INTRODUCTION: Run 5Ks in 50 States in 2013

Time of this Post:  The Beginning of 2013


Goal: To run a 5k in all 50 states during 2013

Why: See the USA and stay in shape

Background: I am Walter Dewar, a 63 year old former math teacher, co-creator of a PSAT/SAT prep company, former Executive Vice President of Advanced Placement Strategies, Inc., married to Jeannie Dewar for 30 years, father of three, and now retired.

1993 picture

2007 picture

From my 1971 SMU graduation until about April, 2009, I was 10 then 15 then 20 then 25 pounds overweight and had high cholesterol (Tex-Mex, bacon and eggs, Big-Macs, Bar-B-Q, pasta, etc.). For example, here is my older son Stewart and heavy me at the 6th game of the 2001 World Series in Phoenix.

and Stewart in the 2010 Dallas White Rock Marathon. He is a source of inspiration.

Now this guy below, my good friend Gregg Fleisher (Mr. Chicago), is responsible for my getting into shape beginning in April, 2009.

At that time, I shared my recently received cholesterol numbers, and he suggested that I might live for just 5 or 10 more years. Probably hyperbole, but...

He said that he could give me a running plan that would help.

More about his boot in a bit. Gregg gave me a 5-month plan that began with 10-second runs and worked up to a 5K. It took me 7 months instead of 5, but in December 2009, I ran a treadmill 5K.

In May 2011, I ran my first road 5K and finished 2nd in my 60-64 age group.

Of course, I was running against some really old guys and not too many of them. The story regarding Gregg's boot begins in January, 2012. For over 20 years Gregg, then 50, and I have competed and sometimes gambled on just about everything. He has run marathons, the Chicago Marathon as recently as a few years ago with a time of 3 hours 59 minutes. In about 1992, he bet me a considerable amount that he could run 1.5 miles (6 laps around a track) before I could run 1 mile (4 laps around a track), something I had not done since about 1973. Gregg underestimated my stamina.

Well, last January (2012), Gregg, his three children, and I met for lunch. I had been working out and running about 5 times a week (retirement provides lots of free time), and I was bragging about my 5K treadmill times. I said something to him like, "What are the chances that I could beat you in a 5K in a few months?" A little heavy at 220 pounds at the time, Gregg still said something like "no chance" or "zero chance." Gregg backed up these bold words by offering a sizeable wager for a 5K race in May in which he would lay 10 to 1. We had a postponement agreement too in case one of us had an injury before race day. Separately, we trained extensively, and Gregg lost about 15 pounds. However, he suffered a severe strain to his leg playing softball (he is 50) shortly before the race date, and we rescheduled for November. I did go ahead and run a 5K on May 12, 2012 without Gregg and finished first in my elderly 60-64 age group with a time of 24:54.

Gregg said he would have easily beaten that, and since he only tells the truth, I was lucky about the postponement.

As November approached, we were both training hard. We had an agreement this time though that if one of us were injured or could not run for any reason, then that person would lose the bet. On October 7, I got a call from Gregg. He said, "You have won the bet." He had broken his ankle playing softball. Jeter broke his ankle shortly afterward and wears the same boot.

I did not make Gregg pay. It did not seem quite right. He was still the favorite to win. However, he did give me an airline voucher. More than fair.

Then Gregg challenged me to a blood race (no money wager--only pride) to be run in December 2013 -- as the Beatles say, "When I'm 64. "So, to prepare, I may try to run a 5K (or longer) in every state during 2013 with the last one in Dallas against Gregg. Jeannie and I have gone on a 15 to 20 city summer baseball trip the past few summers. Jeannie is a great elementary art school teacher and has summers off. Our baseball blog is at www.grandslamtrip.blogspot.com.

This summer I can incorporate 5Ks into the trip. However, it will take many weekends all year to hit all 50 states. We shall see. The first 5K is in California on January 1. Check this out.