS A WOODEN BRIDGE.

 

 

 THE ADIRONDACKS ACROSS LAKE CHAMPLAIN

 

 

VERY WELCOME SHADED PATH AFTER MILE 20

 

WE GOT A GREAT LITTLE MESSAGE IN THE LAST MILES

 

” THIS IS YOUR DAY ! A GREAT DAY TO RUN.”

A LOVELY THANK YOU FROM THE ORGANIZERS.

 

I FINISHED IN 5:19 AND HAD A GREAT GREETING AND A MEDAL  FROM HARDIN W.

HARDIN IS THE FELLOW  I RAN WITH IN TACOMA 3 WEEKS AGO WHO WAS REVIVED FROM THE DEAD A FEW YEARS AGO AT THIS RACE DUE TO HEAT STROKE AND CELEBRATES LIFE AS A VOLUNTEER EVERY YEAR  IN BURLINGTON. THANKS HARDIN AND KEEP CHECKING OFF THOSE STATES.

 

A HIGHLIGHT OF THE TRIP WAS CELEBRATING MARY ANN Z’S 50 STATE FINISH.

WOOT WOOT

MARY ANN Z ROCKING THE 50 STATE  NANDANNA.

 

MARY P FINISHED A FEW YEARS AGO AND GRACIOUSLY DID ANOTHER ROUND WITH HER PAL. MARY HAS LOST HER EYE AND MAYBE A MENISCUS OVER THE LAST YEAR BUT YOU CAN TELL BY HER SMILE NOTHING GETS HER DOWN.

 

 

HOW ABOUT THIS CAKE  ??

YES IT IS EXACTLY HER RUNNING SHOE.

 

HERE IS THE WHOLE ILLINOIS GANG

 

 

KRISTEN  D AND MARYANN Z CELEBRATING A PR

 

THE TALL BLONDE FELLOW WAS TOASTING HIS VERY FIRST MARATHON WITH THIS LOVELY GLASS FROM HIS CO WORKERS

 

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS WERE SOME GREAT SHOPPING AT THE  AO GLASSWORKS.

HERE IS TOVE WHO CAME FROM NORWAY TO MAKE GREAT ART IN VERMONT.

 

I BROUGHT MY 97 YEAR OLD PAL  A GREEN  GLASS  CHAMP (THE LOCAL LOCH NESS LEGEND)

AND GOT A PENGUIN PAPER WEIGHT TO INSPIRE DREAMS OF GOING TO SEE PENGUINS IN THE WILD.

EVEN BETTER THE PENGUIN SUPPORTS SPECIAL OLYMPICS. EVERYBODY WINS.

 

WE HAD GREAT MEALS, ALL LOCAL, ORGANIC AND DELISH.

WE MANAGED TO SEE STOWE,

TASTED AT BEN AND JERRY’S AND VISITED  MIDDLEBURY

THIS ONE WAS SO FABULOUS

 

 

 

THIS BARN WAS LITERALLY IN THE ROAD. LOVE IT

 

THIS WAS AN IMPECCABLY ORGANIZED EVENT WITH GREAT SUPPORT IN ALL CATEGORIES AND A GREAT FAMILY GETAWAY TO A BEAUTIFUL STATE.

NEW ENGLAND IS JUST SO DARN CHARMING. 

 

NEXT UP  IS A BIG ROAD TRIP TO  THE HATFIELD MCCOY -NO FEUDIN JUST RUNNIN’ MARATHON IN APPALACHIA. IT WILL BE A 50 STATE REUNION AS WELL.

 

THE NEXT STATE TOWARDS 50 WILL BE AUGUST IN GREEN RIVER WYOMING

RUN WITH THE HORSES

 

BE WELL, GET OUT AND PLAY LET LOOSE AND DREAM BIG.

WARMEST ALOHAS

FONDLY,

NW