While many know Kim Zustiak as the speech and debate coach, fewer know her goal of conquering a half marathon in every state nationwide. Her journey began in St. Louis in 2010, and she’s been chasing this dream ever since.

“I honestly don’t know what made me want to run long distances. I just started pushing myself a little bit more and more as the weeks went by, and over the course of eight or nine months, I found that I could run nine [to] 10 miles,” Zustiak said.” My younger sister had a baby, and then she said, I think we should sign up to do the Go St. Louis half marathon. And I [said], I think I could be ready to do that.”

After competing 35 races, Zustiak concluded that balancing time for running with work and family lives is one of the biggest challenges in her journey.

She trains by running in small increments that increase each time and tries to do this daily.  Over the years, Zustiak has gotten used to the training required to prepare for the 13.1-mile races.

“I really did train very diligently. I think the more recent years, my body is relying on muscle memory, and I’ve gotten very lucky that I haven’t gotten injured,” Zustiak said. 

A big part of getting ready before a race, such as a marathon or a half marathon, is the nutrition one consumes. According to the Mayo Clinic, athletes should focus on proper nutrition and hydration before running a marathon.

“They always say you should never eat new things the day before a race, stick to what your body’s used to, and then during the race, you actually have to fuel,” Zustiak said. “So I have little gels that give you just a little bit of a boost during races, and I carry those with me as I race.”

Zustiak’s selection of marathon locations is not pre-planned. She relies on a mix of opportunity and availability. She chooses cities based on personal reasons to visit or the timing of marathons aligning with her schedule.

“I’m sitting on my phone looking for races within driving distance in the next few weeks to redeem myself. I wanted another race in under two hours, so I found one in Madison, Wis., on Memorial Day weekend that year. I was like, we could do this,” she stated. “So we signed up to go run that race. So I [said], Well, I’ve already done two states. Now, might as well keep it going and get the other 48.”

Zustiak had been avoiding Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, and other western states where summer may be very hot. She did runs in all three states and claims they were very pleasant.

“But these three races that I did this past summer – It was beautiful. It was gorgeous. It was surrounded by mountains and a lake. And I think I’ve been surprised by some of the places I’ve gotten to see and the beauty there,” she said.

As Zustiak races against time to achieve her goal of completing a half marathon in all 50 states before she turns 50, she battles a dual challenge: the ticking clock and the physical demands of long-distance running. Each race brings excitement and anxiety as she wonders how long her body will support her ambitious dream.

Despite rigorous preparation, injuries are a common challenge for marathon runners. According to the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, up to 70% of runners annually experience an injury. Fortunately for Zustiak, while she has faced minor setbacks, these experiences have taught her valuable lessons in conditioning and injury prevention. This allows her to continue pursuing her passion.

“I had an injury when I was training for my first half [marathon]. I actually had to get cortisone shots to help me get through that race, because it was about a week before race day, and that helped immensely. But I’ve learned I [should] go to the chiropractor, and I’ve had physical therapy to help work on that,” she said. “I have struggled with it ever since, and that’s been 12, 13 or 14 years ago now, but I know the things I need to do to take care of it.”

Zustiak listens to the same playlists each time she runs because it comforts her to know exactly what song is coming next. This is a mental strategy she used to prepare for a race. She often does her training runs on a treadmill, and she watches television to get her mind off what she is doing. 

“When I first started running, I would just envision myself at Crater Lake because that’s the most beautiful place in the world. It’s very peaceful, so I would pretend I was there and not on a treadmill,” Zustiak said, “I run on a treadmill occasionally.  [I] watch Grey’s Anatomy or something that [I] enjoy. I have embarrassed myself by crying while watching something on TV at the Y.” 

While she dreads visiting certain places, Zustiak also looks forward to planning the cities according to town events. For example, she visited Albuquerque during the hot air balloon show.

“I chose that race because the balloons are actually up in the air while we’re running. And my mom had always wanted to see that. So the night before, we went to the Balloon Glow, and then that morning, she could see it from our hotel room,” she said.

The sense of community Zustiak found in these marathons has been invaluable. Whenever she felt discouraged, a fellow runner would offer encouragement, fueling her determination to persevere.

“The running community is outstanding. You’ll be on a racecourse, passing the people who are faster, and everybody’s cheering for each other. You’re mingling with people at the race’s beginning and end. Everybody’s telling you [you’re doing a] great job,” Zustiak said.  “[However], I think the thing that keeps me going at this point is my stubborn streak. I started something and want to see it through to the end.”