Friends,
Running in memory of the fallen soldiers from The Black Watch (Royal   Highland Regiment) and the Royal Military Police, I was able to support (read: sherpa) my brother through his first marathon, using a near flawless blister-free, cramp-free and wall-free strategy at the 4th Edinburgh Marathon last week, finishing in 4:54. Some of his complaints included "do you think the Kenyans are back in Nairobi yet?" (probably: Mile 13), "I just got passed by a 95-year-old Sikh" (true story, but we held him off for a while: Mile 16), "I've stopped sweating, does that mean I'm a quart low on fluid" (no, 1 gallon: Mile 20), "why does it feel like these last four miles have been completely uphill" (because they are uphill: Miles 22-26), "why did they put balloons that look like the finish line at the crest of the hill 200 meters before the real finish line" (to make YOU suffer, Mile 26.1), and "why does it seem like every old Scottish woman, and a few drunk Scottish men, want to get their mits up my kilt" (because they do: Mile 2-26.2). He also became the first person in the history of Scotland to get a sunburn. Considering he lost 35 pounds in 4 months as part of the commitment to preparing for his running support of Marathons For Hope, it was both the most inspiring and the most memorable event of my previous 15 races. But don't wait up for MiK II. My webmaster, Mike Toone, also finished his first marathon and, yes, the course is still open after 6 hours. He relates that surprisingly few people drop out of the 6 hour group and all the bodies (15 hospitalized from heat) had been scraped up by the time he got there. Thank you to all who contributed to Childhood First, the organization that provides counselling and shelter for severely abused children in the UK. For this race alone, we were able to raise about $500, 1/5th from Tokyo Crusaders. The charity is still linked on my site if you would like to drop a few nickels in the collection plate. Giving is easy, painless, and only takes a minute.
Pictures here and, mothers, keep your daughters locked up when you open these thumbnails:
http://www.asiphoto.net/search.html?&asievent=0135&bib=5582  http://www.asiphoto.net/search.html?&asievent=0135&bib=5704

I just gained entry to the ING NYC Marathon, one of the "Big 5", by pledging to raise $2500 for the Michael J Fox Parkinson's Foundation. This organization will be linked on my site very soon. In addition to playing Alex P Keaton and that McFly guy in Back to the Future, he has helped bring the world to the brink of a cure for this debilitating disease that cripples millions of people, regardless of race, age or gender. Marathons For Hope t-shirts, personalized training plans, and two XXL Crusaders rugby jerseys are still available free with donations of $30 dollars or more. 

In the absence of a marathon this week, I will be running a solo bore-a-thon, probably involving 105 laps on the US Naval Academy track (still trying to secure permission), in memory of LT Matt Shubzda, a former Navy football player and jet pilot who was killed in a mid-air collision in 2002.
This will be my 16th marathon in a week under 8 months.
Thank you for your continued support in spreading the message for these great organizations.

Solo Bore-a-thon 105 laps, US Naval Academy, Annapolis MD, TBD

Running in memory of LT Matt Shubzda, I completed 105 laps at the US Naval Academy outdoor track last Saturday in a torrential downpour in 4 hours and 26 minutes. LT Shubzda was a popular figure on the US Naval Academy campus and a leader among his peers on the football team.
The first 52 laps were completed in just over 2 hours but when the thunderstorm set upon me, the blisters followed closely behind and my pace lagged as several inches of water collected on the track. I later found out that this was the worst flooding in Maryland and DC for 20 years and it snarled traffic, electricity and train lines, so it was certainly a weather phenomenon of some magnitude and consequence for one to naively choose to circumambulate in a quasi-psychotic (or at least quixotic) manner.
I finished at 1:01 AM Sunday morning (Room 101 was also the room in Orwell's '1984' where all your wildest fears come true) and this was definitely a one-time event.

I will be running the Seattle Marathon this Sunday. The dedication this week is a bit different: my nephew CJ was permanently blinded in one eye in an accident last month and is at home recovering from surgery conducted yesterday to prevent further damage. He has been a superstar in the under-10 age group in Florida road races with several medals and trophies accrued during the last year. We ran a 5k race together in May, him proudly wearing his T*A*P*S* singlet to help support this cause. He wants to be a champion distance runner when he gets older, unlike myself at his age (or my current age); I NEVER wanted to run, not even this morning. But in keeping with the child-and family-related themes of my charities and because he has been a supporter of Marathons For Hope and www.TAPS.org, the race in Seattle is dedicated to CJ Detrich and his speedy recovery.  I'm sure he'll be back on the road to the London Olympics in no time.

Last week, I passed the $15,000 dollar mark for total charitable donations collected for the 5 charities I'm supporting. There are 12 marathons and 2 ultra marathons remaining for the next 5 months. I am very grateful for all who have assisted in this endeavor and I have gone farther than I ever thought possible because of you all.
Marathons For Hope T-shirts are still available.

Happy Independence Day. Happy Dominion Day. Happy Bastille Day.

Seattle Marathon, Seattle WA, 9 Jul 2006

The World Famous "Marathons For Hope" t-shirt is still available. We've also just crested the $17,000 mark in charitable contributions collected for the various charities. The priority for the next two months will be meeting my $2,500 obligation for the Michael J Fox Foundation, which granted me one of the elusive spots in this years New York City Marathon and allowed me to keep the entire M.f.H. program on track. Team Fox is doing great things to support research efforts for Parkinson's treatments, even in the face of stimied support from the US government.
Parikinson's Disease doesn't care if you wear a uniform, a singlet or a banker's suit.
As always, your support, in any form, is greatly appreciated in remembering the fallen and supporting these causes.

San Francisco Marathon, San Francisco CA, 30 Jul 2006

Friends,
Running in memory of LTCOL David "Rhino" Greene, I completed my 19th marathon (or longer) in 9 months last Sunday, and finished the San Francisco Marathon in 3 hours 50 minutes, good enough for 753 out of 4084. For the numerologists in the crowd, this was my third fastest marathon ever, third marathon in a three week period, and I left my breakfast in three places along the course.  I'd expected to have a decent chance of running a PB time at this race but those hopes vanished while I was standing in a patch of iceplant with my head below my knees at mile 5.  I was also running with an infected tooth that gave me a Gary Colemanesque visage all week and required emergency root canal the morning following my return home.  So I had that going for me; which is nice.  I'm not sure if any of this discomfort is evident in the snapshots, courtesy of Van Robbins, USN (ret).
Normally I try to stay fairly upbeat and positive during these BLOGs. However, I have a bit of an axe to grind.  Some of you may have heard of Dean Karnazes (aka "The Ultramarathon Man"); I have heard of him more times than I care to mention since I started my program, from every well-intending "Helpy Helperton" who wanted to encourage me in my measly 30 races by singing the praises of his incredible accomlishments.  Have you heard of Dean?  Isn't it amazing how many races he's doing?  I heard he ran 10 back-to-back marathons without sleep.  I heard he's running 50 marathons in 50 days.  I heard he ran across Death Valley on his hands.  I heard he took Mel Gibson's drunk test.  I heard Bill Gates massages Dean's bunions after ultramarathons.  I heard Dean invented 6-Minute Abs.  I heard dean was named "Quintessential Marathoner" by Outside magazine and was labelled 'the ultimate running specimen" by Runner's World (true story). Blah blah blah Dean Dean Dean... just goes to prove that no matter how hard you're working or how well you think you're doing, there's always someone around who gets their kicks stomping on your dream, if even only by proxy.  If you go to Dean's site, you get all manner of congratulatory websmithery, Dean's endorsements, Dean's story (really just a chance to buy his book), Dean's nutrition secrets (really just endorsements for nutrition bars...like he eats nothing but Nature's Choice Optimum Bars), pictures of Dean shredding mad powder, Dean windsurfing rogue waves, Dean scaling the inverse face of Half Dome in Yosemite with only his fingernails and a jock strap, pictures of Dean saving baby harp seals, pictures of Dean fording swollen streams with his chiselled 8-pack (did you hear Dean has 2 extra ab muscles?) glistening in the setting sun.  Did I mention Dean's endorsements?  If you're bored, you can go to the SF Marathon site and see how Dean performed at SF Marathon.  Like I did...
Well I've got one for you.  I heard Dean doesn't have an other full-time job not related to running.  I heard Dean didn't lose 35 pounds in 9 months.  I heard Santa Claus never brought Dean a brain hemorrhage for Christmas.  I heard Dean hasn't spent half as much money as he's raised for his putative charitable efforts.  I heard Dean never ran a PB with a hangover on 2 hours of sleep.  Oh, yeah, one more: I heard Dean got his but kicked by ME at the SF Marathon by over 8 minutes.  Well, I read it.  Sure, maybe he was shaking hands or taking photos with handicapped kids and handing out bread at soup kitchens and visiting leper colonies along the course... I'm sure there is a reason, I don't know... all I know is that if you're hauled out as the quintessential runner everytime somebody wants to spoil the average joe's attempt to do something good and take a few seconds to bathe in the ephemeral shine of acutely localized and largely anonymous glory, you ought to at least leg it across the course and make a solid effort, right?  Especially if you're getting paid for it.  Maybe he could've gone faster but we'll never know, all I know is how fast he DID go.  Maybe what I really mean to say is: Scoreboard, BABY!  Maybe I need to tell North Face to lose the zero and get with the hero... like all of you have.  If you're still reading.  I'm sure like Mel my apologies will be published all next week.
Ok, I've finished my gloating.  Now the serious and important stuff.  Somebody asked me this week if running a marathon on a treadmill would be more boring than running a marathon on an olympic-sized track.  I don't know but I believe that there is a level of absolute boredom that allows you to start quantifying your boredom in degrees Kelvin and it's probably somewhere after your 14th mile on a track or a treadmill.  Anyway, I'll find out this weekend when I run the George Jetson Memorial Treadmill Bore-a-thon at my local Gold's Gym in South Arlington this Sunday.
Seriously, I will be running this race in honor of the US Army's 172nd Stryker Brigade and associated families and in memory of its 132 soldiers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the last three years. I have chosen a complete unit for the first time because last week, as they completed their one year tour, they were ordered from their current northern location into Baghdad for an additional, open-ended deployment to improve the degraded security situation in an intensely dangerous theater. Any of your contributions (or assistance in generating contributions) toward TAPS, Injured Marine/Semper Fi Fund, Childhood First, Michael J Fox Foundation, or Royal British Legion, is a small bit of honor in their name. Again, the charities are without political or religious affiliation and the entirety of the donation goes to the organization and none to finance my running program. All solicitation and public relations leads are greatly appreciated.

Rick's First Annual "Treadmill Marathon", GOLD'S GYM Arlington VA, 6 Aug 2006

"Jane!... How do you stop this crazy thing?"

Running in honor of the men, women, and families of the US Army's 172nd Stryker Brigade (now on an extended tour of duty in Baghdad), and in memory of its more than 130 fallen members, I completed the 26.2 mile 1st Annual treadmill Bore-a-thon last Sunday. Granted, I was running on the treadmill at Gold's Gym, it was wind-aided, and I was wearing a testosterone patch in an undisclosed location, but I was able to post what is now a personal best 3 hours and 32 minutes. This is 12 minutes faster than my previous best in Seattle and I have witnesses.
The treadmill only allowed me to run in 1 hour increments and there is a few seconds of slop inherent to resetting each hour and also taking a photo, but I never got off the treadmill. This was my 20th marathon in one week more than nine months and my fourth marathon this month. Thank you to Nick Kalsi and the team at Gold's Gym South Arlington for their assistance in this run as well as Major Mike Davis, USMC, who acted in the role of run support and barker (aka Willie Loman).
On the 25th of August, I will be running the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence Marathon in Nyack, New York in memory of Second Lieutenant John Wroblewski, US Marine Corps. 2LT Wroblewski hailed from northern New Jersey and graduated from Rutgers University, both not far from where I'll be running the race and not far where the attacks on the World Trade Center occurred nearly 5 years ago. I read that it was the spirit of service and sacrifice after the 9/11 attacks that motivated him to join the Marine Corps in December of 2002. He was killed in a gun battle in Anbar Province a few days before his 25th birthday in April, 2004.
Donations to TAPS and Semper Fi Fund continue to directly support families like 2LT Wroblewski's in their efforts to rebuild their lives and deal with the difficult circumstances surrounding these tragedies. This is why I continue to run.
Thank you for your continued support.

Self-Transcendence Marathon, Nyack NY, 25 Aug 2006

Friends,
Running in New York 11 days ago in memory of 2LT John Wroblewski at the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence Marathon, I completed my 21st race of marathon distance or longer in just under 10 months.  My very sincere thanks to Bill and Victoria Maniatis and Glenn Kramer who helped organize a fantastic fundraiser the night prior in the name of 2LT Wroblewski for TAPS, Marathons For Hope, and Team Fox programs to combat Parkinson’s Disease. In being so generous with their time, they once again showed the true strength of the American legal profession, shaking people down for money and making sure there are enough adult beverages around to give a camel the shakes.  By the time I made my way (literally) to the top of the bar in Manhattan, in my kilt, with a toasting beverage of a Mexican variety in my hand, they had raised nearly $700.  This, and the thunderstorms, made the start of the race 8 hours later a bit rough.  But it’s done and wouldn’t have been done if not for the dedication I’d made at stake and the support of TAPS and 2LT Wroblewski’s wife in this latest endeavor.  I have no photos available from this race.  Gomenasai.
This weekend I will be running the Erie Marathon in memory of LT Jonas Panik, a former Naval Academy football player who graduated in 1997 and served in the intelligence community. LT Panik, 26, gave his life five years ago on September 11th.  He was serving as a flag staff intel briefer when 189 people aboard American Airlines Flight 77 and on the ground at the Pentagon, including all seven members of his chain-of-command, were murdered during the opening attacks of what has become the global war on terror.
He left behind a wife, Jennifer, a sister Martina, and his parents, Martin and Linda from Pennsylvania where I will be running the race.
Regretfully, I’ve had to withdraw from the New York City Marathon due to an exercise necessary to effect my deployment to the middle east at the end of the year.  Consequently, I've lost my place in the November issue of Runner's World as well.  I believe my brother will run his 3rd marathon of the year in my place at New York and (desperate) fundraising for Team Fox will continue.  Another race, the Richmond Night Marathon, did not exist when the scheduled day arrived so that's a scratch as well.  In place of these races, I’m adding one extra ultra marathon this month in Hereford, MD, which will still bring the 5 week total to 3 marathons and 2 ultra marathons. I'll also add one more race, still TBD. Thirty races is still an achievable goal and it looks like, ironically, Uncle Sam is the only entity who can derail me.
As always, thank you for your support and time. Donations are down but paradoxically, personal expenditures are up. I’ll see if I can’t rectify this problem soon.
Warmest Regards!

Erie Marathon, Erie PA, 10 Sep 2006

Running the Erie Marathon last Sunday in memory of LT Jonas Panik, I was able to finish my 3rd marathon in 3 weeks with a new outdoor personal best of 3:36.  LT Panik was killed 5 years ago Monday.
For once, everything seemed to work out well.  I also learned two important lessons.  One was that no matter how fast you think you are running and how blister free your feet are and how well you've finally gotten your myriad body functions in order, you still might get passed like you're standing still 3/4 of the way through the race by an English drag queen wearing a tutu and pink slippers.  Two, no matter how happy you are about your performance or how comfortable you are completing a task, somebody might think it's wise to play 'Everybody Wang Chung Tonight' at the finish line.  It's just wrong to ask anybody to wang chung after running 26.2 miles and no, it won't be fun tonight.
Saturday, I'll be running the US Air Force Marathon at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio.  I'll be running in memory of Army Sergeant Kenneth R. Hobson, II who was killed in the bombing of the US Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya just over 8 years ago.  Sgt Hobson left behind a wife and daughter who was 2 years old at the time.  He was a member of my new military community so it seemed appropriate to honor his sacrifice at the Air Force Marathon, especially in light of the reminder my fellow DIA employees received with the foiled embassy attack in Syria this week.
Donations have dried up for the moment but once I get a few free moments, I'll be able to hit the campaign trail again to start stumping in new areas.
As always, thank you for your generosity and support.  Eight races to go.

US Air Force Marathon, Dayton OH, 16 Sep 2006
Gunpowder Falls 50K, Baltimore MD, 24 Sep 2006
Dover 50Km, Dover DE, 30 Sep 2006

Running 3 weeks ago in memory of Sgt. Kenneth R. Hobson II at the US Air Force Marathon at Wright Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio, I was able to follow my PR from the week prior with a 3:50:00, good enough for 8th of 82 in my division (Clydesdales--big boned people).  Tough course with two big hills and that's all I have to say about that one.
Running last week north of Baltimore at the Gunpowder Falls 50K (31 miles) in memory of Chief Petty Officer Paul Jay Darga, I was able to complete the course in 5:50.  The course was extremely difficult with 3,000 feet of total elevation change and a good bit of water to cross, but I finished 15th out of 70-odd people toeing the line at the start.  Falling erse-over-teakettle while wearing a kilt and tighty-whiteys is just not dignified behavior--thankfully, I don't have pictures.
Special thanks to Chris Perrault of Washington DC who helped pace me for the first 20 miles then made a sizeable donation to Marathons For Hope after the race.
Chief Darga was a Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician who was killed in August and memorialized on the "Lehrer News Hour".  At the time, he was the second EOD sailor killed in Iraq.  However, unbeknownst to me at the time of the race, a friend of Chief Darga's, Petty Officer David Roddy, was killed in action four days prior to the USAF Marathon and thus became the third EOD member lost in Iraq.  Even more ironically, PO2 Roddy was also a Maryland native.  Chief Darga left behind a wife and small daughter while PO2 Roddy left behind a wife, a daughter and twin sons.
Yesterday, in my second ultramarathon in a week and fifth marathon or longer in 33 days, I ran the Richard B Cheney 50K in Dover, Delaware in memory of LCPL Cory Palmer and LCPL Richard Chad Clifton, and LCPL Richard Z James, three of the seven Delaware Marines who have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.  I was able to PR the marathon distance in 3:33 and continue to finish the remaining 5 miles in 4:13 (on my watch), good enough for 3rd.
LCPL Palmer was nine days shy of his 22nd birthday and died from his wounds in transit to the US from Germany.  He was a recon Marine on his 2nd tour in Fallujah.  LCPL Clifton was 19 years old (!) and had turned down a Naval Academy nomination from his Senator to enlist in the Marine Corps.  LCPL James, 20, went to the same high school as LCPL Clifton and was killed a week after him.
I am trying to run the Army 10 Miler this week (only because I've attempted races from all the sevices--Navy was cancelled due to Katrina) and then will be running the Baltimore Marathon the following week in memory of Petty Officer Second Class Edward Koth, a Baltimore native and Loyola College graduate who was also an EOD team member.  He was lost in July while defusing a bomb in Iraq and was engaged to be married after his tour and prior to his pending transfer to Italy.
So somber blog notwithstanding, I wanted you all to know that your donations go not to me, but directly to causes that help the families and loved ones of those lost on active duty.  Since time immemorial, youth have gone off to war for personal reasons they believed in, regardless of political forces acting on them or prevailing opinions in the public at large.  Every Sailor, Soldier, Airman and Marine to whom I've dedicated my quarter ton of races was a volunteer who could have otherwise in some way done something else, certainly something less dangerous.  Their reasons may be lost on us, or maybe not, but their losses often leave gaping voids for families.   Regardless of your politics (or feelings about me personally), any donation given helps support a cause nearly bereft of political or religious leaning.  Regardless of my politics, I will continue to run for those who can no longer run so that we can remember them and care in some small way for those who cherish their memory.
There is still time to donate and spread the word and remember the fallen.
PS I don't have decent pictures of these races.  They are in my SLR camera and will be developed later.

Baltimore Marathon, Baltimore MD, 14 Oct 2006

Running the Baltimore Marathon last week in memory of Petty Officer 2nd Class Edward Koth, I rolled to a relaxing 3:53 on a hilly course with moderate wind.  I was also able to help a fellow runner finish her first marathon at least 10 minutes ahead of her target pace, so that was nice.
The race was supported by a local Navy reserve unit and, as this was the Navy birthday weekend and I was running in PO2 Koth's hometown, it was even more special.
This week, I will run my 23rd race in 7 1/2 months at the Lasalle Bank Chicago Marathon.  I will be attempting to finally break 3:30.  I will be running in honor of the family of SFC Allen C Johnson, a Special Forces (Green Beret) medic who was killed while saving two of his comrades in Afghanistan.  He was killed on my daughter's birthday last year and was posthumously awarded silver and bronze stars.  His wife SFC Eunice Johnson, who was serving in Iraq at the time of his death, is a member of the same warfare community as myself and the mother of Stacy (10 years old), Joshua (4 years old), and Naomi (3 years old).  She wrote to me this week to thank us for our efforts in honoring the memories of the fallen and in raising the profile of organizations like TAPS and Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund.  She has assigned herself the sacred duty of "keeping a promise she had made to 'protect and raise [her] children with dignity and pride.'" If you get the time, please take a chance to read about Sergeant First Class Johnson.
Through www.MarathonsForHope.org, we have been able to help families like the Johnson's to order their lives and move forward with courage and hope.  Many people have given generously through Marathons For Hope, but still many more have offered me great ideas to raise money, frequent flyer miles, support, erstwhile pledges for group donations, running advice, media proposals, promises to 'spread the word', service academy inquiries, stories about runners who have gone farther than me, offers for fundraiser bbq's, a ton of jokes, a variety of personal insults and genuine, heartfelt encouragement.  At this point, though, I am topped off on all of those items.  I am driven by my passion for this cause and self-motivated enough to push through some pretty painful situations without all the empty words.  I'm dirty and I'm running for the money.
I appreciate all the kind words but the charity effort is not about me, it's about serving the families of those who left them to our care.  It's about providing critical and sensitive services they could not otherwise afford.
All I am asking is that if you have not already, please take the time to give a few dollars, maybe 26.2 dollars or maybe 30 dollars or maybe just the price of a cheeseburger, two beers, a brownie, coffee and a tip of 1 dollar ($50).  It's incredibly easy, fast, and inexpensive for many of us.  I'm almost done and soon you won't have to read any more of my tripe.  NONE OF THE MONEY GOES TO MY PERSONAL RACE OR TRAVEL EXPENSES.
It's so easy to give a few bucks and it feels good when you do.  Thank you for your time and continued support.

Chicago Marathon, Chicago IL, 22 Oct 2006

Running in memory of SFC Allen C Johnson, a Special Forces (Green Beret) medic in the US Army, I completed the Chicago Marathon last Sunday in 3:46.
Race conditions were cold, below 30 degrees with wind chill, wet (causing SOME runners to fall...but not moi...thankfully, he was alright), and crowded.  Battling the crowd for the first 13 miles, I found myself 3 minutes behind pace for the PR of 3:30 I'd wanted.  After having raced the equivalent distance of 26 marathons in the last 7 months, I couldn't go to the well to draw on any reserves because there aren't any.  I was flat-out tired and simply couldn't go any faster.  Special thanks to my sister, KC and her husband Todd for chasing me around the course and giving me a semi-warm place to sleep.  Tomorrow, SFC Johnson's family will be presented with his posthumous Silver Star for bravery, falling fatally wounded while helping save two of his team members.
This Sunday, I will run the 31st Marine Corps Marathon in memory of LCDR Erik Kristensen, Navy SEAL and only son of Rear Admiral Edward and Suzanne Kristensen.  Erik, a 1995 graduate of the Naval Academy, was killed in the crash of a CH-47 while leading his platoon in operations against Afghani elements of the Taliban.  If you take a moment to read the links, you'll see he was an amazing American whose loss leaves a yawning gap for his family and the Navy.

http://www.sealteam8.com/memorial.htm

http://www.fallenheroesmemorial.com/oef/profiles/kristenseneriks.html

This week, with the help of my brother Mike and friends Nabs, Anne and Thor (who will all be running this weekend as well), we've raised more than $5,000 for all of my charitable causes and most of it in small donations.  It's VERY easy and VERY quick to click on the site and give 10 or 20 quid; every penny goes to leverage assistance for families, children and troops dealing with tragic circumstances. I am hugely touched by the assistance of my rugby team, Tokyo Crusaders, and my brother's legal friends.  Yes, lawyers!  This has been a hugely rewarding twelve months.

Marine Corps Marathon, Washington DC, 29 Oct 2006

Twelve months ago, I decided to see if I could raise a bit of money for some very worthy charities by running a marathon per month.  Some people told me I was crazy, others nodded doubtfully, and some disappeared from the radar completely.  I may have gotten a bit carried away but, more likely, the inspiration I collected from the stories I've tried to publicize, as well as, the support from all of you, has fueled me to see what I could possibly get out of my old carcass.
In truth, it was the work schedule (something that more famous maso=sociopathic runners are not hampered by) that slowed me down more than the physical trappings of my corporeal vessel.
I've learned a lot about myself, my comrades-in-arms, their families, my family, and my real friends.  I've been moved by the women behind the scenes at TAPS, MJFox, Chidhoodfirst, British Legion, and Semper Fi Fund.  I've had fantastic support, both moral and financial, and have been truly touched by all the encouragement literally from around the world.
Two weeks ago, running the distance equivalent of my 32nd marathon this year in memory of LCDR Erik Kristensen, I helped my brother Mike to his new PR of 4:10 at the 31st Marine Corps Marathon.  It was a very rewarding experience as we were able to meet with a number of families of the fallen after the race and spend time listening to their very powerful stories.  We were also joined by three first timers, Anne Ganschinietz (4:51), Thor Cox (4:57) and Nabs the Bananaman (6:06), all of whom have raised significant funds for the Marathons For Hope charities.  My daughter Larissa and her cousins Conor and Molly also ran the Marine Corps Kids Race; Larissa the Rabbit was the first 11 year old to finish (since we accidentally entered her in the 12 year old race!).  Seven days later, having finagled his way into my spot through an anticlimatic bit of subterfuge, Mike finished the New York City Marathon in 4:17 minutes.  It appears that he tore his meniscus at Mile 19 (MRI results pending) but he told me that he was inspired by our efforts for TAPS and Michael J Fox foundation.  More specifically, he told me that although he was in agony and wanted to quit, he thought it was small pain compared to what it might be like to lose a loved one in combat or find out a loved one was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease.  He said the injury was a small price to pay for the satisfaction of finishing two marathons in a week and raising more than five thousand dollars.  He, like me, was not an endurance runner before this year.  Between us, we've lost more than 80 pounds.  I've brought my marathon time from 5:22 down to 3:32 and he's knocked 45 minutes off in 4 months.
My last standing pledge was to run 30 races in a year.  My schedule did not allow that but I am still going to run the last two races.  This Saturday, I will be running the JFK 50 miler in memory of 1LT Laura Margaret Walker, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2005, and 1LT Emily Perez of Fort Washington MD, who was lost in Iraq this year.  These women represent yet another group of courageous Americans whose motivation is known wholly to them alone and whose loss leaves a deficit for all of us.   I'm hoping to break 10 hours.

"When you ask for volunteers to leave their families and friends, the everyday comforts of home, their entire lives, for something that will be undeniably less comfortable, who raises their hand? What kind of person makes that sacrifice? And for God's sake, why?" - 1LT LAURA WALKER

These are the links I could find to help you all learn a little more about some small bit of inspiration occuring just outside all of our regular orbits:

West Point Mourns a Font Of Energy, Laid to Rest by War

Essay speaks for slain lieutenant

After a year, we've raised more than $27,000 for the charities, with about $5,000 in outstanding pledges.  If you've been waiting to donate, now is the time to act.  If you've collected from a larger group and need a bit more guidance as to how to forward the donations, please let me know.  If you made a pledge, I'll bet it would feel great to get that item off your to-do list.  It's all very easy and very quick.
As for time goals, I've come up short by two minutes on my goal of 3:30 but will give it one last shot on December 3rd in Sacramento.  There are articles pending in "Leatherneck magazine" and "Runner's World" (February) so keep your eyes peeled.
Thank you again for your support.

JFK 50 mile race, Hagerstown MD, 19 Nov 2006

"Hero - From the Greek hErOs, in mythology and folklore, a hero (male) or heroine (female) usually fulfills the definitions of what is considered good and noble in the originating culture.  Some scholars place the willingness to sacrifice the self for the greater good as the most important defining characteristic of a hero."   - From Wikipedia

Running the JFK 50 in memory of 1LT Margaret Walker and 2LT Emily Perez, I completed my 29th race of the year, finishing the 50 mile course in 9 hours and 49 minutes.  I fried my legs climbing up and down the first 15 rocky miles of the Appalachian Trail in more than 3 hours but was able to tuck under 5 hours for the 'middle marathon' and knock out the last 8 miles in about 80 minutes; 10 minute miles after Mile 42 was an honest day's work and clearly violated union rules.  My original goal was to break 11 hours and my previous 50 mile PR of 11:10, but that did not look likely coming off the trail and on to flat ground.  However, the thought of the dedication I'd made to honor the two fallen West Point graduates kept me from quitting; in addition to doubting my ability to finish with still 35(!) miles remaining, I decided to never do another ultra-marathon again.  Ever.  I promise.  The mystery and joy is gone; there is nothing left to prove on that front.
As it stands, arriving at the start 20 minutes late (due to the usual biological misfortune) cost me 60 spots, falling from 346 to 416 among 1300-some-odd starters.  The clock said 10:10 but my watch said 9:49 flat.  Still, Patton's Third Army took three days to cover that distance so I know it was a fair effort.
While informing my (former...now) chiropractor the day before the race that I felt exhausted and overtrained, I was told, "Why? It's not like you ran 50 marathons in 50 days."  True enough.  And it's not like Dean Karnazes is going to come walking in to patronize your clinic, either.
On the 3rd of December, I will finally finish Marathons For Hope at the California International Marathon in Sacramento, California.  However, the website will stay open for another year and other runners will continue to race and raise funds under this banner.  My final race will be a dual dedication to these two heroes:  LT Kelly Mackey was a classmate at the US Naval Academy and a fellow helicopter aviator who was killed in a crash in 1998; LCPL Jason Dunham lost his life as a result of injuries incurred while smothering a hand grenade to save two other marines.  LT Mackey left behind two sons and a wife.  LCPL Dunham, who was born on the Marine Corps' birthday in 1981, became the first Marine since the Vietnam War to earn the Congressional Medal of Honor.  His (and his family's) story was chronicled in the book "The Gift Of Valor."



So far, Marathons For Hope has helped raise more than $35,000 for TAPS, Injured Marine-Semper Fi Fund, British Legion, Childhood First, Michael J Fox Foundation, and other groups.  Any further donations are greatly appreciated but I am more than satisfied by having exceeded all original goals.
Thank you for your time and continued support.

California International Marathon, Sacremento CA, 03 Dec 2006

Friends,
Running in memory of LT Kelly Mackey and CPL Jason Dunham, I finished my 30th race in 13 months at the California International Marathon on December 3rd.
I was off to a 3:22 pace through 14 or 15 miles but suffered a complete breakdown and, in considerable pain, finished in 3:47, moving from sub-8 miles to a near 10-minute pace.  I ended up 20th of 100 Clydesdales (fat boyz).  The breakdown was probably a product of putting a 50 miler into my taper but it was still worth the effort.  The race did, however, offer some great moments.
First, my hat is off to whomever showed up on the sideline with a live llama wearing reindeer horns in the last few miles; I'm certain it was real and not a hallucination.  Also, running by an amateur band in the last few miles playing "Ring of Fire" I decided to ape along with them with my world-renowned Mexican trumpet imitation, much to the chagrin of a fellow runner who shook his head in utter disgust as I though to myself, "Self, when are Mexican trumpets NOT appropriate [endurance races, AA meetings, brisses,etc]."  By far, though, one of the signature moments occurred before the race.  Thanks to the gracious hospitality and support of race committee member Denny Joyce, I was comp'ed an elite spot in the race, which allowed me to warm up in the elite tent with my fellow elite runners from eastern Europe, horn of Africa and sundry other distance runner factories.  However, I outweighed everybody in there by about 75 bills and stood 6 to 12 inches taller than any of them, feeling like John Belushi before Little Chocolate Donuts got him the gold in the 1976 Olympic Decathlon in my tiny singlet with hirsute navel exposed.  One female elite runner who told me she was trying to break 2:40 asked, "How about you."  She seemed shocked when I replied, "I'll be happy if I finish an hour after you (...but I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night)."  I never saw any of them after the 50 meter mark until the beer tent 5 hours later.  I was also interviewed immediately upon crossing the finish line as part of the live coverage on Sacramento TV; luckily, I'm highly trained in media affairs and have a natural screen presence.  The charity effort was also publicized in the Monday sports edition of the Sacramento Bee.  All in all, a nice closing to what has been an amazing thirteen months.
So, thanks to the tremendous, amazing, inspiring support of all of you, Marathons For Hope 2006 is over and I can call it a success.  I've raced more than 900 miles, averaging 30.5 miles per race and 70 miles raced per month.  In the last 8 months, I raced the equivalent distance of 31 marathons.  My best performance was 3rd in the RB Cheney 50k (4:12) and my best marathon time was 3:32.  The hardest marathon was Sedona and the hardest day was the Old Dominion 100 miler.  I am still not half the calf of Dean Karnazes but I am satisfied because, most importantly and by my best calculations and with pledges still coming in, we have come just a sweat bead under $38,000 raised for M4H charities and associated organizations and runners:

TAPS - $16k
Team Fox - $4075
British Legion - $2,420
Childhood First - $3,320
Injured Marine/Semper Fi Fund, National Naval Medical Center Semper Fi Office, and miscellaneous organizations ~ $12,000

Although there are hundreds of people who donated and supported through this ordea...rrrr...program, I'd like to single out my brother, Mike, my webmaster Mike Toone, and the entire Tokyo Crusaders organization, without all of whom this effort would have withered.  Additionally, I drew great inspiration from survivors like Alli Myrick, Alicia Ober, Vanessa Morales Johnson, and the family of Danny Dietz, as well as the amazing people from the organizations, specifically Ellen Andrews, Bonnie Carroll, Joanne Wroblewski, Jane Dolan, Sarah Hill, and Rebecca Pride.  There are many many people who donated their homes, contacts and expertise as well to help me make this all possible, too many to name, but John Stubbs, The Adkinson Family Jug Band, Mike Davis, Gene Malveaux, Van Robbins, Bob Cooper, Ray Ott, Nabs, the Fargo Vanyo's, Anne Ganschenietz, Thor Cox, Ian Gould, The Dave Clark Five, Victoria Maniatis, Daryl Hill, the families of my sisters Lisa and Kim-Christine, my daughters Larissa and Devin, and Seniorita Ellen Eiseman stand out in my short-term memory.  I'm sure there are others who should be on that list but please suffice it to say that you all have my warmest thanks for helping power my now extinguished motor.
I'm out of the US in five days; my new address is below.  The M4H site will be active for another year.  Thank you again.
Sincerely,
Rick Ryan