Running Marathons in 50 States and 7 Continents: A Runner's Inspirational Adventure Around the World

By Robert Preston

I love to run, and my love for running has taken me all around the world. From Boston and New York to Antarctica and South Africa, I have gotten to see some of the most beautiful scenery on the planet. I have run one hundred fifteen marathons in all fifty states as well as the seven continents. Like all athletes, I have had setbacks. Through faith, perseverance, and determination I have kept going and learned that the human will is powerful.

Perseverance is one of my favorite words. I recently read about Walt Disney. While everyone knows the iconic brand of Disney, the story of how Walt Disney created the empire is very inspiring. As a young man, Walt Disney was fired from a local newspaper as his boss thought he lacked creativity. After a failed animation company went under, he was barely able to pay his bills, even ate dog food to survive.

With his last few dollars, Walt Disney made his way to Hollywood to try and make it big. Unfortunately, his early time in Hollywood was just as bad. He was told Mickey Mouse would fail, faced constant rejection, and seemed destined to never succeed. But Walt persisted and went on to grow the company with amusement parks, feature films, and is known as a cultural icon.

Learn to take a calculated risk and don’t stop doing what you love just because the world has shown you obstacles. Ironically, years later, Walt’s Disney acquired the Kansas City Star newspaper—the one that said he lacked creativity all those years ago.

One of my goals in writing a book is to inspire people to dream big, whether it is running or something else. Do not let anyone, including yourself, say that a goal is impossible or unattainable!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 29, 2022
• ISBN: 9781639038121

Book preview

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Running Marathons in 50 States and 7 Continents

A Runner's Inspirational Adventure Around the World

Robert Preston

ISBN 978-1-63903-811-4 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-63903-812-1 (digital)

Copyright © 2021 by Robert Preston

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Introduction

1

The Adventure Starts

2

Learning from Mistakes

3

Pizza and Skunks

4

Training Adventures

5

Boston

6

Aloha

7

Touring the USA

8

Running with Poison Ivy

9

Fantastic Finishes

10

Going International

11

Visiting the White Continent

12

Trip Down Under

13

Visiting Africa and Walking with the Lions

14

Going to Japan and Running with a Torn Meniscus

15

Courage, Confidence, and Criticism

16

The Mount Everest Marathon

17

Why It Is Made Possible

Acknowledgments

Achievements

Timeline

After competing in and most often winning grueling marathons in all 50 states Rob, with a healthy dose of authority, can tell anybody what is so great about Athens, TN.

Rob is obviously a very competitive person, and when you are a competitive person, it is a part of your fiber. It drives your thinking and feeds your desires. It directs your actions.

—Peyton Manning (June 27, 2015)

What an American experience. Preston, one of the kindest men I've ever met, has encountered this country in a way most of us never will. It is one thing to tourist-travel through a place, yet quite another to encounter an American state and its people by running 26 miles through it.

He's run through Mississippi heat. Thirty-mile-per-hour headwinds in Texas. Run down old railroad paths in Virginia. Through the white snow of New England. Past Lake Mead and Hoover Dam, where the sky and lake were perfect blue.

He ran through the aspens and John-Denver-highs of Colorado. In Alaska, eagles flew nearby. In Vermont, deer. Bears in Montana, snakes in Iowa, and of course, the most exhilarating crowds, thick as chowder, in Boston.

He's run through asthma attacks, darkness, snowstorms, dehydration. One race, he almost blacked out.

—David Cook (June 16, 2015), award-winning journalist

Chattanooga Times Free Press

I am astounded by your running talents, Rob.

—George W. Bush (June 22, 2019, in a personal letter)

43rd President of the United States

Introduction

I love to run, and my love for running has taken me all around the world. From Boston and New York to Antarctica and South Africa, I have gotten to see some of the most beautiful scenery on the planet. I have run 115 marathons in all fifty states as well as the seven continents. Like all athletes, I have had setbacks. Through faith, perseverance, and determination, I have kept going and learned that the human will is powerful. One of my goals in writing a book is to inspire people to dream big, whether it is running or something else. Do not let anyone, including yourself, say that a goal is impossible or unattainable!

So why should you read this book especially if you are not a runner? The following are ten life lessons I have learned from running, and I have tried to apply all ten to this book with the hope that it can motivate and possibly help you accomplish a goal or get you through a tough situation in life.

Do not stop when things get tough—When we are young, we tend to give up when things around us get hard. Running teaches us that the reward comes when we keep going even though it is difficult. You will read some of the difficult situations I have faced.

Achieving your goals takes hard work—If you want to finish the race, you must put in all the preliminary mileage and training that is needed to get you in top condition. Likewise, if you want to graduate from college or run a successful business, you need to put in the work to accomplish your goal.

You are stronger than you think—With hard work, training, and dedication to your goals, you might surprise yourself with what you can accomplish. It really is amazing what the human body can accomplish and endure. There are several examples in this book of how I had to persevere through extreme adversity.

Everything is mental—Running teaches you that your mind is your best tool. It can get you through those times when you feel like your legs cannot carry you one more step. Like the football kicker who goes out on the field with four seconds left to kick the winning field goal, running is mental. Of course, one must be in good shape to run a marathon, but the bigger challenge is believing that you can do it.

You do have the time—If you want something badly enough, you will find the time. I get up every morning before three. Some mornings, I don't feel like it, but I get up anyway because I want to be the best I can be. This also applies to my spiritual life—before I walk out the door for a run, I have a morning devotion and prayer time. I want to do those things first before my workday gets started.

You can do hard things—Life is hard. Running teaches you that you can do hard things. Whether it is running a marathon, acing that job interview, or raising a family, you have got this.

You define you—You get to choose the runner or person you want to be. Not your parents, your teachers, your friends, your spouse, not even your coach. You can choose to push yourself to a higher level, stay where you are, or somewhere in between depending upon your goals and the effort you expend.