Middle of Everywhere

Kaua'i as I see it is in the middle of everywhere.  People (non-runners) sometimes ask, "well, do they have a marathon there or here or in this state or that state?"  The answer is mostly yes, yes, and yes.  One week from today I'll be running my 50 state in Hawaii on the island of Kaua'i.  It looks like it is in the middle of nowhere, a dot in the middle of the North pacific, above the equator and to the right of the imaginary, yet real international date line. But when I look at this map snipped for google maps, it is not only surrounded by the Pacific Ocean bu impressive land mass, Asia and Russia to the West and United States and Canada to the East above the equator and Australia and South America below the equator.  Kaua'i is not the most unique place I have run.  I need to give that honor to Cordova, Alaska.  I suspect it will be second most unique.  It is not the only island I have run on if you count Manhattan and the NYC marathon but it is certainly the only one without access by car.  The marathon will be small, about 350 finishers, but not the smallest.  Yes, the Salmon Runs in Cordova had 29 finishers and Lower Potomac River marathon had less than 200.  The Three Sisters marathon in Oregon had 79.  Kaua'i is certainly a destination marathon.  We'll celebrate with and 8 day vacation taking a helicopter tour, snorkel trip and zipline safari with kayaking and hiking along with some well-deserved kick back and relax time.  It will give me time to reflect on this "accomplishment", all that life has been through during these 15 years, and where to go when the states are done.  As I mentioned there are marathons, half marathons, ultras everywhere and I will still be "collecting" as long as I stay healthy.  The 15th running of the Baltimore Marathon, which I have completed each year, will be up in October.  This will be my 89th marathon and 97th marathon and beyond.  So, I need to plan the next 3 events to get to 90 marathons and 10 ultras for a total of 100.  Then it is off to 100 marathons.  With the states done, it gives me flexibility as to where I can run, some of the bucket list marathons that I have considered like Big Sur, Mount desert Island (Maine), maybe the Canadian provinces, unique international marathons.  Of course, I have never qualified for Boston.  I can't call it a regret because I just never got there to BQ.  But I do think about how I might have trained differently, harder, etc. to get the BQ.  I will pursue, at some point soon, a charity entry for Boston.  Kaua'i is first and with any marathon or goal or, really, life in general, it is one step at a time moving forward.  Relentless forward progress.