I’m going to deviate a bit from our usual Tuesdays on the Run programming to welcome all of my blog hop visitors and give you some background on how it is I got here.
About Running: I ran track in middle school. I was a sprinter and ran relays. I loved it, but not enough to join the track team in high school when the coach came knocking after seeing the times I was running in gym class. I was a dancer/skater then. I’d be in my 30’s before I’d seriously wear running shoes again. I was in my mid-40’s before I summoned the nerve to take on a half and full marathon. I did both of those in 2007 and I haven’t looked back. Running has become a way of life for me. Now I’m on a quest to run the 5 marathon majors. Chicago, Boston and New York are done, London and Berlin are up next.
About blogging: When I started this blog, my kids were really little and it was my outlet for writing and expression. I used it as a way to track my training and had no clue anyone would read it. Little did I know I’d discover a whole community of like-minded people, many who have become dear friends.
So let’s run some numbers:
Years Running as an adult: 17
Number of Races: 95 according to Athlinks but I know there are some missing
Years I ran before taking on my first half and full marathons: 9
Full Marathons: 9
Half Marathons: 50+ (I’ve lost count)
Number of times I’ve run in costume: 1
DNS due to injury: 3
DNF: 0 knock wood
Create Your Own Visited States Map
States I’ve Run in: 23
Year I Started blogging: 2oo9
Blog Redesigns: 4
Blogging Conferences I’ve Attended: 0 (hangs head in shame)
Number of other bloggers I’ve met: Too many to count and hopefully many more!
Your turn: Tell me something about you!
London and Berlin – how exciting! Sounds like a great plan to me. Are you going to BlogFest this year? It’s the only one I’ve been to and it is just so much fun! I would like to meet more bloggers in person and plan to do so if I get into BlogFest this year again…hopefully, one of the will be you! Happy Blog Hopping Marcia!
London and Berlin sound amazing! London is probably the only place I’ve ever been that I love just as much (and maybe more) than Chicago. It would be so fun to see it like that during a run. And congrats on all of those states that you’ve run in! I think maybe you need a scratch off map for that 😉
I love this! I also felt the same way about getting into blogging. What race did you run here in Alaska? I’m hoping my 50 states list will look like this someday!
You have to attend a blogging conference. Even better if it’s one I’m going to so we can meet. I love stats and numbers especially about running. Weird?
This was great! Very cool to be able to see the states you have run in on that map. I think I have done 39 races in 8 years. I was on the track team in HS but only to keep in shape for field hockey- I really didn’t like running back then!
Wow so many races! That’s quite an accomplishment! 🙂 I never DNF’ed but I did DNS a couple times because I KNEW I would not be able to finish if I started.
You had many races.
Germany is great.
When you want to do an awesome Marathon herev,take the Rothaarsteig Marathon it is a trailrun through the Mountains.
It is much heavyer then the Street marathon.
Last Sunday i did 46,2k in the Mountains
So excited to make your wall of fame 🙂
Athlinks has me at 345 but I started racing before the internet, so I think it is probably closer to 375. I started racing again after high school in 1994. 21+ years! 41 marathons and ~150 halfs, I think!
What can I say? I’m SO HAPPY to have met you through your blog! But I had no idea you’ve run that many halfs! Wow!
You really made me giggle with the hanging your head in shame. I too must hang my head in shame I guess, though I have only been blogging for a year. I also love London, it’s my favorite city in the world! Nice to meet you!
Wow, that is a lot of races!!! So impressive, and something to strive for. I am up in Canada and I feel like there just aren’t as many races up here (maybe that is best for my bank account 🙂
I am from Australia, and will probably be headed back there next year. When I left, I didn’t run, so I’m so excited to discover what races we have down there. You should add an Aussie race to your ‘to-do’ list? 🙂
Great to discover your blog, I will be back!
Meg x
http://www.anchoringchange.com
I can’t believe it took you so long to tackle a half considering your running background!
I swore I would never do one (anything longer than 5k, really), am so not athletic and not a great runner, and yet it only took me a couple of years.
That full? Very different. I keep thinking I want to at least try one (too bad one of my running buddies has already tackled it & doesn’t want to do another), but I’m afraid of injury, considering I can get injured training for a half, and I really just don’t want to run for 6 hours.
Howdy fellow former trackie!
Good luck on your quest to London and Berlin! That is so awesome you’re running all the iconic marathons. Are you also trying for a race in all 50 states, or just running in each one?
That map is such an awesome idea! So cool you are training to run the 5 major marathons, and what a great experience getting to travel to each place!!
Although I’ve been following you for a while, I learned a lot more about you today. Had no idea you’ve run so many races! Wow really impressive 🙂 I have not been to a blogging conference either but I really want to this year-but which one??
Ha about blogging conferences! That’s pretty funny- nothing to be ashamed about. I love a post with numbers on it- this one didn’t disappoint. Whoa on how many races you’ve run. Most impressive!
Your spotlight day & you already have a great link up – how cool is that.
Those dang DNS due to injury – every runner can shake their head in understanding on that one.
I still need to run in costume #bucketlist – preferably Disney!
What a fun post! I started my blog in 2011 after I retired from the Air Force, and have never attended a conference either. I don’t feel like my blog is “big” enough for me to attend, if that makes sense? I love your blog. It’s one of the first I followed!
Look at you as cat woman! I LOVE IT! Maybe you should run in costume more often? It was nice to get to know you better through the hop. You are one of my faves, you know. You keep me laughing (so important!), you keep me motivated, and you are such an inspiration. I hope our paths cross one day. And soon.
Wow! Over 50 half marathons. That is awesome. Can’t believe you only dressed up once in all your races. You must not run at Disney:)
Wow, your history is impressive. It’s fun to look back and see how much we have accomplished and you certainly have accomplished a lot.
no need to hang your head in shame. I’ve been to a couple but for me they’ve always been more “fun” than any deep blogging learning. But it’s always nice to meet virtual friends in person!
Really enjoying getting to learn more about you, Marcia! 50+ half marathons, wow! I’m hoping to stay healthy enough to add more races to my belt in 2016! I love the photos of all the bloggers you’ve met 🙂
Running races in 23 states is an amazing accomplishment! How long do you think it’ll take to cross off all 50 states?
WOW 90+ races and 50+ halfs??? That is incredible!!! What an inspiration. I hope I can run this many races someday!
I’m with Judy, I am surprised you didn’t run a half until much later. Was it that there just wasn’t as many around? I also see you haven’t done any around Mississippi. Even Alabama, I’m closest to it. We have got to change that! You just need to pick a race and I’ll be there! 🙂
23 states? That’s an awesome accomplishment! And congrats on Boston!! As a Bostonian it’s one of my most favorite sporting events each year. The city truly comes alive even after the dreaded events… But I am so excited to learn more about you and hear how you prepare for your races. I’m a newish runner (really only consistently for the last two years) and have my eyes set on my first half next fall! It’s a huge bucket-list item for me and I’m always on the lookout for other moms that run half (and full) marathons to see how they juggle training and family and work!!
This is wonderful! Can men participate too?
All the majors, that is an awesome goal! That is something I’d like to do one day!
Love that you’ve run in so many states! I too am working on getting through the states, 38 & DC down and as soon as I heal from a work injury I will knock off the last 19.
I have met so many runners like you who ran a little as they were younger, but didn’t get into the longer distances until they were into their 40’s or 50’s, and I think it’s awesome! I met a guy in a marathon once, who had run over 800 marathons since he was 50 years old, and the best part was he was kicking a lot of younger peoples butts, who should have been able to run faster than him:) I love learning about others running past, it’s so incredible to hear stories.
I haven’t yet attended a blog conference either, and it would be awesome! I am looking forward to when I can be back on race schedules and meeting other running bloggers out on the pavement, so cool you have met so many!!!
It’s so cool that running has taken you around the country! Also, your link-up idea looks so fun – I am loving learning about all of these two writing/blogging/community building opportunities!
Wow!! That map of the US is a pretty in pink!! I can’t wait to see where else you run–And London sounds fabulous to me! And I think you should do more races in costume to keep things interesting 😉
Wow, over 95 races? That is amazing. But, I suppose they add up after 17 years. 🙂
I’d love to do more traveling for races soon. Maybe I could win the lottery. LOL
Something about me? I live in Iowa…and it looks like you haven’t run a race here yet 😉 I also started running somewhat “later” in life, and my only regret is not starting MUCH sooner. The past 10 years have been great, especially the past 7 years because I discovered distance running. I have done 26 halfs/20K’s, three fulls, an Ultra, and many other shorter distances in the mix. Great ti find you through the Hop (I was one of the Hoppers from the first round, and am shamelessly stalking all the round 2 peeps).
Cool that you are going to do all of the majors! Do foreign runners need to book through an official travel agent for London and Berlin? I would love to do them, but am scared to see how much they would charge me. 🙂
Wow 50 plus marathons under your belt! How fun! It is so great to meet you through this blog hop! I love your map of all the places you have run so far! It keeps it very visual! And Berlin and London sound amazing!!
Oh gosh, what a fun post! I can’t wait to meet you (at some point — it’s inevitable!). SO MANY RACES. O.O !!!!
Wow, great stats. I started my blog when my son was born out of sheer boredom. 😉 It has since warped into my running life, which is totally awesome, and I love all the amazing people I’ve met through the blogging community. 🙂
I’m new to your blog, so I really appreciate the recap of your running and blogging! You’ve run so many half marathons – and it’s super impressive that you’ve only DNS’ed three times and never DNF’ed with that many races.
Love your site girl! It was fun to learn a little bit more about you today, I think when I started tuning you you were training for your first triathlon? I had no idea what a huge running history you had! Keep killing it girl!
You took 9 years until you ran your first half, I took 10 months! I started running in January last year and ran my first half in October. I was tempted by an offer of a place from a charity I support and really fancied a challenge to keep me going. However, I think signing up for a full marathon is a whole off yet.
Good luck getting to Berlin and London!
I think running in London would be so much fun. There are so many sites to see, I’d be looking for the next landmark.
You’ve done a pretty impressive job colouring in your running States. Australia’s nowhere near as challenging – only 8 states or territories and I’ve managed five of those.
Fellow blog hopper here!! You are quite the active runner!!! I can only wish to run that many halfs and fulls! You are amazing! It’s nice to meet you 🙂
Ok I’m so impressed! Seriously! Wow! I’m brand new to your blog and so excited to get to know you even better!! 🙂
Hi! Nice to meet you again 🙂
Athlinks -what…never know about this fancy thing…..yup some are missing for sure but still really cool!
50 halfs…..you go girl!!!
Look at that map…me so jealous!
I hope to meet you someday 🙂
If I ever ran marathon, I would totally look to do one of the Majors for sure!
I would love to go to a blogging conference too. i feel like I am too new to go but maybe not.
Nice to meet you again 🙂
See you around the blog soon!
I can’t believe how many races you’ve run!
My only DNS was a turkey trot last year – the weather was too snowy for me to drive to the race.
I’ve been wanting to join this link-up, but haven’t had the chance. I love the idea and the name just seems so fun! Seems you have accomplished quite a lot on your running journey and I believe you should definitely be proud of yourself! So great to meet you through the blog hop! Rooting you on for those last two big races, London & Berlin!
-Caroline https://curlycaroline.wordpress.com/
That is so cool! It is also very inspiring. I look forward to seeing your posts about your future races and running events. Thank you for sharing your journey!
I haven’t been to any blog conferences either…YET! I really want to go to blogfest next year!
Curious what race(s) you ran in Colorado. I’m an ambassador for the Colfax Marathon and will be running the half in May 2016. I’d love it if you ran here too!! 😉
50 half marathons??! I got 3 down! LOL! I love the extra history and now I know a little more about you! Do you do your blog redesigns yourself? I like the map- so going to check that out! I have run n 5 states so far, we gotta start somewhere, right?
Marcia, you still need to visit my state of Oregon 🙂 The Portland Marathon in October is one of the best races I’ve done EVER. The course support is fantastic and there’s also a half if you’d prefer. Still amazed at how many Half’s you’ve done – congrats! Happy to reconnect with you through the Grow Your Blog Hop 🙂
I certainly wouldn’t hang your head in shame about not attending a blog conference. I have yet to attend one even though I have met a ton of bloggers in real life. I think if I were to attend a blogging conference, I would want it to be a “nuts and bolts” type event – SEO, monetization, etc. All the things I struggle with in blogging!
Oh, and this post inspires me to create a map for my race locations! Thanks 🙂
YAY!! I am in the pics 3x!! 🙂
We need to meet up for a conference! I think I’ve been reading your blog since you started it LOL and have yet to meet you.
Your stats are incredible! 50 Half Marathons and 23 states, WOW! I’m missing several races in Athlinks. It only tracks my stats from bigger races. London and Berlin are great goal races! I’m sure you’ll get there someday!
Totally impressed with the number of races you’ve completed and in 23 states too! Keeping my fingers crossed for you so you can complete London and Berlin. I also started a blog back in 2009 but killed it after a few posts. I started back up again in 2013. I have also not attended a blogging conference 🙁
Love the linkup! So…after all of these years, I never knew that you were a skater when you were younger. Now the days that you are spending on the ice with the Things make perfect sense.
Have you set a goal to cover the map? What about expanding to Canada? I could be game if you are!
SO impressive! Love the stats – and wow, you’ve done so many races! I don’t think I’ll ever hit numbers like yours, although I’m put in a pretty good effort this year. 🙂
I love your Catwoman outfit but I’m curious – with all the races, why not more costumes? I ask because I’m not much of a costume person myself (I’ve put mild effort in once or twice), whereas others are fully committed!
Glad to connect through the Blog Hop! Look forward to reading more!
You’ve done some amazing things, Marcia. All those races, all those states you’ve run in, all those major marathons – NYC, Chicago and Boston! I am impressed and I’ll be watching out for you to accomplish your goals to do particularly the London marathon. It’s one of the most exciting (after NYC), I think. That scenery.
I’ll be back to link up but you can also check out my posts at http://runwright.net
Wow! Talk about some amazing experiences! It’s so cool how the simple act of running can open up such a world of experiences for us!
Wow, impressive and very interesting. I started running at 35 (I am deliberately the one year I ran Cross country in junior high. Hated it). Only 2 half marathons, and first full marathon next April.
One costume but that is a pretty awesome costume if you ask me!
You have quite the resume! I admit, i am a bit awed by all you have accomplished 🙂 That is a lot of BIG moments…blogging is a great way to keep it all fresh, so you can look back and see where you were or how you felt. I like your one costume 🙂
Let me know if you ever plan to do a VA race.
This is great! So nice to learn more about you!! I also did track in high school (sprints/relays/jumping) but I hated long distance! :p You have accomplished lots! 50+ half marathons, awesome!!