Race 3 of 40 - Polar Bear 5k

Race 3 - DONE!! This one was a bit of a drive, but I didn't have many choices. Due to my birthday weekend last weekend and TigerFest yesterday, my only open date was today. And the only race I could find was this 5k in Okemos! From the beginning, my plan has been to run 10 races per quarter. And I couldn't allow myself to fall behind in the very first month!! So to Okemos I went! Luckily, it started at 10am so I could still sleep in a tiny bit. This race was easily the smallest I've ever done - I don't think there were more than 300 people! It was a very nice little race, put on by Meridian Twp Parks and Rec. No real frills, not even a water stop on the route. Not a real big deal though. The entry fee was pretty cheap and surprisingly, the shirt was a very nice long-sleeved tech shirt.

This was the first race I've done by myself in while. And while I'm perfectly fine running by myself, it makes the pre and post race a little lonely with no one to chat with. I have friends running the next several with me though.This also was the first race I've run since turning 40 on January 17th. Not that it really feels any different to be 40 rather than 39. Just a little surreal to see "age 40" on my race bib!

This race also marks the first of four straight race weekends. Coming up next - Super Bowl 5k in Novi with my friend Becky. They give away finisher pint glasses! But only to the first 2000 finishers. So Becky, if you're reading this, we GOTTA get 'em!!!

After the Super 5k, I have the Paczki Run in Hamtramck with my cousin Melissa and her brother-in-law Ian. We get paczkis and beer when we finish! That'll be...different. ;-)

Then the next weekend will be the Ice Cube 10k in Mt Pleasant. Yes, Mt Pleasant. That'll REALLY be a long drive. But...there's a finishers' medal for that one! My friend Amber is running as well. But she's doing the half-marathon. (Amber's a beast!)

After the Ice Cube, I'll have a couple weekends off before running another four straight weekends in March. March is pretty well set with the Corktown 5k, the Shamrock n Roll 10k and the April Fool's 10k in Clarkston (my hometown, yay!) I just need to pick one more for the weekend of the 23/24. I may do the Mud Dogs 10k (also in Mt Pleasant), or the Run du Nain Rouge in Detroit or there's also a Bunny Hop 5k in Farmington. I may possibly even run 2 that weekend just to get ahead of schedule. We'll see!

Tentative Second Quarter Plan

My tentative schedule for April - June

4.13.2013 - Martian Invasion of Races 10k - Dearborn

4.20.2013 - Run With the Cops, Not from Them 5k - Belle Isle

4.27.2013 - Let's Move Festival of Races HALF MARATHON - Mt Clemens

4.28.2013 - Honolulu Virtual 5k (if only I could really go to Honolulu!)

5.11.2013 - Color Run 5k - Ypsilanti

5.19.2013 - Back to the Beach 10k - Stoney Creek Metro Park

5.27.2013 - Novi Memorial Day Run 5k/10k

6.1.2013 - Rainbow Run 5k - Ferndale

6.2.2013 - Dexter-Ann Arbor Run 5k/10k

6.8.2013 - Kona Run 10-miler - Northville

6.15.2013 - Canton Liberty Run 5k/10k

6.16.2013 - YMCA Father's Day Run - Plymouth 5k/10k

6.21.2013 - First Tri Triathlon

Clearly still some decisions to be made here.

There's also a duathlon I'm considering in August. I'd really like to try some things other than just simply running."

Race 2 of 40 - PoHo Hot Cocoa 8k

For race 2, I did the PoHo Hot Cocoa 8k in Port Huron. This was the second year for this race. An 8k is a little random, but it's a very nice run. It goes from downtown Port Huron up to (and under) the Bluewater bridge. The route is mostly right along the St Clair river. Last year, when it was 14°, running along the water was a little rough. This year, it was nearly 50°!! In Michigan! In January!

I ran this with my cousin Melissa, who was kind enough to slow down for me.  There *may* have been a little good-natured taunting, *maybe* some threats of violence, but we managed to finish in one piece. Even though Melissa was threatening violence on the race coordinators when they were out of Hot Cocoa at the end. And seriously, how do you call yourself the PoHo Hot Cocoa race and not have enough hot cocoa?!? We did get some yummy chocolate fondue though.

I do have to say, I've done this race both years they've run it and they have the best non-medal swag of any race I've done. They don't simply do t-shirts, not even tech shirts. This year, the shirt was a very cool Nike pull-over. Last year, it was a hoodie. (I posted pictures of both) It is a little on the pricier side, but given the swag, it's worth it! They just need to work on their organization for post-race food (absolute cluster, both years!) as well as have enough hot cocoa. But this is one I can see myself running every year.

Next up: I really wanted to do the Auto Show shuffle, a race downtown to coincide with...wait for it...the Auto Show!! But my birthday party is Friday night and even *I* am not dumb enough to schedule a race the day after my own birthday party. So I'm taking next weekend off. My next race will be the Polar Bear 5k in Okemos on January 27th.

First Quarter Race Schedule

I do better with smaller goals, so I'm working by the quarter. I need to run 10 races every 3 months. Here's my schedule for Jan - March:

1.1.13 - Commitment Day 5k - Detroit DONE!

1.12.13 - PoHo Hot Cocoa 8k - Port Huron DONE!

1.27.13 - Polar Bear 5k - Okemos - DONE!

2.3.13 - Super 5k - Novi - DONE

2.9.13 - Paczki Run 5k - Hamtramck. - DONE

2.10.13 - Riverview Winterfest Four Mile Run - DONE

3.10.13 - Corktown 5k - Detroit (Always a favorite. Also - medals!!)

3.17.13 - Shamrock N Roll 10k - Plymouth (medal!!)

3.24.13 - Run du Nain Rouge 5k -Detroit

3.30.13 - April Fool's 10k - Clarkston (nice hometown run)

That's 10! 6 done, 4 to go! I'm paid for all 10 of these.
Now I just need to do this three more times!

Race 1 of 40 - Commitment Day 5k

I have to backtrack a bit to get us started. This was a 5k put on by Lifetime Fitness - the first year for this event! I ran with my friend, Ashleigh. We're doing several runs together this year. :)

This was a very cool race, we started on the field at Ford Field!! I'm more a Tigers' fan than Lions', so I don't get to Ford Field very often. I like it!!! The route went out the tunnel, by Comerica Park, down to Cobo/JLA and back. Very cool!! I love running in downtown Detroit.

Another first - this was my very first run with my new Garmin that Mom and Dad got for me for Christmas. And I'm not sure if there's a learning curve with those or not, but my Garmin recorded this race as 3.26 miles? I know there was a last minute route change - I'm not about to lose any sleep over it - yet.

Something different that we got at the finish was a 2013 fitness journal. That's going to come in handy for this little project!! I'm always looking for races that have something other than just a T-shirt that I'll never wear again. The ultimate swag is a finishers' medal. Pint glasses are fun too.

40 races in 2013?!? Seriously?!?

I saw a Facebook post today about a woman who is turning 30 this year and is planning to run 30 races in 2013. I thought to myself, "You're turning 40 this year, (In 6 days, actually) why not try for 40 races in 2013?!?

I did the math. That's just over 3 races per month. Can my legs handle that?! Of course!!! Can my wallet handle the registration fees?! Well, that remains to be seen.

I figure I've already got several pricier races paid for: half marathons in April and October, a ten-miler in June, the Warrior Dash in July. Fill in with some cheap and local 5Ks and 10Ks and...well, we'll see.

I've already done the Commitment Day 5k on 1.1.13 and have the PoHo Hot Cocoa 8k scheduled for tomorrow. So all I need is to find one more race for January and I'm on my way.

So here we go, 40 races in one year to celebrate my 40th birthday. Running is just like that subscription to the jelly of the month club: it's the gift that keeps on giving!