Marathon 21 & 22 in 50 of the #50in50: KY & NJ

22 of 50 states in the #50in50 done:

• NEW YORK 11/4/18: @nycmarathon
  
• NEVADA 11/11/18: @runrocknroll Vegas
  
• PENNSYLVANIA 11/18/18: @Philly_Marathon
  
• WASHINGTON 11/25/18: @seattlemarathon
  
• TENNESSEE 12/1/18: @stjude Memphis
  
• ALABAMA 12/8/18: @irunrocketcity
  
• FLORIDA 1/13/19: @rundisney #wdwmarathon
  
• LOUISIANA 1/20/19: @thelamarathon
  
• MISSISSIPPI 1/26/19: Mississippi blues Marathon
  
• ARIZONA 2/9/19: Mesa-Phoenix Marathon @phxmarathon
  
• TEXAS 2/17/19: Austin marathon @austinmarathon
  
• MASSACHUSETTS 2/24/19: Hyannis Marathon @hyannismarathon
  
• SOUTH CAROLINA 3/2/19: Myrtle Beach marathon @runmbm
  
• ARKANSAS 3/3/19: Little Rock marathon @lrmarathon
  
• NORTH CAROLINA 3/9/19: Wrightsville Beach marathon @wbmarathon
• GEORGIA 3/17/19: Publix Atlanta marathon @atlantatrackclub
• NEW MEXICO 3/21/19: Dust Bowl Series - New Mexico
• OKLAHOMA 3/22/19: Dust Bowl Series - Oklahoma
• KANSAS 3/24/19: Chisholm Trail marathon @chisholmtrail44
• MISSOURI 4/7/19: Go! St Louis marathon @gostlouis
• KENTUCKY 4/27/19: Kentucky Derby marathon @kyderbyfestival
• NEW JERSEY 4/28/19: New Jersey marathon @njmarathon

KENTUCKY DERBY MARATHON 4/27

Today I woke up early in Louisville and headed to the Kentucky Derby Marathon. I parked right next to the start line in a garage. This is the first race I ran in my new Zoom flys.

The race was nice. I started with the 4:00 pace group and stuck with them for about 10 miles. I fell back a little because I felt like I was going too hard. After a few more miles, I feel back a little more and met up with the 4:15 group. The first part of the run was hilly, and the second half of the race was pretty flat. We started and ended near Louisville Slugger stadium. Along the way we got to run around the Churchill Downs track. That was pretty cool.  Here’s the course:

Here are my splits:

And here’s the medal:

I finished the race in about 4:19. I sprinted the last 100 meters or so. I love doing that. It’s also a crowd pleaser. I headed back to the hotel quickly to shower and change and drive back to Cincinatti airport. As I was driving I got a notification from Delta that my flight was canceled. I pulled over, called Delta and also tried to rebook through the app. Thankfully I got a flight that got me back to NYC at 11:30pm. I went to sleep around 1 am.

NEW JERSEY 4/28

 I woke up at 4am and took the path train to Jersey City to meet my buddy Carmen so that we could drive down to the NJ marathon. Ferd met us there at the race. It was an easy drive. I only slept 3 hours, so I wasn’t rested.

We met up then hit the porto potties. While we were waiting in line, we saw a girl poop her pants while waiting. I don’t know why she didn’t just skip the line and go into one of the porto potties. Good news is she ended up finishing the race.

Ferd, Carmen and I then started running together. Carmen ran ahead. Ferd and I ran together at first. My legs were aching and tired. After a couple of miles I told Ferd he could run ahead because I didn’t think I was going to run a good race. At mile 5 he ran ahead. Around mile 18 it started lightly sprinkling. It’s a very flat course. There are some nice houses, but the best part was running along the boardwalk. I saw both Carmen and Ferd on the course. Carmen ended up finishing in 3:12 and Ferd in about 4:05. I finished around 4:35. I was happy to finish. They have a nice medal that spins. 

My Apple Watch stopped working again after about 18 miles. I need to get it replaced finally.

After the race, Carmen and I drove back to Newark and I took the train back to NYC. Overall a great course and nicely run race.

Join me on the #50in50 for the Gweneviere Mann Foundation, with many ways to get involved.

PLEASE DOWNLOAD GWENEVIERE’S SONG

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we just recently released a single "What I Can Be" off of her album for her so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Download it here

Together we will save lives through early detection programs for lung cancer and brain tumors.

I ❤️ you Gwen.

-Yasir

Marathon 20 in 50 of the #50in50: MO

20 of 50 states in the #50in50 done:

• NEW YORK 11/4/18: @nycmarathon
  
• NEVADA 11/11/18: @runrocknroll Vegas
  
• PENNSYLVANIA 11/18/18: @Philly_Marathon
  
• WASHINGTON 11/25/18: @seattlemarathon
  
• TENNESSEE 12/1/18: @stjude Memphis
  
• ALABAMA 12/8/18: @irunrocketcity
  
• FLORIDA 1/13/19: @rundisney #wdwmarathon
  
• LOUISIANA 1/20/19: @thelamarathon
  
• MISSISSIPPI 1/26/19: Mississippi blues Marathon
  
• ARIZONA 2/9/19: Mesa-Phoenix Marathon @phxmarathon
  
• TEXAS 2/17/19: Austin marathon @austinmarathon
  
• MASSACHUSETTS 2/24/19: Hyannis Marathon @hyannismarathon
  
• SOUTH CAROLINA 3/2/19: Myrtle Beach marathon @runmbm
  
• ARKANSAS 3/3/19: Little Rock marathon @lrmarathon
  
• NORTH CAROLINA 3/9/19: Wrightsville Beach marathon @wbmarathon
• GEORGIA 3/17/19: Publix Atlanta marathon @atlantatrackclub
• NEW MEXICO 3/21/19: Dust Bowl Series - New Mexico
• OKLAHOMA 3/22/19: Dust Bowl Series - Oklahoma
• KANSAS 3/24/19: Chisholm Trail marathon
• MISSOURI 4/7/19: Go! St Louis marathon

I flew into St Louis on Saturday morning on 4/6, and met my friend Kyle for a Cardinals game then went to pick up my race bib and headed back to Kyle’s place for the night. 

On Sunday, 4/7 I got up early to run the St Louis marathon. It was a pretty good day. The weather started off cool and crisp and then went up a few degrees. The course is a little hilly here and there, but one of my favorite runs so far. Here’s the course:

I started with the 4:00 pace group. I slowed down a little and finished in 4:16.

Here are my splits:

The medal is pretty cool, too:

Overall a great race and great to hang out with Kyle and crew.

Join me on the #50in50 for the Gweneviere Mann Foundation, with many ways to get involved.

PLEASE DOWNLOAD GWENEVIERE’S SONG

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we just recently released a single "What I Can Be" off of her album for her so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Download it here

Together we will save lives through early detection programs for lung cancer and brain tumors.

I ❤️ you Gwen.

-Yasir

Marathon 17, 18, & 19 in 50 of the #50in50: NM, OK, KS

19 of 50 states in the #50in50 done:

• NEW YORK 11/4/18: @nycmarathon
  
• NEVADA 11/11/18: @runrocknroll Vegas
  
• PENNSYLVANIA 11/18/18: @Philly_Marathon
  
• WASHINGTON 11/25/18: @seattlemarathon
  
• TENNESSEE 12/1/18: @stjude Memphis
  
• ALABAMA 12/8/18: @irunrocketcity
  
• FLORIDA 1/13/19: @rundisney #wdwmarathon
  
• LOUISIANA 1/20/19: @thelamarathon
  
• MISSISSIPPI 1/26/19: Mississippi blues Marathon
  
• ARIZONA 2/9/19: Mesa-Phoenix Marathon @phxmarathon
  
• TEXAS 2/17/19: Austin marathon @austinmarathon
  
• MASSACHUSETTS 2/24/19: Hyannis Marathon @hyannismarathon
  
• SOUTH CAROLINA 3/2/19: Myrtle Beach marathon @runmbm
  
• ARKANSAS 3/3/19: Little Rock marathon @lrmarathon
  
• NORTH CAROLINA 3/9/19: Wrightsville Beach marathon @wbmarathon
• GEORGIA 3/17/19: Publix Atlanta marathon @atlantatrackclub
• NEW MEXICO 3/21/19: Dust Bowl Series - New Mexico
• OKLAHOMA 3/22/19: Dust Bowl Series - Oklahoma
• KANSAS 3/24/19: Chisholm Trail Marathon

3/21/19 Dust Bowl Series Marathon - New Mexico

I ran the Dust Bowl Series - NM marathon in Clayton. It’s a surreal landscape. Kind of a desert and little grassland. I met this guy named Nick from England who’s running 270 marathons in a year. And he’s also breaking some record for the 50K distance. There was a guy who’s run over 2000 marathons. And another whose running 52 in 52 weeks.

I took the course very slow. The Apple Watch died on me again. The course was 12 loops. Very hilly and very scenic. The race directors are brothers, Jesse and Daniel. They have amazing food at their races. They also get to know all the runners’ names. They set up the course in a way that those running see and pass each other. They talk to each other and encourage one another. It’s a very positive culture. I loved it 

I drove to Oklahoma now to rest up in a hotel and run another marathon on Friday in Guymon, OK.

3/22/19 Dust Bowl Series Marathon - Oklahoma

I got up in Guymon, OK at the Quality Inn after a long sleep. It felt great. I noticed that my Apple Watch didn’t charge overnight for some reason. Thankfully I had brought my Garmin watch as back up. I had breakfast in the hotel. I drove the 2 miles to the start and ran in the park they had set up for the race. The race was 14 loops, much flatter than the NM marathon. Many of the staff got to know my name (including all their family. I smiled and said hello to many of the runners. It’s a very cool culture.

I drove the 400 miles or so to Wichita.

3/24/19 Chisholm Trail Marathon - Kansas

I got up early at the Wichita Marriott. I made my way over to the start and parked pretty close. I brought Mike Langston, the race director, a copy of the Jan Men’s Health magazine that we were in. My left anterior muscle was inflamed and the tendon was squeezing down on it. I thought I was going to have to skip the race. As I started running it hurt, and as I ran faster it loosened up a little. Several people recognized me and said hello. I met Brittany and April around mile 8. We ran together and ran into their friend Tony. They have a tight running community on Wichita and all the runners seem to know each other. We ran the rest of the race together. The course has a half and a full. The full is 2 loops. The course was scenic and fast. There are some hills at the beginning and middle of the loop. The final 3 miles of the loop are downhill. We wanted to help April PR. Her old PR was 4:26. We came in at 4:13! It was amazing.

After the race we had lunch. I flew back that night.

Join me on the #50in50 for the Gweneviere Mann Foundation, with many ways to get involved.

PLEASE DOWNLOAD GWENEVIERE’S SONG

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we just recently released a single "What I Can Be" off of her album for her so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Download it here

Together we will save lives through early detection programs for lung cancer and brain tumors.

I ❤️ you Gwen.

-Yasir

Marathon 16 in 50 of the #50in50: Georgia (Publix Altanta marathon)

16 of 50 states in the #50in50 done:

• NEW YORK 11/4/18: @nycmarathon
  
• NEVADA 11/11/18: @runrocknroll Vegas
  
• PENNSYLVANIA 11/18/18: @Philly_Marathon
  
• WASHINGTON 11/25/18: @seattlemarathon
  
• TENNESSEE 12/1/18: @stjude Memphis
  
• ALABAMA 12/8/18: @irunrocketcity
  
• FLORIDA 1/13/19: @rundisney #wdwmarathon
  
• LOUISIANA 1/20/19: @thelamarathon
  
• MISSISSIPPI 1/26/19: Mississippi blues Marathon
  
• ARIZONA 2/9/19: Mesa-Phoenix Marathon @phxmarathon
  
• TEXAS 2/17/19: Austin marathon @austinmarathon
  
• MASSACHUSETTS 2/24/19: Hyannis Marathon @hyannismarathon
  
• SOUTH CAROLINA 3/2/19: Myrtle Beach marathon @runmbm
  
• ARKANSAS 3/3/19: Little Rock marathon @lrmarathon
  
• NORTH CAROLINA 3/9/19: Wrightsville Beach marathon @wbmarathon
• GEORGIA 3/17/19: Publix Atlanta marathon @atlantatrackclub

I woke early at the Crown Plaza midtown and took a lyft to meet Ferd at the start line in Olympic park. We were in wave B. We had agreed the day before that we would run at 4:15 since I have 3 marathons coming up the following week in NM, OK and KS.

There was a 4:00 and - 4:30 pace group, but no 4:15, so we decided to pace ourselves. This has been a challenge for us in the past as we tend to get excited and run ahead of our planned pace. During this race, however, we were able to keep to our plan. We seem to have learned a bit after running 5 marathons together.

This was a pretty hilly course and we knew it going into the race, so there were no surprises. For most of the races I’ve run on the #50in50, I didn’t look at the course before I ran it unless I heard it was a particularly fast from one of my friends or through someone who’s run it.

I got Invisalign braces a few days ago, and this was the first race that I had run with them on. I tried to read online about what other marathon runners with Invisalign do. I decided that I was going to do go nutrition packets followed immediately by swishing water. I also decided to skip sports drinks altogether, because of the coloring, and use salt tablets instead. It seemed to work and I finished the race without staining or anything stuck in my braces.

The amazing CNN/HLN piece on Weekend Express that I taped the other day with Coy Wise aired today. I’m so honored they helped me tell Gweneviere’s and our story.

Here are our splits:

​We finished around 4:14. My Apple Watch continues to be completely off. I need to trade it in. ​I like it because it makes sharing on social easy, but the GPS is so off.

And the medal is one of my favorites. It’s in the shape of a four leaf clover (it was St. Patrick’s Day) and it spins!

Overall a great race.

Brian Reynolds, a double amputee and one of Coach Cane’s athletes stayed in my Manhattan apartment on Saturday since he NYC Half Marathon on Sunday (same day that I was running Atlanta). That’s him on the right with my friend Barrett on the left.

Brian set a new PR of 1:19:43 at the race and a new world record. Congrats to Brian and Coach Cane’s team.  I’m honored to have hosted him. What’s crazy is that before he ran the WR that day, he actually ran 4 miles to start because his Uber couldn’t get close enough to start. What an amazing athlete!

 Next marathons/states on the schedule:

• 3/21 NM (Clayton)

• 3/22 OK (Guymon)

• 3/24 KS (Wichita)

Join me on the #50in50 for the Gweneviere Mann Foundation, with many ways to get involved.

PLEASE DOWNLOAD GWENEVIERE’S SONG

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we just recently released a single "What I Can Be" off of her album for her so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Download it here

Together we will save lives through early detection programs for lung cancer and brain tumors.

I ❤️ you Gwen.

-Yasir

Marathon 15 in 50 of the #50in50: North Carolina (Wrightsville Beach)

15 of 50 states in the #50in50 done:

• NEW YORK 11/4/18: @nycmarathon

• NEVADA 11/11/18: @runrocknroll Vegas

• PENNSYLVANIA 11/18/18: @Philly_Marathon

• WASHINGTON 11/25/18: @seattlemarathon

• TENNESSEE 12/1/18: @stjude Memphis

• ALABAMA 12/8/18: @irunrocketcity

• FLORIDA 1/13/19: @rundisney #wdwmarathon

• LOUISIANA 1/20/19: @thelamarathon

• MISSISSIPPI 1/26/19: Mississippi blues Marathon

• ARIZONA 2/9/19: Mesa-Phoenix Marathon @phxmarathon

• TEXAS 2/17/19: Austin marathon @austinmarathon

• MASSACHUSETTS 2/24/19: Hyannis Marathon @hyannismarathon

• SOUTH CAROLINA 3/2/19: Myrtle Beach marathon @runmbm

• ARKANSAS 3/3/19: Little Rock marathon @lrmarathon

• NORTH CAROLINA 3/9/19: Wrightsville Beach marathon @wbmarathon

On 3/9, I got up early in my Wilmington, NC hotel to ran the Wrightsville Beach Marathon.

I parked at the finish line on the UNC-Willmington campus and took the race shuttle to the start line. The race start was 6:40am, which was an interesting choice. I ran with the 4:00 pace group. The weather was cool and crisp, and the temperature was 48. I stuck with the pace group until around mile 20, and then I needed to take a walking break for a couple of minutes to bring my heart rate down. The course is scenic with ocean views and fairly flat.

Our pacer was really consistent and dependable. I ended up finishing in 4:05, which I was satisfied with. I’ve been generally consistent with my time. I want to chip away until I get to my goal time at NYC marathon 2019. Here are my splits:

The finisher’s festival on the UNC was really well done with lots of food and drinks. Publix was the big sponsor. They brought out food in a big way for finishers and took care of them. The medals were really nice and colorful:

I flew back right after the race on Saturday night, which I was excited about because I would be sleeping in my own bed on a weekend night. I haven’t done that much of that in the last few months, because of all the traveling for races.

I got home just a little after 9pm, hung out with the cats, and went to bed soon after.

Next marathons/states on the schedule:

• 3/17 GA (Atlanta)

• 3/21 NM (Clayton)

• 3/22 OK (Guymon)

• 3/24 KS (Wichita)

Join me on the #50in50 for the Gweneviere Mann Foundation, with many ways to get involved.

PLEASE DOWNLOAD GWENEVIERE’S SONG

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we just recently released a single "What I Can Be" off of her album for her so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Download it here

Together we will save lives through early detection programs for lung cancer and brain tumors.

I ❤️ you Gwen.

-Yasir

Marathons 13 and 14 in 50 of the #50in50: South Carolina (Myrtle Beach) and Arkansas (Little Rock)

14 of 50 states in the #50in50 done:

• NEW YORK 11/4/18: @nycmarathon

• NEVADA 11/11/18: @runrocknroll Vegas

• PENNSYLVANIA 11/18/18: @Philly_Marathon

• WASHINGTON 11/25/18: @seattlemarathon

• TENNESSEE 12/1/18: @stjude Memphis

• ALABAMA 12/8/18: @irunrocketcity

• FLORIDA 1/13/19: @rundisney #wdwmarathon

• LOUISIANA 1/20/19: @thelamarathon

• MISSISSIPPI 1/26/19: Mississippi blues Marathon

• ARIZONA 2/9/19: Mesa-Phoenix Marathon @phxmarathon

• TEXAS 2/17/19: Austin marathon @austinmarathon

• MASSACHUSETTS 2/24/19: Hyannis Marathon @hyannismarathon

• SOUTH CAROLINA 3/2/19: Myrtle Beach marathon @runmbm

• ARKANSAS 3/3/19: Little Rock marathon @lrmarathon

MARATHON 13: MYRTLE BEACH, 3/2/2019

I flew into Myrtle Beach on Friday and picked up my bib. The expo was really well-organized and everyone was friendly.

On race morning, I woke up early in Myrtle Beach, SC to run the Myrtle Beach marathon. I planned to meet up with my friend Vicki Dufner to run the whole race together. This was her 30th marathon in 365 days so she qualified for titanium level on Marathon Maniacs. I’m really proud of her.

We started off with the pace group and dropped back little by little. It was slightly warm and got humid as the day went on. We walked here and there.

There are parts of the course that are really scenic along the shoreline. I liked those parts of the course. It’s also fairly flat course.

We ended up finishing in 4:38. Not too bad. I was saving my legs for tomorrow’s marathon in Little Rock. Here are my splits:

The medal is really nice and colorful.

I did an interview with a Alan Blondin of Myrtle Beach Online. It’s a really nice piece.

After the race, I said bye to Vicki and congratulated here and took off. I showered, changed, and went to the airport to go to Little Rock.

I had to change planes in Atlanta, which had a fun walkway between terminals.

I spoke with a Josh Snyder from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette about my participation in the Little Rock marathon. It was also a great piece.

MARATHON # 14 LITTLE ROCK , 3/3/2019

On race morning, I got up a little later than for Myrtle Beach because the race started at 8am.

I drove to the convention center to meet Kit Fox of Runner’s World and his family who were running the half marathon. The marathon has this great little add-on you can purchase called Perks access, which gives you to morning food and drinks, private gear check, and a nice warm place to wait for the start.

I met up with one of my Twitter connections, Mather Chaney, who happened to be pacing at around the pace I was looking for, 4:10.

After hanging out with Kit and family for a bit, I headed to the start line to run with Mather’s pace group. It was a little cold and rainy, but not too bad. After a couple of miles, it started to hail! Small hail, but still hail. It was a fun experience. The course itself is pleasant and scenic with some rolling hills. This was my first time to Arkansas and I didn’t know what kind of course to expect. There were a few bigger hills around mile 14, 18, and 25.

Some of the interesting sites along the way included a cheer station comprised of a huge group of cheerers on bikes, historic Central High School, the Capitol, great nature trails, and a pretty nice downtown Little Rock.

One thing I find interesting about marathons in the south is that there are always several bystanders serving beer and donuts. I haven’t seen that anywhere else except in the south. I stick with water, sport drinks, nutrition packets, and fruit.

I met a runner in the pace group named Eric from Michigan. He was pacing with our group and was running the half marathon. He was running the race as a prep for next month’s Boston marathon. We spoke a lot about different marathons we’ve done and ones we look forward to doing. Mather and I got a chance to speak for a good chunk of time. I feel back around mile 18 when I needed a break. My legs felt a little worn out at that point. after a short break, I started up again. I took a few more short breaks here and there, and at mile 22 I continued running until the end, even at a much slower pace. I ended up finishing in about 4:16.

One important detail about this race is the HUGE medal they give out!

Here are my splits:

After I finished I went to the Perks room to have warm food (pizza, tomato soup and pasta) and pick up my gear bag. I drove to my hotel to shower then headed to the airport to fly home.

Overall it’s a great scenic course with warm, friendly fellow runners and spectators. The course is slightly challenging on some hills along the course. The finisher medals are a huge draw and the race directors do an amazing job pampering runners. I highly recommend this marathon for anyone.

Here are the 2 medals from the weekend:

Once I got to the Little Rock airport, I was surprised that security asked me to take out my medal to scan even though I have TSA Pre and didn’t need me to take anything else out. The medal is that HUGE.

Next marathons/states on the schedule:

• 3/9 NC (Wilmington)

• 3/17 GA (Atlanta)

• 3/21 NM (Clayton)

• 3/22 OK (Guymon)

• 3/24 KS (Wichita)

Join me on the #50in50 for the Gweneviere Mann Foundation, with many ways to get involved.

PLEASE DOWNLOAD GWENEVIERE’S SONG

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we just recently released a single "What I Can Be" off of her album for her so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Download it here

Together we will save lives through early detection programs for lung cancer and brain tumors.

I ❤️ you Gwen.

-Yasir

Marathon 12 in 50 of the #50in50: Massachusetts (Hyannis Marathon)

12 of 50 states in the #50in50 done:

• NEW YORK 11/4/18: @nycmarathon

• NEVADA 11/11/18: @runrocknroll Vegas

• PENNSYLVANIA 11/18/18: @Philly_Marathon

• WASHINGTON 11/25/18: @seattlemarathon

• TENNESSEE 12/1/18: @stjude Memphis

• ALABAMA 12/8/18: @irunrocketcity

• FLORIDA 1/13/19: @rundisney #wdwmarathon

• LOUISIANA 1/20/19: @thelamarathon

• MISSISSIPPI 1/26/19: Mississippi blues Marathon

• ARIZONA 2/9/19: Mesa-Phoenix Marathon @phxmarathon

• TEXAS 2/17/19: Austin marathon @austinmarathon

• MASSACHUSETTS 2/24/19: Hyannis Marathon @hyannismarathon

I got up really early around 4am to get ready to run the Hyannis marathon. It’s a 4 hour drive from NYC.

My friend Barrett drove the way there and I slept most of the way.

When we got to Hyannis, it was raining, cold and windy. The Hyannis marathon is famous for its bad weather. Gweneviere ran the 10k last year. It was her last organized run that she did.

Because the weather was so bad this year, I thought about skipping the race and doing another Massachusetts race later in the year, but I knew how hard it was to put my schedule together, and changing anything on the 50 marathon schedule would throw everything off.

I picked up my bib and then went to the start line. I wore my thick ski gloves to keep my hands warm and dry. I also wore a disposable rain parka. I needed them. I kept my nutrition under my cap. It was a very wet cold and windy run. The course itself was beautiful. I have run this marathon for 3 years straight. It’s always cold and sometimes wet. I kept a conservative 9:30 pace for most of the way. My Apple Watch failed again around the 3:49 mark. Here’s all the data I got out of it:

​And here are my splits:

I am going to have to get my watch replaced. The watch is only 6 months old. I ended up finishing without major issues and in 4:21. I’m ok with that.

I drove back while Barrett slept part of the way.

Next marathons/states on the schedule:

• 3/2 SC (Myrtle Beach)

• 3/3 AR (Little Rock)

• 3/9 NC (Wilmington)

• 3/17 GA (Atlanta)

• 3/21 NM (Clayton)

• 3/22 OK (Guymon)

• 3/24 KS (Wichita)

Join me on the #50in50 for the Gweneviere Mann Foundation, with many ways to get involved.

PLEASE DOWNLOAD GWENEVIERE’S SONG

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we just recently released a single "What I Can Be" off of her album for her so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Download it here

Together we will save lives through early detection programs for lung cancer and brain tumors.

I ❤️ you Gwen.

-Yasir

Marathon 11 in 50 of the #50in50: Texas (Austin Marathon)

11 of 50 states in the #50in50 done:

• NEW YORK 11/4/18: @nycmarathon

• NEVADA 11/11/18: @runrocknroll Vegas

• PENNSYLVANIA 11/18/18: @Philly_Marathon

• WASHINGTON 11/25/18: @seattlemarathon

• TENNESSEE 12/1/18: @stjude Memphis

• ALABAMA 12/8/18: @irunrocketcity

• FLORIDA 1/13/19: @rundisney #wdwmarathon

• LOUISIANA 1/20/19: @thelamarathon

• MISSISSIPPI 1/26/19: Mississippi blues Marathon

• ARIZONA 2/9/19: Mesa-Phoenix Marathon @phxmarathon

• TEXAS 2/17/19: Austin marathon @austinmarathon

I woke early at Erica and Greg’s Place in East Austin to run the Austin Marathon. Greg made me coffee and I made a hummus muffin sandwich, and a banana. The coffee did it’s thing pretty quickly.

Greg drove me to around 8th and I-35. I then walked to 2nd and Congress, where the start line was and near the pace group Ferd and I were running with. Ferd was staying at a Marriott hotel near the start. We met up with Aaron and Stephen Berry, my nephews. They also had a couple of other friends running, Hunter and Jason. Stephen had a knee injury, and was wearing a brace.

Ferd, Hunter and I went to Ferd’s room to use the bathroom one last time. We then got out and started running with the pace group. The mass start was very crowded, with all 11,000 marathon and half marathon runners starting at the same time. The race organizers should do a better job managing the amount of runners in their race. They should at least do wave starts. The field was way too crowded all the way until mile 8. This is also one of the races where the runners don’t get much direction from the racer organizers on how to seed themselves. I saw friends Shannon, Javier, Greg, Erica, Dan, Ines and Brad at multiple times throughout the race. It was great to see them.

The weather was mostly good in the 50s with decent humidity up until around 9am. From 9am-11am it was a little warmer and humid. The course was a bit difficult with many steep inclines. There is also a very steep incline at mile 26.

Ferd and I finished at 4:14, not bad considering the hilly course and the temperature.

Here are the splits:

Stephen somehow managed to finish with Aaron in 4:50. Hunter finished in an amazing 3:11, wow. Jason finished after Aaron and Stephen.

The best part of this race is the race medal which doubles as a Texas-sized belt buckle. I’ll wear it to work at some point.

Overall this is a difficult race, with issues that can be fixed  like managing the start of the race to handle the amount of people.

If people are going to do a Texas race, I don’t recommend Austin. I will be looking at Houston for next year, which I’ve heard great things about.

After the marathon, we all met at East Tavern for food and drinks. It was nice to be with everyone. We then went back to Erica and Greg’s to shower and relax.

After a little bit of relaxing, I met up with some more friends for dinner. I saw Kaleb, April, their kids, Sam, Maggie (her birthday), Javier and Shannon at Lupe Tortilla.

Next marathons/states on the schedule:

• 2/24 MA (Hyannis)

• 3/2 SC (Myrtle Beach)

• 3/3 AR (Little Rock)

• 3/9 NC (Wilmington)

• 3/17 GA (Atlanta)

• 3/21 NM (Clayton)

• 3/22 OK (Guymon)

• 3/24 KS (Wichita)

Join me on the #50in50 for the Gweneviere Mann Foundation, with many ways to get involved.

PLEASE DOWNLOAD GWENEVIERE’S SONG

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we just recently released a single "What I Can Be" off of her album for her so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Download it here

Together we will save lives through early detection programs for lung cancer and brain tumors.

I ❤️ you Gwen.

-Yasir

Marathon 10 in 50 of the #50in50: Arizona (Mesa-Arizona Marathon)

10 of 50 states in the #50in50 done:

• NEW YORK 11/4/18: @nycmarathon
• NEVADA 11/11/18: @runrocknroll Vegas
• PENNSYLVANIA 11/18/18: @Philly_Marathon
• WASHINGTON 11/25/18: @seattlemarathon
• TENNESSEE 12/1/18: @stjude Memphis
• ALABAMA 12/8/18: @irunrocketcity
• FLORIDA 1/13/19: @rundisney #wdwmarathon
• LOUISIANA 1/20/19: @thelamarathon
• MISSISSIPPI 1/26/19: Mississippi blues Marathon
• ARIZONA 2/9/19: Mesa-Phoenix Marathon @phxmarathon

I did some media the day before the marathon at Fox 10 in Phoenix. It was a wonderful opportunity to talk about Gweneviere and the foundation. 

I woke up on race day at my Phoenix hotel really early at 4am.

When I got out to the where runners were staged to jump onto buses to head to the start line, I waited in line for one for about 15 minutes. We then drove out for about 40 minutes up mountain.

When we got to the start line it was at a much higher elevation, cold and still dark outside. I was struck by the size of the cacti! They were also everywhere, just like in cartoons.

The area was super quiet, too. The race had set up heating lamps and fire pits, and they also had a lot of Porto Potties. I was going to meet up with one of the local donors to run with me at a 4:00hr pace, but ge texted me to tell me that his car wouldn’t start so he wasn’t going to make it.

About a week before the race I had started to mentally get ready to break 4:00hr for the first time. I was excited about this race because it has a 1000 ft net elevation drop over the course. It’s incredibly fast with 26.8% of the field BQing.

I decided to run with my Nike Vaporflys (instead of my Zoomflys). I also decide to run with only my Apple Watch (with cellular signal) and not my phone. I usually run with a small waist pack with my ID, insurance card, a credit card, a $20 bill, nutrition, and sometimes my phone. I actually forgot my waist pack, but it turned out to be a good thing. A couple marathons ago I realized that I preferred tucking my nutrition under my ball cap because when my hands get really cold I’m not able to open my waist pack zipper to get to them. One time a year ago at the 2018 Hyannis Marathon, I had to ask a volunteer to help me open my waist pack.

It was going to be a cold morning (34°F). I decided to wear my short sleeve #50in50 shirt, arm warmers and #50in50 cap.

I looked for the 4:00 hr pace group and found only 4:05 and 3:55. The race had decided cut 5 minutes off each pace group due to new BQ times. I went with 3:55 because of the characteristics of this really fast course. My PR before Mesa-Phoenix was 4:04 (NYC 2018). I had never, up until that point, run with a sub 4 pace group. The race started promptly at 6:30am with fireworks.

This was one of the rare races that I had run alone. I was a little emotional, because I knew I was going to run a sub 4 for the first time. I thought about Gweneviere and talked to her for a little bit. I wanted her to know at that moment that I was going to go to run that race for her.

It was a super fast start. Most people seeded themselves properly so there wasn’t a lot of dodging around slower runners. The start us a big descent. The view of the city below was pretty amazing. We were surrounded by desert mountains and big cacti. The start is pretty remote, with no spectators for the first couple of miles, so it was very quiet and peaceful. All I could hear were the pitter patters of thousands of feet. The first few miles flew by quickly. Our pacer, Farrah of East Valley Runners, kept us on track. Her pacing was perfect. My heart rate stayed in a range I was comfortable with, occasionally slightly higher on small inclines. The race had GU at miles 7, 13 and 19, so I brought a couple along with me under my cap.

I have been taking nutrition every 4 miles, but I’m going to take more now. I feel like I need them every 4 miles until mile 20 (caffeine free), then at mile 21 and 23 (with or without caffeine depending on how I feel). I felt comfortable with that amount during the race. I don’t like taking caffeine generally because it sends my heart rate up higher than I like it during a race.

At the halfway point, Farrah handed pacing off to Gene, another member of East Valley Runners. Gene and I talked a bit about nutrition and Instant Pot recipes. I told her about how I make 2 gallons of almond yogurt in the Instant Pot with a recipe I developed after months of experimenting. She shared some of her recipes. At about the 17 mile mark, my watch started to give me a low battery (10%) warning. I was surprised, because I had kept my watch off until 5am (1.5hours before the start). For the next race, I will turn it on 10 minutes or so before the start. If it fails again, I will have to get it replaced because it’s only 4 months old and shouldn’t crash that early into a race. I told Gene about Gweneviere and why I’m running 50 marathons in 50 states in 1 year. She also shared some stories about friends and family.

About the 21 mile mark, I decided to take a 1 minute walking break. I needed it. I felt mostly ok, but my heart rate needed to come down. I took some nutrition and drank some extra fluids.

I started up again and had to feel out my pace because I was flying blind without my watch. A couple of times (mile 23 and 24) I asked volunteers what the time was so that I could gauge my pace to see if I would make it under 4 hours, and it seemed like I was. I kept a steady pace and followed a few people that seemed to be at a 9min/mile pace. I ended up crossing the finish in 3:57:06, a new PR.

After the race I thanked Farrah and Gene and visited their running group’s tent. Gene gave me a big hug.

I said thank you to one of the sponsors of the race, Offerpad, and to Wendy Jacobson, Director of Operations for the marathon.

The finish festival was amazing. Sprouts, the title sponsor, brought tons and tons of food. There was French Toast, fruit, chips, Creamies and more. They really took care of the runners. In terms of food, this finisher festival rivals the Louisiana Marathon festival in Baton Rouge. I was really thankful for all the delicious treats at the end of both of races.

I highly recommend the Mesa-Phoenix if you are looking for a super fast downhill course in the West, early in the year. You will likely PR and have a great time. They also have a nice finisher medal. Check them out for next year. 

Next marathons on the schedule:

• TX (Austin) 2/17
• MA (Hyannis) 2/24
• SC (Myrtle Beach) 3/2
• AR (Little Rock) 3/3
• NC (Wilmington) 3/9

Join me on the #50in50 for the Gweneviere Mann Foundation, with many ways to get involved.

PLEASE DOWNLOAD GWENEVIERE’S SONG

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we just recently released a single "What I Can Be" off of her album for her so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Download it here

Together we will save lives through early detection programs for lung cancer and brain tumors.

I ❤️ you Gwen.

-Yasir

Marathon 9 in 50 of the #50in50: Mississippi (Mississippi Blues Marathon)

9 of 50 states in the #50in50 done:

1. NEW YORK 11/4/18: @nycmarathon
2. NEVADA 11/11/18: @runrocknroll Vegas
3. PENNSYLVANIA 11/18/18: @Philly_Marathon
4. WASHINGTON 11/25/18: @seattlemarathon
5. TENNESSEE 12/1/18: @stjude Memphis
6. ALABAMA 12/8/18: @irunrocketcity
7. FLORIDA 1/13/19: @rundisney #wdwmarathon
8. LOUISIANA 1/20/19:  @thelamarathon
9. MISSISSIPPI 1/26/19: Mississippi blues Marathon

Today I woke up early in Jackson, MS for the Mississippi Blues Marathon (#9 of 50) to drive about 15 minutes to the start. I met Vicki Dufner downtown Jackson, where she was about 2 blocks away front he start.

​We had a quick bit then walked over to the start. We met up with Will Pearson, his wife Georgia, and their friend Sarah (her college roommate who now lives in Jackson). Will was running the half and Georgia and Sarah were running the 5K. Sarah’s husband Michael stayed at home with the kids.

We all decided to stick with the 4 hour pace group. It was a pretty cool day and we felt good, so we went for it. I had a foil sheet and gloves, so I was ready. It was a slightly hectic start since all the race lengths started at the same time. Several of the runners didn’t seed themselves properly, so we had to dodge a lot of slow runners and some walkers during the first mile or so.

I stuck with the pacer. About 5 miles in or so, Vicki fell behind a bit. I was surprised by the lack of water stations. I’m used to water being at almost every mile or two. This race had water every 4-5 miles. That caused me to become slightly dehydrated by mile 19. I know when I’m becoming dehydrated when I start to feel nauseous. I had to fall back a little take a few minutes of break time to rehydrate and recover. I took a honey stinger early. I usually have a honey stinger every 4 miles, up until mile 20, then depending on how I feel I might have one more at mile 23 or one at mile 22 and another at mile 24. So I do 6-7 honey stingers during a race. I always use caffeine-free. Caffeine spikes my heart rate too high and doesn’t work for me. I prefer Maurten or Honey Stingers.

I was on my own at that point. The course is fairly hilly in some parts. There’s an especially long hill around mile 20. Several of the runners I spoke with agreed the course was long, about .3-.4 miles long per their GPS watches. My watch (Apple Watch 4) registered even longer at .75 miles, but some of that is probably my own doing. I do have a Garmin 910xt, but I don’t use it for running, only for triathlon and bike riding.

I’m going to start posting my splits here from now on. Here are my splits from this race:

Will finished his half in about 1:58. He went back to Sarah and Mike’s place to shower then met me back at the finish line to watch me finish. That was really nice of him. The medal is pretty cool, in the shape of a guitar.

I picked up my race shirt from the art museum by the finish line and a couple of waters. Will walked me back to my car, which was in front of Vicki’s hotel. I waited in my car for Vicki to finish and got a pic.

She’s ran another marathon in Alabama the next day. Overall, this was a good race. Looking forward to running Mesa-Phoenix Marathon tomorrow (#10!).

Next marathons on the schedule:

• AZ (Mesa Phoenix) 2/9
• TX (Austin) 2/17
• MA (Hyannis) 2/24
• SC (Myrtle Beach) 3/2
• AR (Little Rock) 3/3

Join me on the #50in50 for the Gweneviere Mann Foundation, with many ways to get involved.

Please download Gweneviere’s song

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we just recently released a single "What I Can Be" off of her album for her so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Download it here

Together we will save lives through early detection programs for lung cancer and brain tumors.

I ❤️ you Gwen.

-Yasir

Marathon 8 in 50 of the #50in50: Louisiana (Baton Rouge, LA)

8 of 50 states in the #50in50 done:

1. NEW YORK 11/4/18: @nycmarathon
2. NEVADA 11/11/18: @runrocknroll Vegas
3. PENNSYLVANIA 11/18/18: @Philly_Marathon
4. WASHINGTON 11/25/18: @seattlemarathon
5. TENNESSEE 12/1/18: @stjude Memphis
6. ALABAMA 12/8/18: @irunrocketcity
7. FLORIDA 1/13/19: @rundisney #wdwmarathon
8. LOUISIANA 1/20/19:  @thelamarathon

I woke up super early (3am) in New Orleans and drove to Baton Rouge for the marathon. It was super cold! In the 30s. I met with the race director and founder and gave them copies of the Jan/Feb Men’s Health issue that includes the article on page 12 about the 50 marathons in 50 States that I’m running for the Gweneviere Mann Foundation, in memory of Gweneviere.

I wasn’t prepared for the weather. I wasn’t expecting it to be as cold as it was. I didn’t have a long sleeve shirt or gloves. I kept my uniqlo jacket on for the first 3 miles. I decided to run 4:15 pace because of the conditions and because I still needed to ease back into my running schedule after a 5 week break during December and early January. It was a good decision to choose that pace.

My pace group was very friendly and talkative. They carried a bunch of Honey Stingers.

Baton Rouge is a relaxed place with nice architecture and nature trials. I love how I am getting to tour some of the most interesting cities of each state in the US on foot. I think it’s a great way to explore the country and people.

After the race, I hit up the finisher festival. They had local Louisiana foods for finishers. Each finisher got 6 tickets to use at booths: Stew to Go, vegan gumbo, vegetarian chili, jambalaya, alligator stew, cookies, and drinks. It was the tastiest finisher festival that I’ve been to so far! Louisiana cuisine is delicious.

I broke away in last bit, half mile, and finished in 4:13. I think I could have run a 4:09 or even faster, but i was satisfied with my time. 4:04 is still my PR (NYC 2018).

The medal is really big and colorful, and doubles as a bottle opener. So cool.

I changed into clean clothes into the car, and headed back to New Orleans, arriving just as the Saints vs Rams game was starting. I was staying at a hotel right on Canal Street, bear the Super Dome. The traffic wasn’t bad at all, since it seemed everyone was already seated at the game or about to watch at home.

​I saw someone with their dreads hanging out the car window. Loved it!

I watched part of the game in the hotel. The Saints were up, so I went to go eat at a vegan place called Seed, just as the 3rd quarter was ending. No one was on the road, all empty. I had a vegan po boy and vegan Mac n Cheese. Yum! By the time we left the restaurant, the Saints has lost in overtime 26-23. It was a bad call.

Overall the Louisiana Marathon was a great race. Be prepared for a cold morning. They have several race distances, including the full, half and kids races. Des Linden competed at the half and won it. Overall I recommend this race as it’s a fairly fast and flat course, and has a tasty finisher festival! Check them out and sign up for next year’s race when they open up!

Next marathons on the schedule:

• MS (Mississippi Blues in Jackson) 1/26
• AZ (Phoenix) 2/9
• TX (Austin) 2/17

Join me on the #50in50 for the Gweneviere Mann Foundation, with many ways to get involved.

Please download Gweneviere’s song

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we just recently released a single "What I Can Be" off of her album for her so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Download it here

Together we will save lives through early detection programs for lung cancer and brain tumors.

I ❤️ you Gwen.

-Yasir

Marathon 7 in 50 of the #50in50: Disney World (Orlando, FL)

7 of 50 states in the #50in50 done:

1. NEW YORK 11/4/18: @nycmarathon
2. NEVADA 11/11/18: @runrocknroll Vegas
3. PENNSYLVANIA 11/18/18: @Philly_Marathon
4. WASHINGTON 11/25/18: @seattlemarathon
5. TENNESSEE 12/1/18: @stjude Memphis
6. ALABAMA 12/8/18: @irunrocketcity
7. FLORIDA 1/13/19: @rundisney #wdwmarathon

I woke up at 2:30am to get ready for the Disney Marathon. I ran with my friend Ferdinand (who will be running 12 total marathons with me in the #50in50), Vicki, and her friend Brian. I met Vicki at the St Jude Memphis marathon (#5). She’s running 30 marathons in 30 states. I will have seen her at a total of 4 marathons by the time I’m she’s done next month.

We started at 5:30am. We all ran together for a bit and then Vicki and Brian fell back. The heat (70+) and humidity was pretty high, and I haven’t run in 5 weeks. We still finished decently in 4:30ish, not bad considering the conditions.

Ferd kept me going. We saw Ferd’s wife Lydia and their daughter Anya a few times along the way through the Disney park.

Running through the park reminded me of the yearly trips to Gweneviere and I would take to Six Flags. I loved riding rollercoasters with her. We were such good screaming rollercoaster partners!

After the race, we met up with my non-profit coaches Peter, Travis (he gave me a big hug and I got his shirt super wet! Lol!) and his wife Liz of the CF-focused non-profit Piper’s Angels and Travis’s adorable daughter Piper, who the non-profit is named after.

I went back to the hotel, showered and changed then met them all for lunch and discussed plans for the next few months. I will be doing Piper’s Angels’ Crossing for the Cure race in June. It’s an 80 mile stand up paddleboard race that starts in the Bahamas and ends in Florida. The top competitors finish it in about 10 hours.

Next marathons on the schedule:

• LA (Baton Rouge) 1/20
• MS (Mississippi Blues in Jackson) 1/26
• AZ (Phoenix) 2/9
• TX (Austin) 2/17

Join me on the #50in50 for the Gweneviere Mann Foundation, with many ways to get involved.

Please download Gweneviere’s song

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we just recently released a single "What I Can Be" off of her album for her so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Download it here

Together we will save lives through early detection programs for lung cancer and brain tumors.

I ❤️ you Gwen.

Marathon 6 in 50 of the #50in50: Rocket City (Huntsville, AL)

On 12/8, I completed marathon #6 in my #50in50 goal (50 marathons, 50 states, 50 weeks) at the Rocket City Marathon in Huntsville, AL. We are gaining more awareness for our foundation and its mission.

I arrived early on 12/7 into Huntsville and headed over to the Huntsville Museum of Arts to pick up my packet.

It was a small expo with a relaxed atmosphere and small town feel

I got my race bib, 1776, which I thought was kind of cool.

The next morning I arrived at the race start, prepared to in cold and rainy conditions. I had an unused rain poncho from the Seattle Marathon from a couple of marathons ago. It came in handy this marathon.

Many of the runners waited inside the Von Braun Center, where the marathon starts and finishes, to stay out of the cold and rain.

Finally, at 7:00am on the dot, the race started. I thought about running a 4:04-4:05 marathon, but decided to run with the 4:15 group instead because of the weather. I didn’t want to wear myself out early and wanted to play it safe.

The course was pretty nice with some small rolling hills. The course winded by the US Space and Rocket Center where runners got to see several rockets and space vehicles. The biggest challenge was the weather. It was rainy and cold the entire time. It reminded me a bit of the Hyannis Marathon that I’ve run for the past 2 years. It takes place in Cape Cod, MA. It’s been cold and rainy for the 2 years that I’ve run it. I finished the race in 4:15 thanks to my pacer Katie.

The post race food was great. They had bagel, PB&J, and soup.

The medals are really cool.

I got my obligatory pic with the race’s signage.

After the race, I showered up then drove down to Birmingham to see my old co-workers/friends from my Mental Floss magazine days with Will, Cary and Winslow.

Will’s family took me to see Birmingham’s famous Vulcan statue.

We got a couple of pics with the statue.

Here’s the view of Birmingham from the observation deck.

And a view from inside the informational exhibit next to statue.

Overall, I enjoyed the Rocket City Marathon and recommend if you are looking for a southern marathon in the December. It’s a nice small town marathon with easy, rolling hills.

Next marathons on the schedule:

• AL (Rocket City in Huntsville) 1/13

• FL (Walt Disney in Orlando) 1/20

• LA (Baton Rouge) 1/26

• MS (Mississippi Blues in Jackson) 2/9

• TX (Austin) 2/17

Join me on the #50in50 for the Gweneviere Mann Foundation, with many ways to get involved.

PLEASE DOWNLOAD GWENEVIERE’S SONG

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we just recently released a single "What I Can Be" off of her album for her so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Download it here

Together we will save lives through early detection programs for lung cancer and brain tumors.

I ❤️ you Gwen.

Remembering Gweneviere

Today I’m missing and remembering Gweneviere as I do every day. Today is a little harder because of the season. I feel a big void without her.

Last year (2017) Gweneviere and I spent Christmas Eve by seeing the new Star Wars at the IMAX in Manhattan. We loved seeing movies at what she called our ‘lay down theaters’ with cushy, reclining seats. We used to bring throw blankets, take off our shoes and change into comfy socks and hold hands throughout the movie (unless we were digging into popcorn or drinking seltzer). I miss her.

I have a break until marathon #7 of 50 in a couple of weeks at #disneyworldmarathon on Sunday, 1/13 (see full schedule and learn how to join us on the #50in50 to fund early detection of lung cancer and brain tumors at gwenmann.org/50in50)

The Gweneviere Mann Foundation thanks you all for all of your continued support. Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season. We’ll see you in the New Year!

 -Yasir

Marathon 4 and 5 in 50 of the #50in50: Seattle 11/25 and Memphis 12/1

Marathon 4: Seattle, WA 11/25

Marathon 4 of the #50in50 was the Seattle Marathon. 

I randomly saw my Instagram friend Warren (@kingpiggy), a fellow triathlete and runner from NYC, at the start line and ended up running the whole race with him. I knew he would be at the race, but I hadn’t asked him if he wanted to do the race together. Warren’s brother is Wayne Algenio, a YouTube personality.

Warren had just finished an Ironman 2 weeks earlier and was in Seattle for the Thanksgiving weekend, and he signed up for the marathon on a whim. 

His PR was Philadelphia Marathon in 2016 4:09:30. So I suggested we run with the 4:10 pace group. He had never run with pace group, but he was open to doing it. It saved us a ton of effort.

We finished together at 4:07 and he PRed.

And while I was I Seattle, the weather was incredible and I also got to see my good friends and competitive eating duo Juan ‘More Bite’ Rodriguez and Sarah Reineke  

Marathon 5: Memphis, TN 12/1

Memphis is a nice town. The people are super friendly. 

I arrived into town on Friday night and quickly ran over to the Expo to pick up my bib​ before they closed down. The race was the following day on Saturday.

​Because of rain in the forecast they pushed the start back by 1 hour.

​I was staying in a hotel right next to the starting line so it was very convenient.

The weather was relatively hot for running and humid (65 degrees and 90%). I took it daily easy on the run.

During the run I met a very interesting character named Vicki who loved the donuts a family along the route was giving out. Turns out Vicki is a recent widow as well and she’s running 30 marathons in 30 states and she had just run Seattle as I did. It was surreal to meet her of all people.

We ran about 14 miles together until the finish line. I’ll see her again at several other marathons next year.

Great marathon, great cause and a really huge medal. 

​And I got to meet Elvis! I saw several Elvis impersonators in Las Vegas’s Rock n Roll marathon. 

Another medal to add to the series!  

Next marathons on the schedule:

• AL (Rocket City in Huntsville) 12/8

• FL (Walt Disney in Orlando) 1/13

• LA (Baton Rouge) 1/20

• MS (Mississippi Blues in Jackson) 1/26

Join me on the #50in50 for the Gweneviere Mann Foundation, with many ways to get involved.

Please download Gweneviere’s song

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we just recently released a single "What I Can Be" off of her album for her so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Download it here

Together we will save lives through early detection programs for lung cancer and brain tumors.

I ❤️ you Gwen.

Marathon 3 in 50 of the #50in50

‪Marathon 3 in 50 (@aacr @philly_marathon) in my #50in50 for the Gweneviere Mann Foundation done! My buddy Ferdinand ran it with me. He ran NYC with me and will run a total of 12 of the 50 marathons. The next one Ferd will do with me is the Disney Marathon (Florida) in January.

This was the 2nd time that I’ve run this race. The first time was years ago and I didn’t remember the route. It’s a fairly even course, except for around mile 8-11 as the elevation map shows.

I saw the great Bill Rodgers and mayor of running Bart Yasso.

 And Boston Marathon champion Des Linden.

And running legend Meb.

 I attended the Philadelphia Marathon press conference, saw Mitch Stoller of the American Association of Cancer Research speak and met him afterwards.

I did several media interviews about the foundation and why I’m doing this project, including this wonderful one in Runner’s World: Why This Man Wants to Run 50 Marathons in 50 States in 50 Weeks

Ferdinand and I finished in about 4:17.

The Philadelphia medal incorporates a replica of the Liberty Bell that actually dings!

3 states down, 47 more to go. Seattle Marathon tomorrow!‬ ‪

Next marathons on the schedule:

• WA (Seattle) 11/25

• TN (Memphis) 12/1

• AL (Huntsville) 12/8

Join me on the #50in50 for the Gweneviere Mann Foundation, with many ways to get involved.

PLEASE DOWNLOAD GWENEVIERE’S SONG

She was excited about releasing an album she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we just recently released a single "What I Can Be" off of her album for her so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Download it here

Together we will save lives through early detection programs for lung cancer and brain tumors.

I ❤️ you Gwen.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving.

I’m thankful for all of your friendship and love. This time last year, Gweneviere & I were at my friends Marina and Murat’s place (pic from then).

Today I’m back here, and with our cats Hunky and Miwee, thinking about the good times with Gweneviere. Today also marks 4 months since she passed. Tomorrow I fly out to Seattle to run the Seattle Marathon on 11/25, which also happens to be the 10th anniversary of Gweneviere’s craniotomy, or Craniversary as she called it, to remove a brain tumor. After that, she lived nearly 10 great years full of thriving, love and fulfillment and I’m lucky to have been her soulmate during that wonderful time in her life. She touched so many people, she lived so fully, and loved so deeply. I’m thankful for the life I had with her.

I ❤️ you so much Gweneviere

Next marathons on the schedule:

• WA (Seattle) 11/25

• TN (Memphis) 12/1

• AL (Huntsville) 12/8

Join me on the #50in50 for the Gweneviere Mann Foundation, with many ways to get involved.

Download Gweneviere’s song

Gwen was excited about releasing an album she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we just recently released a single "What I Can Be" off of her album for her so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Download it here

Together we will save lives through early detection programs for lung cancer and brain tumors.

Marathon 2 in 50 of the #50in50

‪Marathon 2 in 50 (@runrocknroll Vegas) in my #50in50 for the Gweneviere Mann Foundation done! This was a great course that starts at 4:30pm on the Las Vegas Strip, and ends on the strip. It was a 26.2 mile dance party with live music, lasers, vegas lights and A LOT of cheering Elvis impersonators.

I ❤️ you Gwen. ‬ 48 more states to go. Philadelphia Marathon tomorrow!‬ ‪

Next marathons on the schedule:

• PA (Philadelphia) 11/18

• WA (Seattle) 11/25

• TN (Memphis) 12/1

• AL (Huntsville) 12/8

Join me on the #50in50 for the Gweneviere Mann Foundation, with many ways to get involved.

***Please download Gweneviere’s song***

She was excited about releasing an album she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we just recently released a single "What I Can Be" off of her album for her so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Download it here

Together we will save lives through early detection programs for lung cancer and brain tumors.

Marathon 1 of 50 in the #50in50

Marathon 1 of 50 complete: New York City!

We are now on the road to 50 marathons in 50 states in 1 year.

This race was all for my love Gweneviere and to honor her memory through the Gweneviere Mann Foundation (gwenmann.org).

This year's run was a deeply emotional and meaningful experience. If you don't know the story, back in 2008 Gweneviere survived a brain tumor/had a craniotomy. The procedure caused her to have anterograde amnesia, but she was a fighter and continued to thrive through her music, writing, and running. After her surgery, we set a goal to run the 2010 NYC Marathon, and had run it every year (except for 2012 when it was canceled; we ran Harrisburg that year instead). She went onto graduate with honors from New York University writing program, attended The Juilliard School, and was due to start her MFA in Creative Writing at Columbia University this Fall. With every amazing accomplishment, Gweneviere inspired me to set new goals for myself whether it was serious (like learning how to swim so that I can complete 4 Ironmans) or not so serious (like winning championships in the Tour de Donut bicycle races).

I am humbled that the Gweneviere Mann Foundation received incredible press coverage on ESPN, CBS New York, ABC7NY, StoryCorps, Committed Podcast.

I met and was inspired by fellow NYC Marathon runners Nev Schulman, Tiki Barber, Teri Hatcher who were all running for great causes themselves.

Next marathons on the schedule:

• NV (Las Vegas) 11/11

• PA (Philadelphia) 11/18

• WA (Seattle) 11/25

• TN (Memphis) 12/1

• AL (Huntsville) 12/8

Join me on the #50in50 for the Gweneviere Mann Foundation, with many ways to get involved: http://gwenmann.org/50in50

***Please download Gweneviere’s song***

She was excited about releasing an album she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we just recently released a single "What I Can Be" off of her album for her so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Download it here: https://www.gwenmann.org/music/

Together we will save lives through early detection programs for lung cancer and brain tumors.

Monthly marathon race report: Naked Prussian Marathon

I really love running small marathons where race directors maintain a personal touch on every aspect of their race. I enjoy gathering in a small circle of a few dozen runners before the start to listen to a race director go over the course. My March, 2018 marathon (30th overall) was one of those races - the Naked Prussian trail marathon in Leesport, PA. The race was on March 31st, barely getting it in before the month’s end!

I told myself I wasn’t going to do a trail marathon this year, but I had to skip the marathon I was planning to do on March 24th due to a small sprain. This trail marathon was my backup. 

The welcome party is a guy playing the accordion. How great is that?!

The race took place on the Blue Marsh trail system. It’s really well-maintained. 

The start/finish was right on the shore of the lake and next to the parking with plenty of parking. 

There were 2 race lengths going on concurrently, a marathon and a 50 miler. Most of the course was covered trails, but occasionally went through open fields and along a couple of roads.

The weather that couldn’t have been better and I just loved the view along the lake. 

More trees. They’re everywhere! As I was running, I thought about an article I once read on Dr Jack Schultz, Professor at the University of Missouri, who said that’s plants are just ‘slow moving animals’ that see, hear, smell and respond. Fascinating. 

​I finished the race in the middle of the pack, which was ok by me since I was still a little sore from my injury a week earlier. 

Award winners received these fun growlers. 

​They had a ton of warm, delicious savory food for finishers!

​I got this nice finisher’s mug 

Overall I would recommend this race if you live in eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey or even NYC and are looking for a trail marathon you can drive to and get back home the same day. It’s a beautiful time of the year to be out in that part of Pennsylvania. Check them out and sign up for next year’s race!