New Bedford couple submits Guinness record attempt: 11 half-marathons, 11 states, 11 days
NEW BEDFORD — For a span of 11 days, the routine of New Bedford couple Ann Sylvia and Robert Cordeiro was governed by 4 a.m. wake-ups, 13.1-mile runs, and hitting the road to the next state before resting up in a new hotel to do it all again the next day.
To some, the road trip that doubled as an attempt at setting a world record may sound like bootcamp. But to the Cordeiros, it was just another vacation.
"It's a great way to see the country," Robert told The Standard-Times of his and his wife's travel habits, which, for the past 10 years or so, have been centered around running half marathons in as many new places as possible.
In 2014, a couple years after the start of this endeavor, the Cordeiros began running with an organization called Mainly Marathons, which specializes in holding series of road races rather than single events.
"So they’ll typically do five or seven days in a row in five or seven different states," Ann said. "We found that works out really well for us because we can take a week's vacation, travel, do two or three states and head home. ... So we run with them every year and we've done 36 states so far."
As they got to know some of their fellow Mainly Marathons runners — many of whom were annual regulars like them — they realized a good number of them happened to be holders of road race-related world records. "Everyday people like us," Robert said. From there, a side-objective began to take shape: becoming the first married couple to run 11 half marathons, in 11 different states, in 11 days.
"I felt like if we were going to be part of this family, we had to kind of earn our position there," Ann said. "So it took us a while to get it together but we found a record that we thought would be cool to set and so we went for it."
See the latest: Former New Bedford police union treasurer sentenced for stealing $50,000 in union funds
The Guinness process
As the Cordeiros explained, anyone looking to have a feat recognized by Guinness World Records must first make contact with the organization and gain approval before any action toward the record-setting, or breaking, attempt can be counted. From there, it's all about the painstaking documentation process, the Cordeiros said.
"I applied last June and they approved us in September, and then when they approve your application they send you a handbook of all the officials rules, all the things you need to abide by, and all the evidence you need to collect — and it's a lot," Ann said. "I don't know how well I've done with it but I've submitted everything ... so hopefully it'll be OK. If not, I guess we'll be doing this again next summer."
As far as what types of evidence Guinness asked for, the couple rattled off some of the many kinds listed: "We had to have a random witness every day, we had to have the time keeper and the race director as witnesses...," Ann said. "Travel plans, maps — I sent in all the information off our Garmin (GPS navigation system)."
"Photo evidence, video, hotel receipts for each state — over 100 pieces of documentation," Robert added, noting that now, all they can do is wait for word back on whether their record-setting is officially recognized or not. "I have to admit, I had zero to do with any of that — that was all Ann."
Stay up-to-date: New manufacturing facility the 'crown jewel' of Tonix Pharmaceuticals' pandemic efforts
The daily grind
"Our day started at 4 a.m. We were usually at the early start to every race at 5 a.m. Normal start was at 6 a.m.," Robert said of the couple's wake-up routine over the 11 days. "And we tried to pick hotels that were within a half-hour of each race — preferably within 10 to 15 minutes if we could."
"We would each eat a little, or maybe just have a chocolate milk before we run, and we'd have a cooler prepared with our waters and other supplies we might need like a change of socks or Band-Aids," Ann said.
"Then most of our (race) times were two, two-and-a-half hours, so we were done by about 7:30 to 8 a.m.," Robert said. "Then, they'd have some food there so we'd grab a couple small items — maybe a banana and another glass of chocolate milk — and we'd go back to the hotel and soak for 20 minutes in a bath with Epsom salt, shower, then take a nap for an hour-and-a-half or so."
"Then, we would hit the road and stop to have lunch somewhere. Lunch became our main meal," Ann said, noting that the regimen of daily half marathons curbed their appetite. "We found we were generally not hungry the entire 11 days.
And the last step before settling into a new hotel and setting the alarm to do it all again?: Sightseeing.
"The other big part of our recovery plan that a lot of people don't realize is super important is we wouldn't just sit around all day," Ann said.
Eat this up: 'I think we really nailed it’: What to expect at the revamped Sail Loft in Dartmouth
"Our drive was usually one-and-a-half to two and-a-half hours, and we'd always find something to do along the way," said Robert. "Just something where we could get out and walk around for a few hours."
A couple of those side-excursions included Bushkill Falls and Valley Forge, both in Pennsylvania, the Cordeiros said.
Prep work
When it came to the difficulty level of accomplishing the challenge, the Cordeiros say, the biggest strain did not stem from the running.
"Physically, I was surprised it was easier than we thought it would be," Robert said. "It was the logistics — the hotels, the travel arrangements — that's what was tough.. ... I can't imagine doing what we did with full marathons that take five or six hours."
Another big part of the planning was safety, which was Ann's area of expertise being a current doctoral student in kinesiology — a field of physiological study with a focus on body movement. "Exercise is kind of my thing, so I was very concerned about injury and making sure we were safe and recovering — and the two biggest things were food and hydration," said Ann, noting having packed a daily cooler full of water, extra socks, bandages and more to take along to the half marathons.
'Just everyday people'
While the couple takes a casual attitude toward their running that de-emphasizes the competitive element, the Cordeiros also see it as fundamental to their healthy lifestyle, making daily runs a part of their regular routine whether at home or on the road, they said.
"In 2009 I was more than 100 pounds overweight, then I lost 100 pounds and that's actually how I started running," said Ann, 48. "I view exercise as disease prevention, disease treatment, and so I'm really motivated to become an expert in exercise."
Keep pushing: From California to Fairhaven: Couple bikes to Homecoming Fair to support cystic fibrosis
"I've been a truck driver for 30 years," said Robert, 56. "It's a great job, you get to see a lot of the land, but it's one of the unhealthiest jobs I've ever had — a lot of sitting, a lot of horrible eating.... If I didn't do what I do (daily running), I'd be in trouble."
Whether recognized officially by Guinness or not, the Cordeiros say one thing they hope their feat accomplishes is showing people that often seemingly lofty goals aren't actually as out-of-reach as they seem.
"We're just two regular schmoes, just everyday people. When we first started running together, I never imagined one day we'd be trying to do something like this," Robert said. "It just goes to show people can do anything if they just put their minds to it."
"My favorite phrase is: 'you can do hard things.' I think we can all do hard things — it's just about learning how to be consistent, how to plan, how to train, and how to follow through, and I think that's the part where people start losing their way," Ann said. "They have a bad day or a bad moment and then they lose that commitment.
"But Rob and I are pretty stubborn."
Where they went (and when)
The 11 half marathons ran by the Cordeiros were split up into two back-to-back series put on by Mainly Marathons.
(June 1-5: Independence Series)
June 1 - Lums Pond State Park, Bear, Delaware
June 2 - Fair Hills NRMA, Elkton, Maryland
June 3 - Union Township Recreation Area, Douglassville, Pennsylvania
June 4 - High Point State Park, Sussex, New Jersey
June 5 - Port Jervis, New York
(June 6-11: The New England Series)
June 6 - Simbury, Connecticut
June 7 - Lincoln, Rhode Island
June 8 - Holyoke, Massachusetts
June 9 - Springfield, Vermont
June 10 - Claremont, New Hampshire
June 11 - Sanford, Maine
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: 11 half marathons, 11 days: New Bedford couple submits Guinness record
