43 DOWN, 7 TO GO…

Marine Corp Marathon, Virginia
Number of Runners: 34,000
Elevation: 365
Time: 3:37:27
Weather: 60 degrees, very windy

They call the Marine Corps Marathon, “The People’s Marathon,” and now I understand why. Besides the 34,000 runners, there were nearly 100,000 spectators lining the course. This is a marathon of the People, by the People, and for the People. And what better way to commemorate our independence, to celebrate our freedom, to honor our liberty and the men and women who protect it, than to boldly undertake the challenge of running a marathon through our nation’s capital.

It was a proud moment as I stood at the starting line and they announced to the crowd that I was running my forty-third consecutive marathon. The Marine’s next to me saluted me, which gave me the chills and made me chuckle at the same time. I got the chills because I felt so honored; I chuckled because we were all standing there in running gear.

Many of my friends and training partners are active in the service or have served our country. I am forever grateful to those who have protected our freedom and the rights of freedom loving people across the world. Running the Marine Corp Marathon was my way of saying, “Thank you.”

It was impossible not to feel proud to be an American as you ran past the Kennedy Center, entered the National Mall, ran past the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and then by our nation’s Capitol. On the return, you pass the Jefferson Memorial, the Pentagon, and eventually finish at the Marine Corps War Memorial. It is truly a beautiful course, a marathon of the monuments.

Conditions today were tough, with a strong wind blowing out of the north. There were also plenty of hills to contend with, especially near the end. My body is still a bit brutalized from the spill I took on Friday, and it showed, not just in the bandages on the outside, but also in the bruises and muscle soreness on the inside, which slowed me down. A few more days of heeling will be welcomed.

The people today were terrific, both the other runners and the spectators. This is the land of the free and the home of the brave, and I saw plenty of heroic efforts during the marathon, especially near the end when people were really hurting. Several runners ran arm-in-arm, shuffling courageously toward the finish. One man apparently collapsed ten feet from the finish, and then crawled across the line. Another limped on one leg through the finish as passersby shouted words of encouragement. Today, we
American’s band together, and although it wasn’t always pretty, we got the job done.

Fifty states, one nation, and lots of sore muscles,
Dean

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Comments

[Chad Conyers]

Dean,
Almost a year and a half ago I read your book and it motivated me to run my first marathon, one year ago today. It was the Silicon Valley Marathon where I actually had the pleasure of meeting you! It was an awesome feeling completing that marathon.
Today, one year later, I stood by and watched my wife complete her first Half-Marathon, The Grape Stomp in Livermore, this was awesome as well. She certainly was thinking of your mantra, one foot in front of the other, as she completed this race.
You have motivated our family in many ways, and brought us closer. I thank you and your supportive family for all you have done, not just for us, but everyone you have touched.

Chad Conyers

PS The fact that today you ran the Marine Corps Marathon is icing on the cake considering 10 years of my life was spent as one of few and the proud!! OOO Rah!

[Gregg Paxton]

Dean,

On November 4, I'm running 50 miles to raise money and awareness for juvenile diabetes. My daughter Melissa, was in a diabetic coma last Christmas break and should have died. She's now a type 1, taking 4 shots a day and awaiting an insulin pump. While training for this, I've read your training tips in your book. I've been doing a lot of run/walks and they are helping tremendously. I follow your runs daily and am so inspired by you. Thanks for your training tips and may you be safe as you cross the finish line in NY. God bless you!!!

Gregg Paxton
Amarillo, TX

[Rene]

What a great race to watch this past Sunday! My wife, son and I were there cheering the runners! Hang in there, Dean! You are truly an inspiration to me and my family! Maybe one of these days I'll have the honor of running along side you!

[Liz Wood]

Follow up-

And better yet, Dean--take them by surprise.

Do not announce that 51st in DC. Do it as if it's a whim and you will shock the world.

You will.

You are going to be all over the media regardless. People spend millions of dollars to campaign for their political cause. You have "free campaigning".

Election day is the 7th. Please don't waste your new found power.

Thank you.

Peace.

[Liz Wood]

Follow up-

And better yet, Dean--take them by surprise.

Do not announce that 51st in DC. Do it as if it's a whim and you will shock the world.

You will.

You are going to be all over the media regardless. People spend millions of dollars to campaign for their political cause. You have "free campaigning".

Election day is the 7th. Please don't waste your new found power.

Thank you.

Peace.

[Liz Wood]

Oh...I didn't realize you were already running marine corps...otherwise I would not have made that suggestion to you. I thought you were doing the 50 states, full marathons in 49 states and part of a marthon in both DC and Virginia--looks like Virginia and DC are getting gyped! You could have advertised 50/49 and 1/2/50--that would be more accurate. Your current 50/50/50 is misleading to me.

Perhaps if you ran the Marine Corp Marathon--again-as your 51st on November 6 you will do your promise justice.

This country has pains and people are suffering...but we have good spirit and if a leader such as yourself would do that 51st Marathon and go to the Senate floor with a cause (or 2 or 3 :0) ) you could help us all! The respect and charisma you have gathered from this event have given you this clout. Please do not waste it by not completing that last "extra" marathon. You have been all over the country, you know the issues, you know what our people need.

Please...just consider it.

Are you going to leave Virginia out of the pool?

[Kaitlin]

Dean-

My brother inspired me to start running this past August. Despite being very overweight and never having run before, I kept at it. By the middle of September I was barely running at all. It was at this point that my brother gave me your book. I read it in a day, went running as soon as I finished, and haven't stopped running since that day.

Yesterday I ran my first race ever, the 5K attached to the Detroit Marathon. I was slow, but I finished, and it was the best feeling in the world. I have another 5K scheduled three weeks from now, and sometime this week or next I am signing up for the Cleveland Half Marathon in May. My goal is to run the marathon next year in Detroit.

I just wanted you to know that along with my brother, you have been one of the best influences in my life. I am finally getting in shape, and it is mostly due to you. Your determination and courage have inspired me in a way that nothing else ever has. I am eternally grateful to you for getting me back into running. It has become a passion that I simply can't life without. So thank you!!

I look forward to reading about your last week of marathons! I have been reading this whole time, and have enjoyed every single post. Good luck, and have fun! I can't wait to hear what you are doing next.

-Kaitlin

[Matt DeMartino]

This year's Marine Corps Marathon was my second full race (Disney 2006, Goofy Challenge). I was excited to be running my first marathon without having run a 1/2 the day before - admitedly not the best way to begin marathon running - and was even more excited to be running in your 43rd of the 50 states. I wanted more than anything to run along side you, or catch a glimps of you during one of the turn-around points, but I was just far enough behind your pace to not be able to catch up, and far enough back to see you pass, several miles ahead of my (my chip time was 3:50). Ultramarathon Man was what inspired me to begin distance running, and gave me the courage to run last January's 1/2 and full marathons at Disney Wolrd. I wanted to thank you for the inspiration, and motivation driving me foward in the sport of endurance running. At only 20, I hope to run my first ultra (with the proper training) within the next several years; and to also complete the 7 continents (and 50 states ? ) before my 30th birthday. Thank you, Dean, for giving me the knowlege and determination to not only lead a healthful, active lifstyle, but also the will power to rise above fear and acomplish my goals.

[Joyce Forier]

Sorry I missed you at this race. Only a few minutes apart in finishing time, but I never found you. With so many people I am not surprised! I did however see your crew at the finish line, anxiously awaiting your arrival, and it was great to catch up with them since running with you in AZ and NV.

All I can say is...much respect to you and your E50 experience. The MCM was 4 in 5 weeks for me...and I am pretty spent! Wishing you much success in the final stretch!
joyce

[Betty]

Congrats on #43!! I went down to DC to see many of my friends run the marathon and I was lucky enough to see you run by around mile 10.5. I can't wait to run NYC this weekend with you! Although you'll probably be ahead of me the entire time, I am hoping to qualify for Boston. Reading your blog and hearing about other people's story has given me a different perspective on running. Your adventure has inspired me to train a little harder this summer and like you said in your book, "Life becomes a little more vibrant, a little more intense." I look forward to seeing you at the finish line party! Good luck on the next few!

[Glen Moss]

Dean: Enjoyed running some of the way with you at Marine Corps. Sensed you wanted your space during this run so kept conversation to a minimum & tried to draw on the energy around us. However, hamstring injury returned as you passed me by at mile 18. It wasn't pretty but I finished as did my friend "Crazy Marty" who blew up as predicted. Hope you can get to Lincoln again sometime for one of our live Marathon Events to witness National Guard Teams competing from all 50 states & territories. Glen Moss.

[Greg Leo]

WOW - what a great run Sunday! This was my 2nd marathon and boy was it beautiful. I finished 7 minutes faster than my goal time. I was disappointed that I did not get to see TEAM DEAN, but there were several truly inspirational runners out there. At mile 8 I ran past a woman pushing her friend in a wheel chair. At mile 17 I ran past a fether pushing his triplets in a stroller! When I got home I heard the news that a man passed away around mile 17. Devastating to hear. Also, shortly after the start of the first wave a runner had a heart attack, however he is expected to recover. Now back to the positive: I found out about a father who pushed his 17 year old daughter in a stroller who is developmentally disabled. Truly heartwarming. Their article can be found here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/29/AR2006102900870.html
Again, thanks for the inspiration that you instill in all of us.
Kepp it up!!!!

Cheers,
Greg

[Shawn]

Dean, Thanks for the motivation the last full mile of the Marine Corps..You passed me exactly at the 25 mile point (right at the off ramp) and I was struggling but I picked it up and ran a 7:28 last mile to catch up and sprinted up the last hill at 26 and finished my 1st marathon with a 3:32. Thanks!

[Marcia Steger]

Dean-

I was one of the "Wellesley Girls" that jumped in halfway with you two weeks ago (though I am not a student there).

The Marine Corp Marathon was my first full marathon. What a day! You described it well. I was hoping to see you at the finish line, but couldn't find you. You had signed my shirt-sleeve with "Keep Going!" to give me encouragement past the wall. It must have worked - I never hit it! After reading your book in two days, I wanted to finish the marathon feeling like I could have kept going, but I was glad I didn't have to.

I did see you on the race course when it wrapped around next to itself; you were a few miles ahead of me by then. I heard a couple of girls squeal, "There he is!!! There he is!!!"; and saw you across the road. One girl commented to her friend that seeing you was the reason she ran the marathon.

Hopefully, I'll be driving down to NYC to cheer you on to your finish.

Thanks for all the inspiration! Good luck with the final few. Go Team Dean!

[Joseph Gathii]

I was running the Nairobi Marathon several thousand miles away but the Endurance 50 was my main motivation. This was my 2nd marathon after competing last year but I had lost several weeks of training due to injury this time and had decided to compete in the half instead. At the last minute(during registration!) I decided to do the full. I completed in a 4:48 which was better than last year. Thanks Dean! PS The NY marathon will be televised here and I will be cheering you on to the Finish.

[Joe Foley]

Dean,
While I had no illusions about seeing you along the course, I did run with my copy of your book, just in case, hoping for an autograph. Lucky for me, your book wasn't much longer, as I had a really rough day on the course. However, the great crowds and the reminder of all that our nations armed forces have done for us, made me keep at it.
I first decided to run a marathon after reading another book, 10 Million Steps. It's the story of Paul Reese who ran a marathon a day across the US. What was really inspiring was that he was 72 yrs old when he did it! I figured if HE could do one a day, I could do one :).

Now, after reading your book a few times, my next goal is an ultra. Thanks for getting out there and trying to raise the awareness of physical fitness in the U.S. I find it amazing that in our country's schools, many of them do not have Physical Education (aka "Gym" to us older folks) as a requirement in high school. No wonder we're getting to be a fatter, not fitter, nation.

Run on!

[Stephanie Cyran]

Dean,
I first read your article in Runners World about your goal of 50/50/50. After that I saw coverage on TV about the Marine Corps marathon. Your daughter is answering a question about why she thought you were doing all of this and she exclaims in part..."so that people get off their tushies and MOVE."
I had entered the Marine Corps marathon months before but hadn't followed any kind of training plan and I was thinking of not even running it. To make things worse, I had talked my sister into signing up for that as her first marathon. She followed her plan diligently and told me matter-of-factly that she would run it whether I did or not.
I was feeling a little down and not sure what to do when I saw the footage and thought that if you can do 50/50/50 then I could at least do the one thing that I had signed up to do do. It was extremely difficult for me but I completed the run. (My sister Crystal finished 38 minutes ahead of me.)

Thank you for your efforts and encouragement to all of us and the best to you on your next adventure.

[storm]

You're an inspiration. When my clients (type 2 diabetics) say they can't walk a few minutes a day I point them to your site and show them what is possible. Thanks

http://DiabeticWeightManagement.com