DAY 53

Miles: To be determined
Weather: 56 degrees, rain

Today is the most liberating, terrifying, exciting, and confusing day of my life. I am walking out of a hotel room in New York City, and running west. Why west? Because that is the direction of my house in San Francisco. Yes, I am running home from the New York City Marathon, the final marathon of the Endurance 50, across the country back to my house.

What is my plan? I really don’t have one. There is no script here. It will be kind of like reality TV, only this is not TV. I’m not sure of the route I’ll follow, I’m not sure where I’ll stay, I’m not sure how long it will take. All I know is that my heart is telling me this is the right thing to do.

My family is behind me, which is the most important thing. I talked with them at length to get their feelings about this next leg of the journey, and they were 100% supportive and encouraging. “It will be fun, dad,” my daughter, Alexandria, said, “We’ll come find you every weekend and run together.”

The Endurance 50 was more of a spiritual journey than a running event. None of us had ever anticipated this would be the case. People from around the globe united and came together in ways that were astonishing to us all. We saw the very best in human nature, we saw the human spirit come through in remarkable and touching ways. In a world that can be so divided, running showed us that it has the power to unify people.

So let us run.

Heading west,
Dean

The Endurace 50 Final Video - Documentary Coming Spring 2007 from Journeyfilm

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Click here for Endurance50 pictures.
Click here for Endurance50 videos.

Comments

[Jodi Dougherty]

I KNEW IT! I knew you were going to run home!! It just seemed like the right thing to do. You HAVE to give us some sort of gist of where you'll be & when. I wasn't able to run one of the 50s with you (Hartford doesn't count 'cause it was live) & I would love for my son to be able to run with you for as long as he can hang (2 miles?!). You are such an inspiration to him! My husband's reading your book right now, he's been a runner all his life, & he thinks you're NUTS! & can't wait to meet you! He wants to run the Western States 100!

Running home!!!I'm so excited for you!!
Jodi in CT

[Michele]

Very cool, Dean, and I hope you continue to blog. If you drop south, due to the weather, you have a place to stay in Atlanta.

Good luck, and see you in San Fran in the spring (my daughter wants to visit).

[Roger]

Go, Dean, Go ! ! ! Keep us updated on your progress and when you get close to Illinois I guarantee I will find a way to join you for a few miles. I was very blessed to get to run with you at the Lewis & Clark Marathon, #1 of Endurance 50. Good Luck & God Bless.

[Nate Stimson]

Holy #$%@...you are nuts, and I mean that in the best possible way. It looks like Interstate 80 West is your most direct route, but if you swing down south towards Memphis, I will definitely log a few miles with you...

[Anna]

Dean: you are absolutely amazing - an inspiration... Please keep us posted of your journey west.

[Raymond Dehn]

Dean,
Tuesday was an election in our country; a country that has become very devicive. We all need to embrace opportunities to come together and find where we are more alike than where we are different. Running has brought me close to people whom I might not have associated with were it not for a common love of running. Dean you continue to inspire me.

Continue to put one foot in front of the other and let everyone now where you might be. I for one would love to run with you again.
All the best,
Ray-37

[jenn]

You ARE CRAZY!!! And I love it. Hope you keep posting about the adventures. If your journey leads you back through Wichita...contact our race organizers. We'd all love to come out and burn a few miles of road with you!

Good luck. Stay safe.

[Jason Costantino]

Ok, Dean first off I think you are crazy, but man I love it! I don't know how this is going to work, what kind of support you have, how many miles a day you plan on doing, what route you plan on taking etc....

Fill us in when you can, or I will just surf the net looking for articles about this crazy runner guy passing through little town America.

Go get after it Dean. If I find that you are anywhere within a 2 state radius of Texas I will be there to help you out and deliver the pizza or whatever else you need. I missed the Endurance 50 when it rolled through town, but this time I am going to come to you. Godspeed Karno!

[Sean Sidelko]

That is freaking awesome Dean. An inspiration to all. Keep us all posted of your trek west. When you get near Colorado I may have find you and run with you for a day.

[Jon]

Congrats Dean on completing the Endurance 50! Have a safe trip home as you are doing a reverse of the Run Across America!

[Leanne McCulloch]

Hi Dean

Leanne from SF and Golden Gate Running Club here. I'm currently staying with my boyfriend in Princeton, NJ if you need a place to crash on your way home.

I also ran NY this year so am now feeling a little guilty about flying back to SF. What I wouldn't give to be able and capable of joining you.

Safe journey--Leanne

[Eugene O'Donnell]

Good luck on running home!!!!!!!!!! Where behind you!!!! Just don't get hurt cause who would lead the crazies then!!!!!

Eugene

[Blake]

Sweet! It would be amazing if you could keep us posted on the routes, I, and I'm sure many others, would love to come out and keep you company (and bring you food!) as you run home.

I have already thought about the logistics, I would park my car somewhere towards the end of the run and bike the route in reverse until I find you!

[Brandon Fuller]

Run, Forrest, Run.

[Ethan]

Go Dean Go! Keep it up... I'm sure there will be some lonely miles between here and there. But if keep your blog updated and make estimations on where you'll be, people (like me!) will try and join you for some of the trip.

[morgan murri]

Dean,

let me know when you get close to colorado and or new mexico and i'll join you for a stretch!

Be safe, run well and keep the faith.
Morgan

[Brent]

Hey Dean,

Running home!? You are an unbelievable inspiration. I'm sitting at my desk getting teary-eyed just thinking about it. I want to run. Now.

If your run back home happens to take you through Indianapolis (my hometown), you've got a place to stay. In fact, I'd be honored to be your SAG wagon through the entire state of Indiana, if needed. Maybe I could run a few miles with you too!

Best of luck.

Brent

[Robert Taylor]

And I thought the E50 was inspiring! Dean, this is truly awesome! What a way to end the E50. When I went to check out the NY Marathon results, headlines screamed of Lance breaking 3:00. However, your Indiana Tecumseh boys were more impressed with your 3:00:30. What we especially enjoyed were Lance's comments about the marathon being the hardest thing he's ever physically accomplished. All we could say was, "Yep, and our man, Dean, just finished his 50th consecutive at the same pace...and now he's running 3,000+ miles home!"

You've inspired us beyond words, Dean. For me, you've transformed running from a chore to the most treasured activity of my day, chasing my wildly giggling and careening 4-yr old to school on her bike through crowds of dodging Purdue University students; for Joe (pictured holding up your left hand crossing the tape at Tecumseh on Day 39) you gave him the thrill of running side by side with a personal hero and legend; for Dave you motivated him to complete his first marathon (and now he's trying to get us all to sign up with him for the Georgia Marathon on Mar 25th!); and for Ben you transformed his life, inspiring him to lose 100 pounds and will himself across Tecumseh’s finish line after 7.5 hours and 30 miles of brutal trail running to accomplish what was once a completely unattainable goal.

Dean, you’ve shown us what a dedicated mind, body, and spirit can accomplish. Now each of us has experienced it for our self. Even had you not been able to finish all 50 marathons, you would have achieved your mission of transforming lives across the nation and around the globe, inspiring people to achieve the unachievable.

A heartfelt thank you from Indiana and one final request: if you don’t mind the company, could you keep your location and the next day’s approximate route updated on the blog so your Tecumseh boys can hook up with you for a portion of your final leg home? :)

Thanks for everything, Dean. We’ll hopefully catch up with you somewhere crossing 86° 52' W!

All the best,

Rob Taylor
LCDR, U.S. Coast Guard
Krannert MBA, 2007
Proud Day 39 Endurance 50 Finisher!

[Robert Taylor]

And I thought the E50 was inspiring! Dean, this is truly awesome! What a way to end the E50. When I went to check out the NY Marathon results, headlines screamed of Lance breaking 3:00. However, your Indiana Tecumseh boys were more impressed with your 3:00:30. What we especially enjoyed were Lance's comments about the marathon being the hardest thing he's ever physically accomplished. All we could say was, "Yep, and our man, Dean, just finished his 50th consecutive at the same pace...and now he's running 3,000+ miles home!"

You've inspired us beyond words, Dean. For me, you've transformed running from a chore to the most treasured activity of my day, chasing my wildly giggling and careening 4-yr old to school on her bike through crowds of dodging Purdue University students; for Joe (pictured holding up your left hand crossing the tape at Tecumseh on Day 39) you gave him the thrill of running side by side with a personal hero and legend; for Dave you motivated him to complete his first marathon (and now he's trying to get us all to sign up with him for the Georgia Marathon on Mar 25th!); and for Ben you transformed his life, inspiring him to lose 100 pounds and will himself across Tecumseh’s finish line after 7.5 hours and 30 miles of brutal trail running to accomplish what was once a completely unattainable goal.

Dean, you’ve shown us what a dedicated mind, body, and spirit can accomplish. Now each of us has experienced it for our self. Even had you not been able to finish all 50 marathons, you would have achieved your mission of transforming lives across the nation and around the globe, inspiring people to achieve the unachievable.

A heartfelt thank you from Indiana and one final request: if you don’t mind the company, could you keep your location and the next day’s approximate route updated on the blog so your Tecumseh boys can hook up with you for a portion of your final leg home? :)

Thanks for everything, Dean. We’ll hopefully catch up with you somewhere crossing 86° 52' W!

All the best,

Rob Taylor
LCDR, U.S. Coast Guard
Krannert MBA, 2007
Proud Day 39 Endurance 50 Finisher!

[Rich]

Happy trails, Dean! Happy Trails! Be safe and HAVE FUN in all that you do!! It's raining here in Philadelphia, too--and your comments make it that much easier to step out the door into the gloom. You've shared a lot and given much more to everyone who has logged on or run with you. Go have fun!

--Rich

[Jason Bousliman]

Dean,
If you want some company, let us know where you are and we will try to join you on your epic run home.

We can even order pizza. Hope you come through New Mexico.

Jason

[Kelli]

A real-life Forrest Gump experience! That was the first thing I thought of when I read your post.

I think this is a GREAT way for you to end your experience. And it will be low-key, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants experience. You will meet some amazing people, find how giving and hospitable people are (i hope) and enjoy plenty of time to regroup, think, remember, and move on.

I love it! Enjoy!

[Joel Rooy]

YES YES YES YES!!! This is the Dean we all know! This is AWESOME!!! You are terrifically NUTS but love it!

Believe it or not, I was kind of down the day after E50. I was like, "No more blog." What am I going to read next? This is fabulous knowingly that there will be more daily blog ahead. I wish there is a specific website that can monitor your "live" progress as you trek across the country. I am from New Jersey and I think you may have already cross NJ. Wish I knew this awhile back and I could have burn some miles with you. I have a hunch that you will hit Pennsylvania by the end of the day.

Good Luck and tear the asphalt as much as you can! My family and I are ROOTING for you !!!

Running regards,
Joel Rooy

[thomas]

great respect, and a question, hopefully some answer will come:
ok dean, you've mentioned it many times that running at this level is a mind game,
but you have muscles like all we do, and those muscles need energy, and those muscles get damaged and need to be repaired, and none of these can happen without proper nutrition, so what have you been eating all those days?
any special supplements?

[Pony Peterson]

PLEASE come to Houston! My running club, the Houston Striders, and I would LOVE to run with you and you can stay at my house!!! And bring your wife and kids and they can stay here too.

Houston is a really cool city and there are lots of family things to see and do = )

PLEEEEEEEEEEEEASE????!!!