Went for a walk Sunday AM, 9/14, the day after Hurricane Ike, tripped over a fallen tree branch I somehow failed to see, fell on concrete and injured my right hip. By that evening I could barely walk. X-rays on Monday were negative and I improved a little each day so we decided to leave for Montana as scheduled.

Nora and I flew to Denver Friday, 9/19 and drove 560 scenic miles north to Billings on Saturday through the unspoiled rolling grasslands of eastern Wyoming and southern Montana. By the time we got there, I was walking almost normally with very little discomfort so I hoped to stroll the 26.2 miles at a 20-minute/mile pace, finishing in 7:45.

The few walkers started at 5:00 AM, Sunday, 9/21, with a vehicle behind us (actually me, the slowest) to light the way until dawn. (Nora and the other runners began at 7:00 AM.) My pace gradually slowed as my discomfort increased to pain which intensified to barely tolerable the last several miles. My official finish time was 9:25:40, winning my one-person age group.

As I marched to the car in great discomfort, but limping only slightly, I concluded that what I had just experienced was the hardest thing I had ever done. After driving the very scenic course to enjoy it “pain free,” I discovered when we got out of the car that I could barely stand up and could not walk a single step. Fortunately, the hotel had a wheelchair. Getting around our room was another matter.

For the return drive to Denver on Monday, the rest stops posed a real challenge and lots of improvising. Once at the airport, I was happily back in a wheelchair and, except for a sideways shuffle on the plane to get to the lavatory – the only way I could move on my own – the trip home was not too stressful.

Saw an orthopedist on Tuesday, who ordered an MRI that revealed I had begun the marathon with at least a fractured hip socket and, by the time I finished, had strained 16 muscles (3 in the hip, 8 in the buttock and 5 in the thigh). No wonder I was in so much pain!

It will be a long time before #100, which was scheduled for yesterday, the tenth anniversary of my first. I have begun four weeks of rest to repair all the damage.

Flew to Salt Lake City on Friday, 8/22, then drove 175 miles east thru the mountains of northern Utah and the high desert of southwestern Wyoming to the rock formations of Green River.

When I did this race last year - most of the course is above 7000 ft. - I succumbed to the altitude in the first mile and walked the last 25, finishing in a personal-worst time, by a good half hour, of 7:29:32. On reflection, I wondered whether I had given it a fair shot, so decided to go back and try again, determined to do better at this elevation.

For the race on Saturday, the temperature was slightly warmer than last year - 50 at the start and mid-80's by the time I finished - but I was able to get a good power-walk going (and maintain it) on the flat and uphill stretches, and run the downhills, and came in at 6:32:42 - almost an hour faster than a year ago (and only ten minutes slower than San Francisco which, although hillier, was cooler and a lot closer to sea level). This may be an indication of how much attitude can contribute to performance. I guess I was just mentally tougher this time.

Out there for hours all alone, in the middle of nowhere, on a dirt road thru nothing taller than sagebrush (except for the marathon mile markers), I had plenty of time to think about why I do this. I don't have a good answer. I would welcome any insight someone else might offer.

Race highlight: being chased down by a volunteer who told me I could stop running because I had crossed the finish line, which was not well marked.

Drove back to SLC Sunday AM for an afternoon flight home.

Forgot to mention that on the flight back from SLC I sat next to a guy whose team had just set a new world record for a vehicle of its class by racing a modified 1923 Ford roadster (499 CID engine generating 1100 HP) on the Bonneville salt flats at a speed of 276 mph.

Quite a contrast to my marathon pace, but I think I'll stay in the slow lane.

Nora and I flew to San Francisco Saturday, 8/2, to mark the 10th anniversary of the first marathon I entered and the 3rd one she finished. In '98, not having begun marathon training until a month before the race, my goal was to run the unofficial half, which I did, then walked four miles to Golden Gate Park to wait for Nora to arrive at the finish line in Kezar Stadium. That was the last year the race began at Vista Point at the northern end of the Golden Gate Bridge.

The race, on Sunday, now begins and ends downtown on the Embarcadero. This time Nora did the half, finishing in Golden Gate Park, in 1:49:05, 3rd out of 278 in her age group. I did the full in mixed weather for running (temperature in the 50's at the start and cloudy until late in the race, but windy - especially on the Golden Gate Bridge) and slowed to a pace at which the tail of the race passed me at Mile 19. After that I had to contend with traffic and turns that were not marked - missed a couple - and the need to consult my course map to get back on track. Came in at 6:22:18. Of 4417 finishers, six were older.

Race highlights: looking back at San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge after crossing the bridge both ways in light fog; the beautiful blooms in front of the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park; the view of the bay and marina behind AT&T Park on my way to the finish line.

Post-race highlight: a four-mile, round-trip walk to Ghirardelli Square to celebrate Nora's birthday with #2 son, Scott, at a restaurant overlooking the bay. Total distance on foot for the day: 30 miles.

Monday: breakfast on Justin Herman Plaza, lunch at the Fog City Diner, dinner at an Italian restaurant and six more miles of walking.

Tuesday: a two-mile walk to a restaurant overlooking Fisherman's Wharf for lunch and a cable-car ride back downtown, before checking out and a 35-minute trip on BART back to SFO for an evening flight home.

Marathon # 97; California marathon # 13.

We flew to Grand Rapids, MI Thursday 6/26 and drove 150 miles north to Traverse City.

The next morning we took a 36-mile tour of the very pretty Old Mission Peninsula in the middle of Grand Traverse Bay, then drove 50 miles north to charming Charlevoix, a picturesque place of 3000 people, the entrance to which is lined with petunias, and checked into a one-bedroom condo at the Edgewater Inn with a deck overlooking the harbor on beautiful Round Lake, for the bargain price of $189/night.

Round Lake is a small lake between Lake Charlevoix and Lake Michigan and connects to the latter via the Pine River Channel, over which there is a drawbridge and thru which there is a lot of boat traffic that was fun to watch from our deck.

For the marathon on Saturday, the overnight rain ended less than half an hour before the race began, so once again I lucked out on the weather, although it was muggy and 70 degrees at the start, but the sky gradually cleared and the humidity dropped and the course was mostly shaded, so conditions were tolerable for my 6:04:?? finish.

Post-race highlights: recovering on a bench in Bridge Park, then strolling along the channel to a white-sand beach on Lake Michigan, followed by a 150-mile round-trip, along a scenic route, up to and over the Mackinac Straits Bridge (at four miles the longest suspension bridge in the world when it was built in 1957, and still the longest in North America) to the Upper Peninsula (my first time in 35 years) on a glorious afternoon.

Sunday morning, we drove 50 miles to Mackinaw City, at the southern end of the bridge, to tour Colonial Michilimackinac (a reconstructed fort built by the French in 1715 and later occupied by the British), Historic Mill Creek (the site of an 18th-century industrial complex that includes a rebuilt water-powered sawmill), Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse on Lake Huron and the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw (an icebreaker retired in 2006 after 62 years of service).

We enjoyed the view from our deck Monday morning on another gorgeous day, before reluctantly checking out and driving 190 miles back to Grand Rapids for an evening flight home.

Marathon # 95; state # 43.

Flew to San Diego Saturday, 5/31, AM and checked into a hotel room with a view of San Diego Bay.

For the race on Sunday, it was 60 degrees and cloudy at the start, but the sun came out and the temperature rose to 70. I felt good until I crested a 3&1/2-mile-long hill at Mile 10; after that my strength was sapped. Thanks to that hill and the humidity and the lack of shade, I finished in 6:07:12 (3 minutes slower than Vermont City), placing 13842 of 16373 finishers, 25 of whom were older. When you come in over 6 hours and there are still 2531 "runners" behind you, you know it was a slow field. That's what happens with a 7-hour time limit, which is fine with me because it gives me lots of company until the end.

Race highlight: getting a glimpse of Mission Bay at Mile 16, then running along it from 18-20 and over a bridge at 19&1/2 with a view of white sand beaches on both sides of the sparkling water. Post-race treat: a giant caramel mocha iced coffee in Little Italy on the Piazza Jakaranda (named for the trees full of orchid-colored blooms that line some of the downtown streets) on a delightful afternoon.

Monday was a day of sightseeing, starting with the San Diego Zoo and the sight of a 42-pound, 10-month-old panda cub perched in a tree. From there I strolled past the architecturally notable buildings elsewhere on the lush grounds of Balboa Park, visiting the Automotive Museum; then back downtown via the Gaslamp District to the harbor and an early dinner over the water of San Diego Bay on the deck of the Pier Cafe in Seaport Village. Next was a walk along the harbor to Petco Park to see the Padres play the Chicago Cubs and, finally, a tour of more of the Gaslamp District on the way back to the hotel. Total distance on foot: 8 miles.

Tuesday AM, I visited the first-class Maritime Museum, which includes the Star of India, the world's oldest active ship, launched in 1863; then on to the aircraft carrier USS Midway, the largest ship in the world when it was commissioned in 1945, the first too large for the Panama Canal. It was retired in 1992 following participation in Operation Desert Storm. After that it was off to the airport for an afternoon flight home in Seat 1F. How nice

The weather for my stay was what San Diegans call "June gloom", cloudy when the day starts with the temperature around 60 and clearing by 10AM with a high of 70 and low PM humidity. I wonder what good weather is like.

Marathon # 94.

Flew to Burlington Saturday, 5/24, via Newark, and checked into a room at the Hilton with a panoramic view of Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains beyond.

For the race on Sunday, it was 50 degrees at the start with blue sky, the temperature rising to 75 by the time I finished, a little on the warm side, but not uncomfortable due to low humidity - overall, close enough to qualify as Wilson weather.

Race highlight # 1: running thru the pedestrian mall on Church St. at Mile 9, past tables of cheering restaurant patrons, knowing that was where I would be celebrating later in the day. Race lowlight # 1: staggering up a serious hill at Mile 15, in front of the Hilton, with the body wanting to make a sharp right turn up to my room and collapse on the bed. Fortunately, the mind prevailed. Lowlight # 2: looking over my shoulder at Mile 18, seeing five course monitors on bicycles hot on my heels, followed closely by a police car, and realizing that if I could not pick up the pace a bit, the tail of the race would pass me, and I might not get an official finish time. Highlight # 2: power-walking the last 4&1/2 miles on a bike path thru the woods, next to the lake, to the finish line in Waterfront Park, staying just ahead of the course monitors.

Came in at 6:04:19; not good, but almost 10 minutes better than Lincoln, on a hillier course and a warmer day. Of 2381 finishers, only two were older.

Post-race treats: a thick, juicy cheeseburger and a decadent dessert on the deck of the boathouse cafe in Waterfront Park, on a near-perfect spring day, followed by dinner at a sidewalk cafe on Church St.

Monday was spent relaxing in my room, enjoying the view, impressive even on a cloudy day, before leaving for the trip home via Cleveland. A very enjoyable weekend; next year I'll have to go back and take Nora with me.

Marathon # 94; state # 42.

Flew to Omaha last Saturday a.m., 5/3, then drove 65 miles SW to Lincoln and checked in to The Cornhusker Hotel.

For the marathon on Sunday, more Wilson weather: high 30's at the start, sunshine, light to moderate wind, with the temperature rising to 70 by the time I finished, a little on the warm side, but not uncomfortable due to the low humidity.

The race started and ended on the very attractive campus of the University of Nebraska on the edge of downtown. An initial loop brought us back to the campus at the halfway point; after that it was an out-and-back with a turnaround beyond the lake in scenic Holmes Park. When I began the out-and-back, I was facing runners finishing in 3 hours and I still had 3 hours to go, so that presented a mental challenge that took a little while to overcome. The attractiveness of the course, which was flat to very gently rolling, on a pretty spring morning, helped the mind make the necessary adjustment.

For whatever reason, the legs just didn't have it this time and, after 4 straight finishes under 6 hours, I came in at 6:13:36. Of 1172 finishers, only 2 were older.

Monday a.m., I toured the magnificent interior of the Nebraska Capitol, before heading back to OMA for an evening flight home, after a slight detour to Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo for a quick visit to the Cat Complex, where the highlight was two 9-month-old Indochinese tigers, magnificent in a very different way.

After 6 straight weekends out of town, it feels good to have spent one at home.

Flew to Louisville, Friday a.m, 4/25, where the high temperature that day was 83. Fortunately, I was in for some more of what I have come to call "Wilson weather". A front came thru overnight and dropped the temperature 20 degrees, with the rain ending at 6 a.m., when it was time to leave for the bus to the start.

The course was essentially flat, except for some serious hills around Mile 3-5 in Iroquois Park and Mile 16-18 in Cherokee Park, but the beauty of the scenery made them tolerable. Strained a thigh muscle at Mile 16, on a steep downhill, and had to stop running at Mile 19 and walk it in. Crossed the line in 5:55:05, the oldest of 1183 finishers. Race highlight: crossing the Ohio River to Indiana and back, late in the race, on a bridge closed to traffic, and enjoying the view on a nice spring day.

Post-race highlights: a lunch of six hamburgers at White Castle (they taste just as good as they did 60 years ago; only the price has changed) followed by a celebratory dinner with The Woodlands runners Ron and Geri Henry at a first-class steak house.

Sunday afternoon was spent watching the first five races at Churchill Downs, where we had run thru the infield from Mile 8-9 on Saturday. I picked two winners, but, alas, bet them to show, so didn't come away with any money, before taking an evening flight home.

Marathon # 92. Not a new state; did the Louisville Marathon 10/06 (18 months and 25 marathons ago).

Flew to Seattle Friday morning, April 4, then drove 115 miles east, over the snow-covered Cascades, to Ellensburg, where the race began Saturday AM.

My amazing streak of good running weather continued: mid 30's at the start, low 50's by the time I finished, blue sky and dry air. It was windy for the first few miles, but after that not much of a factor until Mile 20, where I found myself running uphill into a headwind.

The last 23 miles of the course follow a two-lane road, virtually closed to traffic, that runs south along a pristine river flowing between steep, grass-covered, unspoiled hills, reminiscent of Big Sur, ending just north of Yakima. In fact, after Big Sur, this is, by far, the second most beautiful course I have experienced.

Thanks to the mostly downhill trek, I finished in 5:46:42, then was bused back to Ellensburg along the marathon route, so I got to enjoy the magnificent canyon scenery one more time.

Sunday PM, I drove back to SEA for an evening flight home, after being stopped for an hour on I-90 due to an avalanche threat in the Snoqualmie Pass.

Marathon # 91. (Not a new state: did Wenatchee, about 50 miles to the north, as the crow flies, two years ago.)

Flew to Washington, DC on Friday, 3/28, for the 3rd running of the National Marathon on Saturday.

Once again, race day weather was good for running, except for some wind: high 30's at the start, low 50's by the time I finished, sunny and dry. My one concern was the 6-hour time limit, having finished Napa Valley in 5:48:38 only because of a strong tailwind. The course starts and ends at RFK Stadium, with a loop that takes runners thru NW Washington, passes the stadium at the halfway point, then follows a southern loop that crosses the Anacostia River on S. Capitol St., returning on E. Capitol St.

All went well for the first half of the race. After that I was on my own, even though I was running at a pace to finish well under 6 hours Most volunteers abandoned their posts early and so did the police. The officers still on duty were no longer directing traffic. My first challenge occurred around 16&1/2 miles when I missed the turn from Independence Ave. to 3rd St. and found myself dodging oncoming vehicles. Realizing I was off course, I turned at 4th and rejoined the route at Pennsylvania Ave. Someone on the corner with a course map told me to turn onto Constitution Ave. From there to the finish, the water stops were either being dismantled or gone completely, and I had to rely on my recollection of the route and some very helpful DC residents to find my way, following the course as best I could.

I crossed the finish line in a net time of 5:55:27 (5:59:30 gun time), having taken 4 minutes to cross the start line after the starting gun went off, next to last of 1338 official finishers, and less than two minutes before the finish line was shut down and I would have been excluded from the official race results. If I had been able to follow the course - I ran about 1/2 mile out of the way - and had not had to dodge traffic and stop to ask directions, I probably would have finished under 5:45.

Race highlight: discovering when I got home that I had met one of my marathon goals - being the oldest finisher in a field of at least 1000.

Post-race highlight: a 5&1/2 mile stroll to and around the Tidal Basin, along with a few thousand other people, to see the cherry trees in bloom. I had been in DC many times, but never in early spring. The pink and white blossoms encircling the water were quiet a sight in the late afternoon sun. Total distance on foot for the day: 32 miles.

On Sunday, I logged another four miles on foot, including a visit to the Holocaust Museum, before taking an evening flight home.

Flew to San Francisco Saturday, 3/1, then drove 60 miles north to Napa and checked in at the Napa River Inn, part of which occupies a restored mill and warehouse built in 1884.

The race, on Sunday, started in Calistoga and followed the Silverado Trail south thru the heart of wine country, past dormant vineyards, dotted with yellow mustard flowers, and panoramic views of the nearby hills, ending just outside Napa. The beauty of the route was enhanced by perfect running weather: low 40's at the start, rising to the 60's by the time I finished, blue sky, low humidity and a strong tailwind. Came in at 5:48:38.

Post-race highlight: lunch on a terrace next to the Napa River with # 2 son, Scott, who drove up from Mountain View to meet me after the race.

Monday a.m., drove back to SFO - getting a great view from the Bay Bridge of the San Francisco skyline, the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island and the surrounding bay - for an afternoon flight home.

Flew to Phoenix Friday AM, 2/8, then drove 120 miles north to Sedona and stayed in a $1.5MM house rented for a week by Gary Van Kuiken of The Woodlands running fame.

For the race on Saturday, the weather was ideal: mid-30's at the start, blue sky, dry air, no wind, with temperatures rising to the low 60's by the time I finished. The 4400' elevation.did not seem to be a factor. The course, on the other hand, was the hilliest I've ever encountered, and I thought I had run some pretty hilly courses. Came in at 6:25:29, next to last and next to oldest among 159 finishers. Race highlight: running toward red-rock formations with the early morning sun shining on them.

Nora ran the half-marathon in 1:54:15, good for 2nd place in her age group of 32.

Post race highlight: joining other running friends in helping Gary celebrate his amazing achievement of completing a marathon in all 50 states.

Sunday, another pretty day, we drove 110 miles north to the Grand Canyon (passing lots of snow-covered woods and fields along the way, at elevations up to 8000"), where we saw as much as we could from the south rim. We were not about to venture into the canyon on snowy trails. From the rim, the colors were muted compared to Sedona.

Monday AM, we reluctantly left sunny Sedona and drove back to PHX for a late afternoon flight home, after stopping for lunch poolside, with our travel companions, Jim and Karen Braden, at The Phoenician in Scottsdale.

Flew to Phoenix Saturday 1/12 for the first time in 15 years. The other time I was there, it was a business trip with a stay at The Phoenician in Scottsdale. This time it was a motel in Tempe near the finish line.

For the race on Sunday, which starts in downtown Phoenix, runs thru Scottsdale, and ends on the Arizona State University campus, the weather was great - 40's at the start, 60's at the finish, brilliant blue sky, low humidity, no wind - but I was not. Came in at 6:38:15, for my third worst time ever. You know you're having a bad day when you're passed by a walker at mile 6. But I have an excuse. Sidetracked by melanoma surgery a few days after the 10/20 Indianapolis Marathon, and unable to run for a month, I was not properly prepared for this race, my longest training run having been all of 10 miles. The good news is that, of 6495 finishers, only 19 were older.

Post-race highlight: relaxing in my motel room and watching the Giants beat the Cowboys for their NFL-record 9th straight road win.

On Monday, I toured Taliesin West in Scottsdale - Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home, studio and architectural school - and got reacquainted with the grandeur of The Phoenician, before taking a late afternoon flight home.

Flew to Indianapolis last Friday morning (10/19), the rain having left that area overnight, not to return until Monday.

The clouds on Friday gave way to a perfect fall weekend, so my incredibly good luck when it comes to marathon weather continued. Saturday dawned without a cloud in the sky, low humidity and a light wind, with a temperature of 50 at the start and 70 at the finish. It was a great day for running a surprisingly scenic course with some of the trees showing a lot of color.

The race starts and ends on the stately grounds of historic Fort Benjamin Harrison on the outskirts of town and much of it is run in Fort Harrison State Park and along Fall Creek Parkway. Finished in 5:38:48, placing second (and last) in my age group, which I did not know at the time. Based on the size of the field, didn't think I had won anything, so left the finish area without checking results, only to learn that night from Nora, who found the information on-line, that there was some kind of award waiting for me, which will now come in the mail. Of 1038 finishers, only two were older. One of my goals is to some day be the oldest finisher in a field of at least 1000, so I'm getting close.

Sunday morning, I toured the small, but attractive, downtown area, including what must be the nation's largest World War II memorial, and strolled along the water in White River State Park on the edge of downtown, before heading for the airport and an afternoon flight home.

Flew to Portland, OR, Saturday, 10/6, and stayed downtown in a room with a panoramic view of the Willamette River.

For the 36th edition of this first-class, annual event on Sunday, which starts and ends in the attractive downtown area, the weather was good for running: 50 at the start, 60 at the finish, no sun and not too much wind. Race highlight: getting my second wind, after feeling sluggish at the midway point, and passing a lot of other runners between mile 15 and 17, while recording two of my best split-times of the day, on the 2-mile climb to St. Johns Bridge, then being rewarded with the view up and down the river as I crossed the bridge.

Ran the last half of the race faster than the first half, for only my second negative-split in a marathon (did it in Big Sur 2&1/2 years ago), finishing in a satisfying 5:39:59. Placed 12th out of 20 in my age group, but came home with a nice plaque as awards, very generously, went 15 deep regardless of age-group size.

Spent all of $1.75 Monday morning to take the smooth, quiet, light-rail line from downtown to the airport for an afternoon flight home.

Friday, 9/28, flew to Boston for the start of a long weekend of near-perfect early fall weather in New England, then drove 100 miles north to Bristol, NH.

This small rural race on Saturday, which is rather hilly, is run mostly around picturesque Newfound Lake. I normally do well on hills, but not this time, maybe because it was a little warm for running - sunny, 60 at the start, 70 at the finish - and a bit windy. Finished in 6:08:30. Course highlight: views along the lake on a gorgeous day with the trees just starting to show some color.

Celebrated by getting up early Sunday morning and driving 165 miles south from Concord, NH, where I stayed, to Rocky Neck State Park in East Lyme, CT in time for the 10:00 start of the inaugural Niantic Bay Half Marathon. Finished in 2:46:34 and, in a fluke, won my age group. The only other guy in it, who was a lot faster - he hadn't run a marathon the day before - didn't get an official time because his chip did not register as he crossed the finish line. Course highlight: the view of Long Island Sound from Giant's Neck beach.

Post-race highlight: checking into The Inn at Harbor Hill Marina overlooking the Niantic River, and later, for dinner, a huge bowl of New England clam chowder and a big swordfish steak.

Monday morning I took a long walk along the beach on Niantic Bay before driving 120 miles back to Boston for an afternoon flight home.

A weekend to remember!

Nora and I flew to Albuquerque Friday night, 8/31, for Labor Day weekend.

On Saturday, we took a 2.7 mile aerial tramway ride, billed as the world's longest, from the base of Sandia Peak to the top at 10,378 ft. - a climb of almost 4000 ft. - for a panoramic view of Albuquerque and the Rio Grande valley.

On Sunday, 9/2, the marathon began in the dark at 5800 ft. (temperature in the 60's), climbing to 6200 ft. over the first 8 miles to the base of the Sandia Mountains, before descending toward Albuquerque proper with the early morning sun shining on the picturesque valley below, then flattening out at 5000 ft. for the last 10 miles.

What a difference 1000 ft. lower elevation made in my performance. I was able to run the first 16+ miles, before succumbing to the hot sun and walking it in to finish in 6:19:09, good for second (and last) place in my age group, losing to the 72-year-old winner by a mere 94 minutes! The temperature at the finish was in the 80's.

Nora ran the half-marathon and won her age group by 8 minutes, finishing in 1:46:04. Each of us got a nice piece of hand-made pottery as an award.

After the race, we toured Old Town, the city's original settlement near the banks of the Rio Grande, founded by the Spanish in 1706, and named for the Duke of Albuquerque.

Monday morning, we visited Petroqlyph National Monument on the outskirts of town, climbing to the top of a mesa for a 360-degree view of the high desert country surrounding Albuquerque, before taking an afternoon flight home.

Walking in Wyoming!

Flew to Salt Lake City 8/24, then drove 175 very scenic miles northeast to Green River, WY for the marathon the next day in the high desert country of southwestern Wyoming, staying in nearby Rock Springs.

My only previous experience running any distance at high altitude was a year ago in Boulder, CO where the elevation was 5200-5600 ft. and the result was not good. I wound up walking the last 20 miles and finishing in a then personal-worst time of 6:36:35. So I signed up for this one with some doubt as to whether I could actually do it, but thought it would be a unique experience given the location and I would find out what the body was capable of at higher altitude.

The race began at dawn with the temperature in the 40's at an elevation of 6800 ft., climbing to 7500 ft. after five miles and continuing at about that altitude over gently rolling hills atop the White Mountain plateau, in the middle of unspoiled wilderness, for the next 18 miles, before descending into a canyon and onto the finish in Green River at 6100 ft. Except for the last couple of miles, the course follows the Pilot Butte Wild Horse Scenic Loop, a traffic-free dirt road through endless sage brush, with panoramic views and, if you're lucky (I wasn't), the sight of a pack of wild horses.

I ran the first mile with difficulty, then decided to walk until I got to the top of the hill, only to discover that I couldn't resume running because of the elevation, so I wound up walking the last 25 miles under a cloudless sky with the temperature rising to the 80's, finishing in a new personal-worst time of 7:29:32. Surprisingly, I won my age group; the only other guy in it must still be out there. A lot of people can run at altitude; I'm just not one of them.

The next morning I left the unusual rock formations of Wyoming behind on the drive back to SLC for an afternoon flight home.

Flew to Anchorage Tuesday, 6/19 (our first time in Alaska), then drove 125 scenic miles south to Seward, where we stayed two nights at the Holiday Inn Express (fanciest place in a town of 2830 people) at $269/night - Alaska's expensive this time of year - in a room overlooking the Small Boat Harbor (Alaskan for marina), Resurrection Bay and the snow-capped Kenai Mountains across the bay, so at least we had a great view for the price.

Wednesday, we visited Exit Glacier (part of the Harding Icefield), a sled-dog kennel that included some husky puppies (training camp for a recent Iditarod champion) and the Alaska Sealife Center (aquarium) before taking a 6-hour Kenai Fjords National Park cruise into the Gulf of Alaska, the highlight of which, for Nora, was seeing a humpback whale (unfortunately I missed it) and, for me, a close-up view of a tidewater glacier slowly shedding ice into the sea, a process called "calving".

Thursday, we drove 80 miles north to Whittier (population 1658), where we took a high-speed ferry across Prince William Sound (spectacular scenery) to Valdez. The ferry, a fancy catamaran with a cruising speed of 32 knots, covered the 82 nautical miles in 2 hours, 45 minutes.

After a night in Valdez (population 4036) - one night too many - we drove 300 partly-scenic miles north and west to Anchorage where we stayed three nights on the edge of downtown.

For the race on Saturday, the temperature dropped overnight to 50 at the start, the sky was overcast and there was no wind, so running conditions were good, but a third of the course is a gravel road with poor traction, so I decided I would be happy with any time under six hours and wound up struggling to finish in 5:59:04, fourth of nine in my age group. Nora ran the half-marathon in 1:47:06 and finished first of 87 in her age group and 31st of 979 women overall.

Sunday, we drove north to Denali National Park (Montana on steroids), saw lots of snow-covered mountains, but not Mount McKinley (must have been hidden by high clouds, which happens quite often) and a sled-dog demonstration at the park kennel. The 500-mile round trip got us away from rain in Anchorage.

Monday, we toured the Alaska Native Heritage Center, which is devoted to the five different groups of Alaska natives and how they lived - they used almost every part of what they killed for food, clothing or shelter - and the Anchorage Museum, which has an extensive exhibit showing how these original inhabitants of North America followed migrating herds from Asia across the Bering land-bridge to what is now Alaska and how they survived in the harsh climate.

Our tour of Anchorage included lunch (scrumptious crab roll) and dinner (birch-plank grilled salmon) at Humpy's Great Alaskan Ale House - a favorite with the locals, the only reasonably priced restaurant we found anywhere, and sponsor of another marathon in August.

Flew home Monday night, 6/25, having logged 1100+ road miles and seen only a small fraction of a state more than twice the size of Texas, and only two of its 18 national parks. We will need to go back.

Flew to Portland, OR Friday evening (5/25) for the first time in 30+ years. Nora was able to join me as school ended earlier that day. Next morning, drove a long scenic stretch of I-84 beside the Columbia River on the 380-mile trip NE to Coeur d'Alene, ID. Wanted to experience the river route, avoid the hassle of getting in and out of Seattle, and the expense of flying into Spokane.

Stayed in a deluxe room at the Coeur d'Alene Resort on the edge of beautiful Lake Coeur d'Alene for the bargain price of $165/night. We'd been there the last two years in late June for Ironman when the rate's a lot higher.

It was 50 degrees on Sunday for the marathon, which is run on a scenic course along the lake. Finished in 5:40:02. Nora ran the half-marathon in 1:48:49 and came in first of 52 in her age group. Post-race treats that day and the next: wild Idaho huckleberry sundae, huckleberry ribs, waffles with huckleberries and a huckleberry shake.

For anybody thinking about an Idaho marathon, this is the one: great location, great accommodations, great course.

Made the 6-hour drive back to PDX Monday afternoon before an overnight flight home.

Flew to Minneapolis Friday (5/18), then drove 250 miles NW to Fargo, ND (named after William Fargo of Wells Fargo fame) where the temperature was 88 degrees - 7 degrees higher than Houston! Fortunately, a front came through overnight and dropped the temperature 40 degrees, so the weather was good for running Saturday AM, except for a 20mph wind..

The course was scenic, mostly flat and the people of Fargo are the friendliest anywhere, providing great runner support. Course highlight: discovering I could still run after tripping and falling at mile 8. Finished in 5:38:18 and placed 3rd of 7 in my age group (it was a slow bunch), beating the guy who came in 4th by 20 seconds and winning some kind of award which I will get in the mail. Of 1179 finishers, only 4 were older.

On Sunday, before driving back to MSP for a late flight home, I checked out the tiny Roger Maris Baseball Museum (he was a native of Fargo) which is in a shopping mall. Inside the mall entrance, in the middle of the floor, is a giant fireplace. That tells you something about the climate.