The ‘Ol Bucket List – Race Edition

I think every runner has a few races that they want to run before their legs fall off. Admittedly, I haven’t been running very long – yet I’ve already begun to compile my list of desired races. Without further ado, here are the chosen ones:

1. Steamtown Marathon – It’s a close marathon (3 hours) that has the small town feel with a copious amount of volunteers and spectators. I read all about the pounding down hills and the completely inappropriate uphill ending, but what I haven’t read is one bad thing about this marathon. As long as you train for hills, you will be able to handle the course. Plus, I know the informational emails from the race director are hilarious, I really nerd-ed it up last week and read all of last years emails in the marathon’s online forum. Count me in. I need to be entertained while simultaneously being reminded that three months prior I thought signing up for a 26.2 mile run would be a good idea.

2. The Krispy Kreme Challenge – Run two miles: eat a dozen donuts: run back two miles: all under an hour. Participating in this race means breaking the holy vow of veganism (amen), but I don’t think I can resist. It’s not even that I secretly covet Krispy Kreme donuts, it’s more about pushing my body to the most un-athletic limits possible and still being able to brag about my tough weekend challenge to those who naively believe this race is just being sponsored by the donut giant. I might even rig up some sort of glazed donut medal for myself – because any race where Homer Simpson has a legitimate chance of winning is a race that obviously merits a medal.

3. Big Sur – Everyone knows that the majestic scenery is the reasoning behind running this particular race – so there’s no need to really expand here. Let me clarify why this race won’t be happening anytime soon though – Big Sur is not a race for the frugal or economically challenged and I just paid for my McDonald’s coffee this morning in dimes.

4. Gold Rush Days Burro Race – This race takes place in Colorado and is part of a weekend that celebrates the old west gold rush. One of the festivities is running 12.5 miles with a burro that may, or may not, feel like running with your sorry arse. I’m all about the quirky races, and now that I’m aware of a race where I can run with a stubborn burro exists, the comical implications are boundless. Unfortunately this falls into the same financial pitfalls of traveling that Big Sur is in – so unless I can convince the alabaster runner to plan our yearly vacation around me pleading with a stinky horse-wannabe to run, while A.R. blisters in the sun, this race might boil on the back burner for awhile.

5. Zombie 5K – as long as I can find a zombie race within a 60 mile radius of Hellam, I will be more than happy to sign up. I’m pretty lenient on the “requirements” for this race – just so that I can dress up as a zombie and run aimlessly around on the course. On the other hand, I could run as a victim and test the theory whether or not I would ever trip my husband during a zombie attack and leave him for dead. Final decision: he would want me to leave him – I’m fairly certain this exact situation was addressed in the wedding vows.

As I grow as a runner and hopefully pick up the speed a little bit, I believe this list will mature as well. For right now though, I’m content with these little racing nuggets and can’t wait until I can start crossing them off.

Start slowly, then taper off....

Since this is my first blog, I'll do a quick background check on myself and give you the basics...

This is me....

This is my insanely smart pug (thank you TIME Magaine), Hershey.....

and this is what a zombie looks like running....

This is how the three are related to one another, follow the bouncing ball on this one - I love to run, I'm trying to get Hershey to run more than 1/2 mile, and my pace is slightly faster than that of a zombie. It's not as smooth as a Kevin Bacon connection, but you get the idea. Maybe.

Let me clarify by breaking down the basics about myself in order to have this blogging endeavor make sense.

1. I run a crazy fast 10 m/m, which actually gets even slower as I go over the bajillion hills in my neighborhood. I imagine to those watching me I must resemble something of a perkier zombie trolling about the streets. Basically, I need to incorporate some more speedwork into my runs. I'll pencil that right in.

2. My darling husband Travis is my running partner and because he's so - what's the phrase - alabaster white, he tends to bogart the sunscreen on hotter runs.

3. One of my goals is to run a doggie dash with my lovable pug Hershey, but she doesn't have the dedication of the Olympic althetes that I hoped she would possess. She's actually sleeping right now, clearly the ten hours she slept while I was at work didn't cut the mustard today.

4. My shoe of choice is the Vibram Bikila with shoelaces, that's right, the brand spanking new edition! Woot! Although I love minimalist shoes, I respect anyone's shoe choice - this is a safe place. Let's hug it out.

5. I recently ran my first marathon, the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon on 3/20/2011. I don't want to say it didn't go well, but I will most definitely not be purchasing the outrageously priced race photos of myself HOBBLING to the finish. (Of course there's not one friggin' photo of me running the first 21 miles of the race - that would be crazy, who would want a running photo to commemerate their first marathon?)

6. Whenever I initially type "marathon", I always stick a "g" on it and come up with "marathong". I had to edit this inital post six times to correct that mistake already. You're welcome for the little gem of knowledge.

7. I want to connect with other runners and talk about how Under Armour is ridicously expensive, how I know the weather forecast for the next ten days, and complain about how women's race shirts always fit poorly (that is bull crappity - ).

Have patience with the blog, this is something new for me - and I really don't even like the word blogging. I'd like to think I'm writing on the internet with flare. Please feel free to comment and I'll be back soon.

Outtie.