CityView Magazine

FEATURE Going the Distance D Inside the life of a local family on the run By Kelly Twedell What does someone do with 50 plus race t-shirts? Have r. Steve and Marsha Kouba find the key to endurance in love and run- them made into keepsake quilts for her kids, of course. Running. For most, running long distances ning the America Discovery Trail in Colorado Springs was like marathons and ultramarathons is often a bucket list type of goal. For one local Fayetteville woman, it spans beyond just a passion for running, she has run over 80 marathons and recently completed her goal of running a marathon in each state. With each race that Marsha Kouba runs, her spouse Dr. Steve Kouba is right there with her doing the half-marathon distance. Marsha, a nurse and a CARE Clinic volunteer, is a svelte, soft spoken woman who is very humble about her running accolades. She belongs to a small sect of accomplished runners and was the 232nd female to run a marathon in every state, and she has all the swag and stories to show for it. For the Koubas, not only is running part of their lifestyle, they've made it part of their recreation and have made the most of their travel. They have never gone on a vacation where it has not revolved around a run of some sort. "Every state was so different for her and me," said Steve. "Our family has always been really involved and especially when everyone showed up for Marsha's 50th state marathon." Those who know Marsha know that she is rigid in her training schedule and justifiable so, in order to maintain her fitness level to complete her 50 States marathon goal. "I'm a morning runner; I've always been a morning runner, it's how I get my day started, " she said. "You have to find what makes you happy, then you just have to do it, and stay disciplined." Marsha averages 50 to 55 miles each week. She shared that there are very few "perfect" weather running days and that she always enjoys her run, rain or shine, wind or sleet, or minor nagging aches and pains. 48 | January/February • 2014 Marsha's 50th and final state on her storied journey. Upon arriving home, she satisfactorily colored in the final state on the wall chart in her office mapping her progress as she met her goal in September of 2012. "Some of the marathons were trail runs throughout the course, though you tend to get injured among the terrain," said Marsha as she recalled a particular hairy race story that took place here in the Tar Heel state. During her trail marathon outside of Greensboro, Marsha took a tumble off the footbridge into a giant scape of mud. She said though she was not hurt, she had to be literally hosed off before coming home. While Marsha is no stranger to the Boston Marathon, and even has a dedicated medal plaque to display her Boston Marathon finisher medals, last year's tragic race that made national news still ruminates in their minds. Bombs went off at the Boston finish line right where Steve was finishing the half –marathon distance. Not terribly far behind, Marsha was still running the full distance when she found out what had happened. Marsha said it was complete chaos and her daughter, who should have been at that finish line, fortunately was not. Just before the cell phone communication towers were shut down by authorities, the family managed to connect and make a plan to meet back at the hotel. In case you were wondering, Marsha's p.r. time for the upcoming Boston marathon this spring is a sub 4:00:00. She qualified and got into Boston this past year with a 3:58:00 during her Iceland Marathon. Another noteworthy race that will forever stand out in their minds is their race in Delaware in May 2013. It was

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