Endurance Is

DAY 55 and beyond...

To follow my progress from here on, click: Where's Dean?

The Endurace 50 Final Video
Documentary Coming Spring 2007 from Journeyfilm

DAY 54

State: New Jersey
Weather: 57 degrees, rain

The next adventure has begun! I loaded all of my stuff into a jog stroller, and started running. It was raining, though luckily not too hard. More than anything, the rain cleared the air.

I’m not sure if I’m following the most direct route, though I’m proceeding in a general westward direction. Running I can do, that comes easy, because that is what I love. Trying to deal with the press, doing interviews, taking pictures, that stuff is challenging. It feels great to be free.

Of course, I already miss my family deeply. Funny as it sounds, running has become my life. It’s how I put food on the table, so I look at this journey across the country no differently than a businessman who travels for extended periods, or a serviceman who is stationed overseas. If I weren’t running, I’d be sitting behind a desk and probably not very happy. I’ll also be able to work on my second book along the way, thus I’m carrying a digital recorder to write as I run.

As you can imagine, I got some pretty funny looks today. I got some even funnier expressions when I asked for directions. What inspired me most is the enthusiasm of the people I talked with when they learned of what I was doing. It broke through any barriers that may otherwise exist between people, and you could absolutely sense the wonderment in their eyes. Who would ever expect to encounter a person running to San Francisco on some random street corner in New York?! I was tickled and touched by some of the comments and expressions, and I think they were as well.

You can now follow my progress by clicking here: Where's Dean?

Onward ho!
Dean

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.

DAY 52

Miles: 26.2
Weather: 55 degrees, cloudy

This was the last recovery run before “departure,” the final sentence of a chapter in my life that will never be forgotten. The photo’s and video documentary will serve as a reminder of this incredible journey, but nothing will ever replace the firsthand experience of the people we have met, and the places we have been.

Tomorrow is a new beginning, though I will always remember with crystal clarity the past fifty days.

Long live the Endurance 50.

Warmest regards,
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.

DAY 51

Miles: 28.5
Weather: 60 degrees, dry

Today was the first day in fifty days that I didn’t start the morning with a marathon. It didn’t feel very good. I was stiff by midmorning, and really feeling tight by afternoon. My body almost seems to have adapted to running everyday, and not running is the foreign state. The solution, go running.

Tonight was the first night run I’ve done in a couple months. I truly enjoy running at night, and with the full moon illuminating the skyline, it was really gorgeous out. I ran from my hotel to Central Park, and then ran the original NYC Marathon course. There were lots of runners and bikers out, and the weather was very warm for this time of year.

I’m still trying to figure out how to close out this most remarkable chapter of my life. It’s been said that all good things must come to an end, though I’m not sure why (the bad things don’t seem to have such lifespan limitations). The Endurance 50 is over, and a new chapter is about to begin. I’m not sure how to do justice to the past fifty days.

For now, here are some stats on the Endurance 50:

Number of shoes: 5 pair
Number of socks: 18 pair
Number of lost toenails: 3
Number of blisters: 2
Number of calories per day: 5,000 to 6,000
Number of trail marathons: 5
Hottest temperature: 104 degrees, Arizona
Coldest temperature: 38 degrees, Alaska
Faster time: 3:00:30 - NYC Marathon, #50
Slowest time: 4:45:21 - Tecumseh Trail Marathon, #39
Longest drive: 11 ½ hours
Shortest drive: 55 minutes
Average hours of sleep: 4 ½
Starting weight: 154
Finish weight: 153

More to come,
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.

50 DOWN, KEPT GOING…

New York City Marathon, New York
Number of Runners: 38,000
Elevation: 95
Time: 3:00:30
Weather: 68 degrees, sunny

50 marathons, 50 states, 50 days, done! All I can say is that this past fifty days was more than I ever could have imagined. Way more.

In fact, I’m having such a great time, why stop? Tomorrow, I think I’ll go for a run. A long one. Maybe I’ll keep going the next day, too…

Very best to you all, and hope to see you down the road,
Dean

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

49 DOWN, 1 TO GO…

New Jersey Marathon, New Jersey
Number of Runners: 250
Elevation: 5
Time: 4:09:02
Weather: 58 degrees, sunny

Today was unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable. Hundreds of runners, all ages, all abilities, all filled with incredible nonstop energy. We told stories, laughed, high-fived, hugged, wept, and basically celebrated an incredible moment for us all. The collective spirit between the group was totally monumental.

The biggest bummer for me was that I was ushered away so quickly. I only wish that I could have stayed at the finish for hours, not precious few minutes, but my crew had to get me to NYC as soon as they could. I wanted to savor this day, to treat myself to a long afternoon surrounded by terrific people, reminiscing about the adventures over the past forty-nine day, and dreaming about the future. Instead, the splendor of it all was compressed into one beautiful diamond of a memory, something small and compact, but worth cherishing for a lifetime.

New York City, here we come,
The Endurance 50 Family

P.S. The “finish party” in New York City will be on November 5th from 12:00-4:00 PM. The location is at The North Face retail store: 2101 Broadway (at 73rd), New York, (not far from the NYC Marathon finish). Phone number: 212-362-1000

All Endurance 50 participants (at any of the 50 marathons across the country), guests and fans are welcomed. So please swing by if you can. We’d love to see you!

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

48 DOWN, 2 TO GO…

Philadelphia Marathon, Pennsylvania
Number of Runners: 50 (filled to capacity)
Elevation: 45
Time: 3:57:17
Weather: 57 degrees, partly cloudy

Things have reached a fever pitch. The momentum and spirit of everyone involved, from the Endurance 50 team, to the police officers escorting the group, to the runners themselves, has become absolutely phenomenal.

Today was like a dream. People lining the streets screaming and cheering, supporters handing water and food from the sidewalk, passing motorist honking and shouting well-wishes as they passed, kids waving handmade posters. No one can believe what the Endurance 50 has become, it’s blown us all away, in a wonderful fairytale like way.

I could fill this page with amazing stories from today, if only I had longer access to the internet. For now I will just say, it was remarkable and heartwarming.

Stay tuned for future updates, I look forward to updating today soon as I possibly can.

Charging onward,
The Endurance 50 Family

P.S. The “finish party” in New York City will be on November 5th from 12:00-4:00 PM. The location is at The North Face retail store: 2101 Broadway (at 73rd), New York, (not far from the NYC Marathon finish). Phone number: 212-362-1000

All Endurance 50 participants (at any of the 50 marathons across the country), guests and fans are welcomed. So please swing by if you can. We’d love to see you!

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

47 DOWN, 3 TO GO…

Delaware Marathon, Delaware
Number of Runners: 50 (filled to capacity)
Elevation: 73
Time: 4:02:58
Weather: 59 degrees, partly cloudy

Magical. There is no other way to describe today.

We had runners from Germany, New Zealand, Canada, and Mexico. Runners had flown in from Florida, Texas, New Mexico, Oregon, and Wisconsin. A set of brothers had flown in from California, a set of brothers had flown in from Utah and Idaho. One runner was celebrating his 40th birthday with this marathon, one runner was celebrating his 40th marathon. There were runners of all ages and abilities, some running well under four hours, some taking six. Many finished their first marathon today, many didn’t make it as far as they had hoped and vouched to keep trying in the future and to never give up. Some set PR’s today, some just cruised and enjoyed the atmosphere. Everybody seemed to sincerely enjoy the experience, but none so much as me.

I saw new friendships being made, runners exchanging phone numbers and email addresses. I saw people helping those that were struggling, and at points we were all struggling. I witnessed people being really good to each other, being extremely supportive and compassionate toward one another. Today I saw the best in human nature, and I felt so fortunate that my family, myself, and all of the Endurance 50 team could be there to share in the occasion.

The only bummer news is, like tonight, I will have limited access to a computer for the next several days. I’ll do all that I can to get something posted, and will definitely come back to these days afterward and complete the story.

For now, I feel good, a little sleep deprived, but good. I’m still staying focused on the task at hand, and not getting ahead of myself. Tomorrow, I will try my best. That is my commitment. Hopefully there will be a next day, and a next, but for now I’ll just keep putting one foot in front of the other, moving forward one step at a time.

Warmest regards,
The Endurance 50 Family (and we have truly become family)

P.S. The “finish party” in New York City will be on November 5th from 12:00-4:00 PM. The location is at The North Face retail store: 2101 Broadway (at 73rd), New York, (not far from the NYC Marathon finish). Phone number: 212-362-1000

All Endurance 50 participants (at any of the 50 marathons across the country), guests and fans are welcomed. So please swing by if you can. We’d love to see you!

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

46 DOWN, 4 TO GO…

Baltimore Marathon, Maryland
Number of Runners: 30 (filled to capacity)
Elevation: 95
Time: 3:49:40
Weather: 75 degrees, sunny

They say that running saves lives. Today it did, quite literally. We began the Baltimore Marathon this morning with a Police escort eleven strong. Our group was proceeding down a street just past the two mile mark when someone noticed smoke coming out of the window of a second story building up ahead. By the time we reached that building, flames were erupting out of the window and the heat from the fire reached us all the way in the street. We were told to dash ahead quickly and wait at the next intersection. The officers circled back and broke down the door. Rushing inside, they pulled three people out of the building, including a baby. It all happened so quickly, it was hard to make sense of what was going on.

After regrouping, we started off again, a bit shaken, but still intact. In talking with one of the officers, had they not been driving down that very street at that very time, there was likely no way they could have responded quickly enough to get those folks out of the building in time. By mere coincidence, our run had put them in the right place at the right time. Amazing start to the day.

We ran past some incredible places during the marathon, including Fort McHenry, the birthplace of our national anthem. You actually see the cannons and the place where the harbor was bombed. As we ran by, I could just envision Francis Scott Key watching, “…the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air…,” and it gave me goose bumps as we passed by.

As we ran past a local hospital, a mother of one of the runner’s was out in front taking pictures. He was a young guy, a first-time marathoner, and it ends up his brother was in the hospital with his sister-in-law, who was currently in labor. His Mom wanted to be part of both “events,” and as fate would have it, the hospital was right on the marathon course!

At mile 15, a local tavern was awaiting our arrival and had setup an aid station with water, and, get this, samples of beer. About half the runners partook. If you’ve got to get down the carbohydrates, I guess that’s one way to do it.

The Baltimore Marathon finishes at M&T Bank Stadium (Camden Yards). As we made our way down the final stretch, the streets were busy and crowded with people watching us run by. Someone yelled, “Why are you running?” One of the runners yelled back, “Because we can.” Everyone on the street applauded and cheered his response. Even though most of them were clearly not runners, I think they got the gist of his comeback.

At the finish, I was talking with one of the runner’s who had originally planned on doing the half, but decided to try the full marathon at the midpoint, and made it! I asked him if he had learned anything from the experience. “Yeah,” he said, “I learned that limitations are between my ears.” Today he turned off that part of his mind that says, “I can’t,” and just put one foot in front of the other, and did.

We also got some exciting news at the finish, our other first-time marathoner had just become an uncle! His sister-in-law delivered about the exact same time he completed his first marathon. I would say his Mom was one proud lady today. He was so excited to get his book and finishers certificate signed so he could dash over to the hospital.

I was honored to have the opportunity to meet the gifted athletes of the Special Olympics, Maryland at the finish. They were the most spirited and enthusiastic bunch I could ever imagine, and we joked and told stories about sports, and about life. They had been tracking on the Endurance 50 over the past 46 days, and they wished me all the best in completing the remaining four marathons.

It was another day to relish. The other runners were absolutely terrific, and their positive energy and passion will help carry me far. Best wishes to you all, and keep going strong. Why? Because you can.

Dean

P.S. The “finish party” in New York City will be on November 5th from 12:00-4:00 PM. The location is at The North Face retail store: 2101 Broadway (at 73rd), New York, (not far from the NYC Marathon finish). Phone number: 212-362-1000

All Endurance 50 participants (at any of the 50 marathons across the country), guests and fans are welcomed. So please swing by if you can. We’d love to see you!

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