Huston stays in high gear

Fifty states just may not be enough for Bernadette Huston.

She wants to run marathons on seven continents.

The 47-year-old Cape Girardeau resident didn't run her first marathon until she was 38, and since then she's completed more than 30 of these races, including at least one in over 20 states and even one in Bordeaux, France.

Huston started her long-distance career running for the inaugural girls track team at Marshall (Mo.) High School. While in nursing school, she temporarily stopped competing to focus on her studies. Nevertheless, she found a way to balance studying with her undying desire to run. She said the exercise cleared her mind and reduced stress.

"In college, I used to run around the track with flash cards that had questions on them to help me study," Huston said. "So I'd run and learn, and that's how I did most of my studying in school."

After getting married and having four children, she returned to the competitive scene. She hasn't shown any signs of slowing down. Huston has posted impressive times all over the country, competing anywhere from California to Florida. She's run in a number of states more than once, including three times in Kentucky and twice each in California and Tennessee.

Furthermore, Huston has qualified for the Boston Marathon four times. One year at Boston, she finished in 3 hours, 3 seconds -- only 13 minutes shy of the Olympic qualification time.

She placed first among more than 500 runners in her age division at the Disney Marathon last year, and she once set a 31-mile ultra-marathon course record in Carbondale, Ill. Huston and a few friends also broke two records in consecutive years at a 194-mile relay race through the mountains of Oregon.

But it's not all about times anymore for Huston, who prefers running to relieve stress and get exercise.

"I enjoy training because it keeps you disciplined," said Huston, who continues to run 2,500 miles a year and fits at least one marathon per month into her schedule. "It keeps spirits up, and the motivation makes you feel so good. I feel mentally and physically better after I run."

Huston occasionally walks around the neighborhood with her seventh-grade daughter, Jacqueline, and enjoys running with her dog partner, Hey Oka Coy. She generally runs outdoors even in winter, saying a litte dry skin won't stop her.

Huston also enjoys volunteering her time to help others find the joy of the sport. She served on the Cape Road Runners Board of Directors for 10 years and also has assisted arthritis and leukemia patients who desire to run marathons. She often shares stories with her patients at St. Francis Hospital about her experiences with running, and some of them have actually given it a try.

"I love it when people are out running and exercising instead of playing video games," Huston said. "I tell my patients if you eat right and exercise right, you'll feel better, and some of them have changed their lifestyles."

Despite all the grueling miles she's logged, Huston continues to dream big for the future of her running career. She hopes to compete not only in a Bermuda marathon in December, but also in races in the Netherlands and Paris and event in Antarctica in 2007.

"I'm trying to chase the 50-state thing," Huston said, "but the continents would be neat, too. Either way I want to continue running or always be able to participate in some sport. It keeps you young. My favorite running philosopher/doctor George Sheehan once said, 'Running may not add years to your life, but it will add life to your years.'"