Running on the Ragged Edge of the Western World
A gradual progression in a runner’s resume is to run a full marathon (26.2 miles; 42.2 kms) at some point. I was grateful to recently run the Big Sur International Marathon in California. It was one of the toughest and most incredible races. The first time I started thinking about the Big Sur marathon was when I read the ChiRunning book by Danny Dreyer. Danny (who is now 71) ran his first marathon (Big Sur) in 2002 and he landed up finishing it with a podium in his age group (3:04) which was great considering it was the first and that too a race with about a thousand feet of vertical gain on the course! Along with this, my other temptation was to meet my family in California and Chicago and do one of the most scenic marathons in the world– running on the ragged edge of the western world. There’s nothing like clubbing a marathon with a vacation, meeting family and friends (including my podcast guests) all in one. Running a marathon is a great way to explore different places and you co