It didn't take long before we were hiding in the bushes. Heavy machinery and watchful eyes lumbered down the rocky road below us. I suppose that's what we deserve for attempting to ride a closed road. But to our credit, we were on bikes and obviously, traffic rules don't apply. My brother, laying horizontal behind a log on an exposed hillside, couldn’t stop smiling. He was able to briefly escape the turmoil of medical school at the University of Washington to join me in Idaho for an annual get-together. This year’s objective was to ski the Devil’s Bedstead, a prominent peak in the Pioneer mountains of Central Idaho. 

In my mind, the concept was simple … create the Southeast’s newest Adventure Race by spreading a few checkpoints across an area that is ripe with trails, greenways, historical landmarks, and a navigable river flowing straight through the middle. The simple concept that I drummed up in the fall of 2021 became a reality on April 1 & 2, 2022 and the response absolutely blew my mind.

On September 5, 2020, I joyfully bounded down a ski slope called “Caribou” at Hilltop Ski Area in Anchorage, AK to a round of applause by my wife and a few random bystanders. I had just run another Half Marathon. By crossing the 13.1 miles mark yet again, my goal of running a Half Marathon in all 50 states was officially complete. What started as a simple and impromptu personal challenge a few years out of college turned into a massive multi-year commitment. The perspective gained throughout the experience has permanently changed my outlook on life.

Streaking. That word has a very different meaning to me these days compared to my college days rummaging around the UNC Charlotte campus. My present day interpretation of streaking is to run at least one mile every single day. This time, fortunately, with clothes on. I’ve been streaking two full years without a single day off. I’ve learned a lot about running, grit, will, and pure love for a hobby turned necessity.