Marathon & Beyond staff - Jan Seeley, Rich Benyo, and Jenny Stinson - were in Houston last weekend for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. This year marked the first time that the men and women ran in the same race to earn spots on the Olympic team. Shalane Flanagan took first in the women's race, followed by Desiree Davila in 2nd, and Kara Goucher in 3rd. Meb Keflezighi led the men, followed by Ryan Hall, and Abdi Abdirahman.

When asked what she learned from her 4300-mile bike ride across the U.S., Marathon & Beyond subscriber Bonnie McElwee said, "Never give up on your dreams."

Last summer, starting on June 12 (her birthday), Bonnie left Anacortes, Washington, and began her journey to fulfill a dream she had been holding on to for 30 years. On August 16 - 66 days later - she fulfilled that dream when she reached Bar Harbor, Maine. Riding a bike 4300 miles is a huge accomplishment, but what makes it even more inspiring is that Bonnie is 71 years old.

Bonnie started running 32 years ago, and since then she has run 47 marathons (including 6 Boston Marathons) and 6 ultras. She set her marathon PR of 3:21 at Grandma's Marathon when she was 45 years old. While Bonnie is a veteran marathoner, she is no stranger to cycling. She has ridden from Seattle to Florence, Oregon; from Amsterdam to Frankfurt; from Maine to Montreal; and from Maine to Quebec. And now...from Anacortes, Washington to Bar Harbor, Maine.

Bonnie retired from a nursing career in 2001 and decided that it was time for her to start planning her cross-country bike ride. Not wanting to go with a commercial group, she had a hard time finding a group to go with. It took her 10 years, but last winter she found a group. A friend of hers forwarded Bonnie an email from a woman in Oregon who was looking for a group to ride across America with her. The two connected, and Bonnie could see her dream becoming a reality.

The plan was made, and a small group of cyclists from around the country - and one young man from Guatemala - began their adventure. "Meeting such a diverse group and listening to their experiences was one of the highlights," Bonnie said. Being a bit slower than the group didn't discourage her. In fact, she rode the first 2,000 miles mostly by herself. But shortly after she reached 2,000 miles, she rode the next 1,500 miles with another woman in the group.

You would think that riding downhill would give you a bit of a break. But not for Bonnie. "The most challenging part for me was coming DOWN the passes in Washington. I walked part of the way down. I would much rather ride up than come down," said Bonnie.

So what's next for Bonnie? "I want to run a marathon this spring and maybe the Tahoe Triple." (Tahoe Triple is 3 marathons in 3 days around Lake Tahoe.) She is also considering a 50K in Idaho in the fall. As for cycling, "I would like to take a riding trip along the entire Mississippi River from the headwaters in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico." For those of you who are wondering, that's approximately 2,530 miles. We have no doubt she will do it.

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