The Journey Begins!

Okay, so the journey really began shortly after New Years day.  On a whim, I just decided I'd run a half-marathon.  I was in a text thread with my buddies from college and I said I'd do it, that I'd complete a half-marathon.  Like I expected from my good friends, they assumed I was talking about the Snickers Marathon bar, since that's about the only marathon I'd ever do.  Well, I'll give it to one of my buds, he actually showed some encouragement.  

I had initially started with the idea that I would run a half-marathon and be done with it.  Then I thought to myself that it would be neat to do runs in nearby states like South Carolina and Virginia.  Soon, that line of thought expanded - why not run a half-marathon in every state?  And how about I 'touch them all' before I turn 50?  I'm 32 now.  Doing the math, I could make my idea a reality if I just run in 3 new states every year.

I'm a person that believes that life is about experiences and less about having 'stuff'.  Sure, I want to be wealthy, but I want to use that money to do things, not so much to buy them.  And I want to be able to do some of these things now, not when I'm retired and I'm looking to catch up on lost time.  This is a grand opportunity to travel the nation, to visit every state and appreciate the culture and geography and beauty of this great nation! 

So let me get this out there - I don't like running.  I'd rather play sports that involve running than to actually just run.  However, if I actually want to be competitive in those sports, I need to have a level of fitness and endurance.  Being able to run is a fundamental necessity, and it's why I don't mind doing something I may not particularly like, especially if it helps me improve in the things that I do enjoy.  On top of that, I wanted to make this a challenge.  By choosing to perform a task that I don't necessarily enjoy, I know that I could very well fail in the next six months.  Succeeding in this challenge will require sheer force of will in some cases, and I intend to post about every success and every setback along the way.  Here's to 50!