Don Pemberton (Donaldaz)
Runner of the Month
September, 2006

Don Pemberton has flirted with running most of his life. It was nothing serious but, sort of like an old friend, a 10K or a jog would sneak it's way in once in a while.

Moving from Seal Beach, California to Olympia, Washington in high school became Don's first introduction to running, though it wasn't intentional. His goal was not to run distance, but just to letter in a sport and he wasn't good enough at tennis. So, as a high school senior, he joined the track team. His events were the long jump and the 440 but those soon came to an end due to stress fractures. It was only later, when looking back, he realized that cross country might have been a better choice- he'd finished second in his age group in the 10K only a year before.

Like most of us, high school graduation brought on a different life for Don. He joined the United States Air Force as a Security Specialist in 1981 in Tucson, Arizona and was soon married and raising three boys. Don and his family would live in Arizona, Florida, Virginia and Maryland while he worked in different computer programming positions and he wouldn't run again for eighteen years.

In 1998 Don decided it was time to get back in shape, so he returned to the track. He'd run a few laps a few times a week, nothing more. He had no desire to race, thinking that was only for "serious runners." Soon though, the inevitable happened and Don entered a local 5K in September of 1999. Those laps at the track paid off and Don was hooked. He completed two more races that same month, two more the next month and a 10K in November- his first in over twenty years.

Over the next few years, through good times and bad, Don continued to enter and complete a few short distance races. In 2005, running became a priority and Don decided this would be the year he'd tackle the marathon. He knew motivation was key, so he set out to find a memorable race. The Honolulu Marathon, with it's island allure and ocean views was almost "the" race until The New Las Vegas Marathon came along. It seemed appropriate for Don, the first marathon is always somewhat of a gamble anyway. Training all year and finishing his first half marathon in October, Don completed his first marathon in December 2005. In spite of an ankle problem that caused him to walk most of the final eight miles, Don crossed the finish line certain that there were more marathons to come.

Always one to set new goals, Don decided to go big. He now plans to run a marathon in all fifty states. He's already completed Nevada with the New Las Vegas Marathon in 2005 and soon followed that with the Rock 'N Roll Marathon series in Phoenix in January, Nashville in April and San Diego in June. Four states down, forty-six to go and he just can't stop thinking about all the medals and t-shirts he'll bring home. One of the his favorites, though, is likely to happen on November 5th this year when Don runs the New York City marathon with his sister, who left running due to knee surgeries a few years ago. A lot of careful training and a lot more anticipation will prepare Don for what's sure to be a memorable race in New York, the fifth marathon and fifth state in his quest.

In the meantime, Don will train at home in Mesa, Arizona where he lives in a full house with his girlfriend, Tammy, three boys ages nine, eleven and fifteen and his son, age seventeen (there are also two more sons, ages fifteen and twenty-one). His mother will worry that he's running too much, his girlfriend will look forward to all the traveling and a lot of people will tell him he's crazy because they just don't seem to understand why someone would want to run so much. One thing is certain though, running is not something Don Pemberton just flirts with anymore. The commitment to a marathon in every state and being a member of the Las Vegas Marathon 21 Club for the next twenty years is looking like a long-term relationship.

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