It is here as I was nearing the finish line that I asked Donna to marry me in 2006. We call this our marathon. It is one that we will comtinue to come to. It has a low entry fee, $20, and give you a lot. The $10 pasta feed has several pasta dishes with many side dishes. Then there are a long table with maybe a couple dozen different desserts. The local women make all these dishes, while they try to out do each other, I was told. There is an aid station at each mile with plenty of volunteers at each. There is a very good meal afterwards with BBB Pork and pizza. Everything is so casual in this small town atmosphere. This out and back course is the flattest marathon course in Arkansas, but do not think there are not any hills. The first 5 miles are fairly flat with a long downhill in Mile 2, which turns a lot of runners into runners just after Mile 24. There are a few small hills in the first 5 miles. You then make the turn into the rural area to the Mile 13 turnaround. This 16 mile out and back is just a series of rolling hills the entire way. None of these hills are challenging, but there are too many to count. Just one hill after another. Just before Mile 21 you make the turn to come back into town, which is mainly flat, but a few small hills until Mile 24. Mile 24 is at the base of a steep half mile hill, that is a challenge. Afterwards there is a small downhill then the course has a downhill slant with the last quarter of a mile or so flat then it ends at the high school track. I really enjoy this course. I like the rolling hills with the challenge at Mile 24 then the ending is so enjoyable to run. It is like a reward for running that challenging hill. At the start it is in the upper 50's maybe even 60 with not much of any wind, which is unusual here. At the end it is into the 70's with a lot of sunshine and clear. My goal is to break 3:55 and place in the Senior Masters division (for runners 60 and over). I plan on going out faster the first 7 miles then maintain the 9 minute pace as long as I can. As usual I have a lot of friends here with many more yet to meet. Before the pasta meal as we were checking into our room Donna and I meet a couple from Idaho, Charles and Jane Cutting, who were going to complete the 50 states together at this marathon the next day. At the pasta meal I see a couple of friends of mine from England or UK as they call it. They live just north of London, Roger Biggs and Jack Brooks. Roger is the same age as me, but Jack is 5 years younger. We have known each other for 6 years and we have run many marathons and doubles, 2 marathons in a weekend, together. The three of us run about the same, although Roger maybe a little faster than Jack and myself. I find out that Roger is just coming back from an injury, so he is not running this one. He is however running on Sunday in Springfield, MO, with Jack and I. Roger's style of running a marathon is more like mine. Jack will faltered in the final 10k. He will still mostly run, but he will walk the hills and slow down more than Roger and myself. The hour before the marathon I socialize with the many runners that I know here. I run so much in Arkansas, that I almost feel like it is my home state. I hope to run the first 7 miles under one hour. My first mile is 8:12, a little fast. Mile 2, 8:16, just under my 8:15 goal. Mile 3, 7:55, I was putting out less effort. I feel great. I had taken extra time off this week from training, because of the two ultras last weekend. Mile 4 and Mile 5 I miss. Mile 6 is 7:55 again. I finish the first 7 miles at a 8:12 pace. A bit fast, but not too bad. Now I will try for the 9 minute pace for as long as I can. I do not expect to do it the entire way as at Omaha. The toll from last week will catch up with me, but I feel that I can maintain enough to break 3:55. Mile 18, I meet a fellow, Kily, from Honduras. He is now living in Mississippi and is running his 11th state. He has just joined the 50 States Marathon Club. He is using this as a training run. He wants to run 20 miles under 3:00 then take it easy to the finish. He decides to stay just ahead of me. Mile 10, I run with a young gal, Sara, who is trying to break 4:00 for the first time. I was surprised that we were passing Kily at Mile 11 and ran a 7:46. I say good-bye to Sara and wish her good luck. Then Jack catches me. Kily goes back ahead of me. Jack and I run together for about 2.5 miles. I reach the half at 1:50:58. My goal is 1:50 to 1:55, so a little fast, but not bad. Mile 14, I am still around 9 minutes with Jack starting to go out of sight. If I see him in the final 10k, I will pass him. Then he just might blow me away, if I do not see him. Mile 15, 9:00 miles are getting difficult. Kily continues a steady pace in front of me. Mile 16, Donna is there with a wet rag and whatever I might want as she has been so far. The last few miles have been pretty hot. I am how starting to see runners in front of me becoming walkers. Mile 17, I still do not have any muscle pain, but I am tiring some. Kily is running very steady still. Mile 18, Donna is there with that wet rag again. It is a relieve. I tell her to go to the finish. In a few miles we will be making the turn to the finish and I like to just focus on the runners ahead of me. They have many great aid stations here. Mile 19, this last mile I slowed down to near 10 minutes. I will try to stay at 10 minutes. The heat is getting worst. Mile 20, I wish Kily the best as we reach it together at 2:54. Both my calves start to hurt. There is now a short downhill coming up just before the turn to Mile 21. It is now windy, but partially relieving from the heat. Later a friend, Mike Wagner, the lone wheelchair in the race, said the wind costed him from breaking his goal of 1:50. For me the wind was not a big factor although the gusts got up to 15mph, I was told. Mile 22, I am running a little under 10 minutes again. I passed a few runners this past mile. I still do not see Jack. He is probably running one of his sub 3:50's today. Mile 23, was very tough on me. The heat is bad and it has been several miles without very much shade. This next mile is my slowest mile of the course, 10:45. As I come to the Mile 24 marker, I catch a runner that appears to be in his 60's. He stops running to walk the hill and enjoy the new found shade. This is my personal challenge of the marathon, running this hill. As I start up the hill I see Jack walking. Shortly before the top of the hill, I pass Jack and wish him good luck. There is now a lot of shade to Mile 26. The final .2 is in the sun as you go by the bandstand and onto the track. There is Donna taking my picture and cheering me on. I finish with 3:54:00 and Jack, 3:55:17. I win first place in the Senior Masters by just over a minute. Jack wins a fifth place award in his division. Roger is there with Donna to greet us. Sara who I ran with earlier broke 4:00 for the first time with 3:39. Next, tomorrow the Pro Bass Marathon in Springfield, MO. TomD

Congratulations on the 1st half of your double! Well done! & greta read!! Happy "Anniversary" to you & Donna!

Tom, for all the marathons you've done this has to be the most special for what it means to you and Donna. You sure did well by beating your goal and being first in the Senior Master's division. It's so neat that you got to see, and visit with, so many friends. Congratulations. TomS

Congrats Tom, you are running SO well! GREAT job on the Senior Masters win! I want your 3:54 finish so bad...maybe next year for me Give Donna a hug for me, sweet that you both call this marathon "yours" ...as it holds a very special memory arf

Nice one, Tom....Congrats on the AG win! Where in Arkansas was this race?

This one was in Wynne, Arkansas. It is about 90 miles northeast of Little Rock. TomD