The Expiration of Running Goals & Challenging Yourself

The thing no one tells you about setting a fitness goal is that usually you achieve it.

Then what?

So you set another goal.

And achieve that one.

And so the cycle continues.

But what do you do when you "run" out of goals?

That's where I am today. I ran my first half marathon last year after collecting 5K's here and there for years. I ran my second half marathon for my birthday this year, and am signed up for an unmentionable number of 5K's throughout the summer.

I think that a lifelong goal of mine will be to run one half marathon every year, and never the same one twice (or, at least the duplicate won't count as that year's half marathon goal).

That means I'm all checked off for 2012 as far as half marathons go, but I want to challenge myself to something even more. I don't want to run a marathon. Perhaps one day I'll want to try running a marathon or aspire to ultra running, but right now I like painting my toe nails too much.

But I want some kind of unique, challenging goal that I can keep track of on this blog and that will drive me to keep running and training.

I've come up with a couple of ideas, but would love a few more to consider. Here's what I've got so far:

Run Every Marquee Race in the State
Now, due to my semi-noviceness and sheer number of running events in WI now that it's become a "thing," this goal will have to have a few stipulations. I'm thinking, in particular, any race 5K to half marathon that draws over 1,000 participants. Adding a 5K and/or Fun Run to any ol' event is now becoming the norm, so I'm hoping that by putting the participant stipulation on it, the goal will narrow down to a couple hundred races. And by "marquee" races I mean those that everyone talks about, that people travel for. Think Storm the Bastille in Milwaukee, Bellin Run in Green Bay, Gopher to Badger in Hudson.

According to one online database, the qualifications above amount to 172 races in Wisconsin.

This goal would, naturally, need a multiple year commitment, but the thing I'm most concerned with is the race fees. Budget just $30 per race and that's over $5,500 in fees alone, not to mention shoes, gear, and recovery beer.

But I still kind of want to pursue it. What do you think?

Interstate & International Races
While this goal may not specifically drive my day-to-day running in the short term, it's sort of a bucket list goal that I want to achieve. By "interstate" and "international" races I mean races that begin in one place and cross the border into another.

The Gopher-to-Badger and Ragnar Relay are good examples. Are there any that start in the U.S. and end in Canada? Because that would be awesome. And though it kind of scares me at the moment, the idea of a cross-country, days-long running goal interests me. I wouldn't be able to physically do that for at least another year, but it's on my radar. Think MS on the Run or Venture Expeditions. Naturally my heart for the nonprofit sector would need to be combined with such a marathon achievement.

Currently, I am scheduled to fulfill one new goal this summer: WI Sports Race Day.

The Brewers have been hosting a 5K event called, obviously, The Sausage Race 5K for a few years now. The Packers, in turn, started hosting a 5K to kick off training camp in 2010.

Unfortunately, for the past 2 years these events were held on the same day.

This year, however, the Packers 5K (they need to come up with a catchy name for this race) begins at 6:30 PM.

That means, crazy sports fans like myself, can run with the sausages in the morning at Miller Park, drive the equivalent of the Ragnar Relay up to Green Bay, and arrive in plenty of time to run the 5K through Lambeau Field (no leaping allowed).

So that's what I'm doing. And I'm checking it off the list. If you can think of any other fun races or endurance/fitness challenges I should undertake, let me know. 

____________________________________________________________ Current Couch Potato | Aspiring Runner
Mandi needs a new running goal! State-to-State? US-to-Canada? Elliptical marathon? She's looking for something weird and challenging. Leave a comment with your suggestion!


Follow her journey.
____________________________________________________________