The downside of running a half in every state

~ Chocolaterunsjudy

Are you a repeat offender or a one and done runner?

That’s the question this week’s  Tuesdays on the Run linkup asks.

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Delmar Dash — I’ve run it 4 times so far

Repeat offender locally
I may not race nearly as much as some of my blogger friends, but the races I love locally, I do. Again and again and again. If I’m in town and healthy.

I wish I could say it’s because I know the course like the back of my hand, but that would be a lie. I may have some insight into the course if I’ve run it 3 or 4 times, but I swear even races I’ve done multiple times just get all jumbled up in my brain.

It’s why I sort of suck at race recaps.

I do know if the food is good, or the course is flat, if there’s a massage afterwards, or if it’s a small or big field.

It’s also the one time I get to sleep in  my own bed and go out to race, since I travel for all my halfs.

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See, sometimes I can be silly; one & done in ME

One & done halfs
My goal of running a half in every state keeps me motivated. Sure, there are days I don’t feel like running — the days when it’s “I have to run”, rather than “I get to run”. Having that big goal motivates me enough that I never lose my running mojo — at least not yet.

There are times when I wish I could have a do-over — like I wish I could run last Saturday’s race with much better weather and a whole lot more water. Not just because it could have been a PR, but because I would have enjoyed it more.

And I still really wonder what I could do in Vegas now that I know (sort of) what I’m doing.

I decided on the run a half in every state goal in 2013, I think, or maybe at the end of 2012. So 3-4 years later, I’m only 1/5 through. Which means there are still 40 states out there to run! And I am 54.

I want to enjoy my races, though, so even though sometimes I might bite off more than I can chew, I’m not going to just suddenly try to go out and run a half every month (in a different state, mind you). Although occasionally it’s tempting, I won’t lie — I mean, once you’re trained up, it’s just a matter of keeping up your cardiovascular fitness (and keeping up with the chiro, the PT, the massages . . . so yeah, not really so simple).

It’s also sometimes incredibly hard to choose a half. Especially in the larger states, like CA or my home state of NY. There are so many. And it’s not just about me, either, there’s Mr. Judy to consider, too.

So I am both a repeat offender and monogamous, I suppose you could say. How bout you?

Is it comforting to know the course?
Or more exciting to run a new course?
Tuesdays on the Run

I’m linking up today with MCM Mama Runs, Marcia’s Healthy Slice, and My No Guilt Life for the Tuesdays on the Run linkup.

36 thoughts on “The downside of running a half in every state”

  1. I salute you. Even the ambition to run 5K, never mind a half, in every state boggles the mind. But I’m not a racer, merely a solitary runner. I’ve run about a half dozen 5Ks in my five year “career.” Except for my first, run with one friend and family in attendance, they’ve all been fund-raisers, the only reason I ran them at all. I wish I enjoyed them more; it would be fun to run with others occasionally, but most of the 5Ks in which I’ve participated I didn’t know anyone and I found it stressful and lonely. God bless those who travel across the country to run “alone with strangers.” You are intrepid.

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    1. Connie, at pretty much every race I’ve ever traveled to, I’ve chatted with the people in the corral/wave/whatever with me, and we often have so much in common. And I’m an introvert!

      But I also find racing exciting (as long as I’m not injured), so I am probably more chatty than I might normally be at races, too.

      Always more fun with friends, though.

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  4. I do not race much at all! I am only on half # 9 – but i have discovered I like repeating a course. I love knowing what to expect! I do feel like once i have done really well on a course though, I hate to go back and “ruin” it lol I don’t think I will ever run my local half as fast as I did last year, but I am trying to not let that keep me away 🙂

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  5. I LOVE to race as you know. I would run one every weekend if I had the time and the money. If I like a race, I do repeat but only for local ones. However, for halfs since there are so many, I do not repeat. I haven’t even done all the local ones yet.

    I see you deleted your earlier post. I tried to respond to your weather one which was very appropriate for today but not on the schedule.

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  6. Local races are so convenient, they’re easy to run again and again. I do like to “know” the course. although just driving it will help me get my head around it. So when’s your Chicago half going to happen??

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    2. Oops, hit the wrong button. The answer is I’ve no idea! We’re still trying to do the ones closer to home but that got kind of turned upside down this yr (except for ME).

      I’ll probably look into a smaller race in IL because Mr. Judy hates crowds but you never know!

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  7. I do run a local 5K every year…I guess this will be the 6th time. It’s a tradition now. I suppose only day I’d like to actually run Las Vegas and San Jose. But maybe not.

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    1. If I were you, I probably wouldn’t do Vegas again, but maybe SJ since you’re right there!

      I have a few that could’ve been much better races given better conditions, but onward & upward!

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  8. I do local races for the smaller distances. I did my second half in Dallas, and I was disappointed with the post-race support. I know not all half marathons are like that here, but it did disappoint me enough.

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  9. the one half in every state was my goal before the knee flare up…so now shifting to a race in every state…totally doable right 😉

    So awesome you working to accomplish the 50 in 50!

    I am a repeat runner with the local race club but outside of that, i really don’t find the desire to re race a race….kind of feel like…been there done that!

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  10. I agree, it’s exciting to run a new course, especially in a different city, but it’s also nice when you have those hometown races that you can rely on year after year. I have a few favorite races, but I really love trying new places!

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  11. I don’t remember race details much either. Unless there is something really individual about it (like crappy weather, or a BIG hill, or someone saying something at a given time) but otherwise, I don’t have a memory for details like that. I just sign up, then check the details. I should check the details first though because I have had a couple bad surprises. But hey, that’s what keeps racing interesting.

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    1. Even when you think you’ve checked the details, sometimes there’s still surprises.

      Like I could’ve sworn I’d checked to make sure dogs were allowed, only to see on the FAQ the night before that they weren’t allowed at the start or finish line.

      So we took Lola anyway, but my husband didn’t go near the start or finish line. I was sure there would be other dogs there, too, and there were.

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  12. Racing a half in every state sounds hard but so rewarding. It must be so much fun to run around all of these new cities. I sometimes run the same race multiple times and sometimes I only run it once. Because I move so much, races don’t tend to stay local for long, so I have managed to accumulate a lot of different races through the years.

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  13. Running a half in every state is going to be a great way to see the country! And no better way to see a new city than run through it! Do you have a map you color in? You need a map in all different colors just so you can see your accomplishment thus far, it’s kinda fun! 😀

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  14. I chuckled at your mention of not remembering much about races courses even if you do the race more than once. I have the same problem. I think that’s why I do races more than once too 🙂 I may even have that trouble on my regular running routes. My running partner laughs her butt off whenever I ask if something has always been there. Because we’ve run by it 80000 times.

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