25 DOWN, 25 TO GO…

Baton Rouge Beach Marathon, Louisiana
Number of Runners: 28
Elevation: 61’
Time: 3:59:27
Weather: 83 degrees, humid

The running scene in Baton Rouge is alive and well, I can attest to that firsthand. Standing at the starting line this morning were a group of energetic, enthusiastic athletes. There were also somefamiliar faces, a runner who had run with me yesterday, and another who had run with me the past two days. We also had our youngest runners today, two twelve year olds. One was planning on running eight miles before school, the other had his sites on completing the entire marathon!

We started off in the relatively cool morning air. The course is a loop around the LSU Lakes and the water is within site nearly the entire distance, so it was really pretty. As the day wore on, temperatures began creeping upward. There was a refreshing breeze coming off the water every once in a while, but there were also plenty of pockets of heat and humidity with little airflow. This, however, was a group of survivors, dedicated to giving it their all. And that they did.

Because the course was a loop without major traffic concerns, the group got fairly spread out. Some ran faster, some ran more conservatively, and some just toughed it out as best they could. However they got the job done, I was awed and inspired by their effort. We had a number of first time marathoners cross the line, and all were smiling big-time! The repeat runner finished strong, despite some nagging knee issues, and the three-timer finished looking solid and composed, despite getting less than three hours of sleep last night (the drive from Texas was brutal).

The finishers sat around in the shade at the finish line, cheering in the other runners. And it was one loud cheer when out of the distance appeared the twelve year old marathoner. He had made it, and he ran right through the finish line and kept on going!

Running a marathon is challenging enough, but to layer on top of that such heat and humidity makes the accomplishment all the more grand. The runners today displayed a resilience that is admirable, and they were supportive and considerate, even as the going got tough. My deepest gratitude goes out to each and every one of them, not just for getting me through it, but for inspiring me every step of the way.

Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up.

From the long road to Alabama,
Dean

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Comments

[steve hearst]

Dean,
GO!
Steve

[Roy Young]

Again, I was moved by your posts and the recently added video clips (can't wait for the move). The kids were awsome! And the 12 yr old running today's marathon, WAY 2 GO KID! Keep up the great job of inspiring. My 7 yr old is running with me more and wants to be able to run with me at the end of my next marathon. (He thinks you're "really cool".)

Half way there...how are you feeling? You look & sound like you are doing really good, all things considered (655 miles so far~wow).

Keep running strong
Roy in Gresham Oregon.

[Amanda]

keep up the good work.... i'll be running with you in Minneapolis, you definitely won't have to worry about the heat here.... it's currently 30 degrees with some flurries :)
stay strong and see you soon!!!

[Josh]

Awesome. Half way there. Can't wait to see you in New York!

[Jeremy Likness]

Hey, Dean.

I just wanted to be the first (on the comments section, anyway) to say congratulations and you are HALF WAY THERE! Incredible. I wake up each morning eager to read the next update. I used to live near Deadwood, South Dakota so it was great hearing your description of that run (I did the half marathon in 2005) and also watching the video.

Thanks for the incredible inspiration and keep up the phenomenal example!

Jeremy

[Chris Field]

Awesome job so far! I can't believe you are half-way there already. I referenced you on my blog today. You can check it out at:

http://www.chrisfield.blogspot.com

By the way, what was the 12 year old's time?

[Matthias]

Dean,

Congratulations on finishing the halfway mark! Only 25 to go! How does your body feel now that you have run 655 miles in 25 days?

Looking forward to running with you in New Jersey.

Matthias

[todd wright]

I think this is awesome that Dean is running this with other runners and has so much passion for the sport. I would like to send him an email and get some training tips for myself so I can start doing the ultra runs

[Garen Danyi]

Dean,

My 8th grade classes have been following your quest with interest. You have definitely inspired many of them to think about what they are doing or not doing physically. Each day they ask me for an update on your progress, which is amazing in that 13 and 14 year olds don't seem to get to excited about non-social events. It shows the effect you are having on kids.

I will be running the NYC marathon this year and it will be great to say that I did one of the marathons that you were a part of. Thank you and good luck.

Garen Danyi
Bethlehem, PA

[Rich Scott]

Dean,
Just wanted to thank for making Baton Rouge part of the Endurance 50. It was truly an honor to run with you today. I will be running with you again in New York in a couple of weeks. Good luck on the rest of your journey.
Rich Scott

[Rich Scott]

Dean,
Just wanted to thank for making Baton Rouge part of the Endurance 50. It was truly an honor to run with you today. I will be running with you again in New York in a couple of weeks. Good luck on the rest of your journey.
Rich Scott

[Shane]

That last sentence just became my new running mantra:

"Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up"

Awesome...thanks Dean

[Kazuhiko Sakashita, Nagano, Japan]

Dean
Congratulations on making the halfway mark! and let me give my biggest applaud to the 12-year old hero. I am truly moved by the enormous courage he showed by never giving up through the painful 26.2miles. And thanks again Dean for making everything possible. May the rest of your journey be safe and injury-free!
Kazuhiko