We’re in Missoula, Montana for Steve’s sixth marathon this year. He’s on a quest to do one a month and he’s on pace. In fact, most of our travel this year revolves around races in the places we want to visit. Here’s a recap of the year so far.

January – Charleston, SC

I wrote about this in a previous post, so I won’t rehash it too much. A part of American history we had not seen, Charleston dripped of Civil War lore, though we were told they call it “the war between the States.” We took a walking tour, saw beautiful old buildings, and ate scrumptious food. Steve has a good race and I easily finished the Shrimp and Grits 5K.

February- New Orleans, LA

We made it to NOLA just in time for the early Mardi Gras celebrations. We caught a parade, took a VooDoo tour, ate beignets, and took in the World War II museum. Oh, and Steve ran the Rock and Roll New Orleans Marathon while I did the 10K. It had been years since we’d been to NOLA – just before Hurricane Katrina to be exact. So it was good to revisit this unique place and take it all in.

March – White Sands, NM

Steve did the March race on his own while I stayed home with Dad. It was probably for the best since this was a “camping” race and it snowed! The Bataan Death March Memorial Race is staged on the White Sands Missile Range and is a tribute to those who endured the unthinkable during this WWII event. Steve had an opportunity to meet several survivors and learn about this piece of American history.

April – Whiskey Man Ultra, Prescott, AZ

April marked Steve’s most ambitious month athletically and one of the most challenging we faced as a family. In Prescott, the “big three” are the Whiskey Man Ultra, a 56 mile trail race around the Prescott Circle Trail, the Whiskey 50 Mountain Bike race, and then the Whiskey Row Marathon. Steve set out to tackle all three.

On April, 13 in the wee hours of the morning, Steve started running. 13+ hours later he crossed the finish line with a smile on his face.

Nine days later, after four days of hospice care, dear Dad passed away just a few weeks shy of his 93rd birthday. It was an emotional time filled with love, family, and friends. And, Steve was still on the start line of the Whiskey 50, on his bike, ready to ride, the day after we laid Dad to rest.

He made it about 40 miles when he cramped up and missed a time cutoff. So, while he can’t say he finished, he did more than the rest of us could ever imagine.

May – Whiskey Row Marathon, Prescott, AZ

He’s done it several times before and this time it was only one week after the 40 mile Whiskey mountain bike race. The May marathon kept us at home in our own beds, which was perfect after a challenging few weeks. Steve proved once again that he’s “tough enough” to complete this 26.2 marathon which includes about 3200 feet of climbing.

June – Missoula, MT

The end of June in Montana is spectacular! Watch for our next post for a full recap of the Missoula Marathon and our Montana adventures.