Good Morning Finishers!
My apologies for the late delivery of your weekly Monday Mug Thoughts. This week I wanted to do something a little different, and the research took me more time than I anticipated. Needless to say, I hope you still enjoy it!
I Need Races and You Might Too
This week I’ve been thinking a lot about races. Half and full marathon races that is.
In 2020, most marathons were canceled. This year, the landscape seems to be a bit more complicated. Some races are canceled, some are monitoring the situation closely, and others are 100% happening this year. The gradual rollout of the vaccine has increased hopes for many marathons, but we’ve all become vary familiar with the truth that nothing is for sure.
I am someone that needs to run races. If I don’t have something on the calendar to train for, then running becomes much more of a chore for me. I justify sleeping in more. I don’t put long runs on the schedule. I catch myself going through the motions and just checking the box each day. This isn’t an excuse, but more an observation that I’ve discovered about myself over 3 years of running.
You might need a race too.
Why Racing Really Helps
As human beings, we love to procrastinate. If we don’t HAVE to do something today, it’s very possible that we won’t. Most would say that running is a “priority” to them, but it’s often the first thing they give up when things like work, school, social life, or a little bit of extra sleep are in the mix. Since skipping your run doesn’t have an immediate consequence, it feels ok to do it.
This is why people fail. Justifying one missed workout often leads to missing another, then another, 3 more anothers, and finally you realize that you’re hardly ever running at all.
Here’s where having a race is helpful: it creates a deadline.
When you know that in 3 months you have to run 13.1 miles, and you can’t currently run more than 2 miles, you don’t have a choice but to get out of bed and train. If you don’t train, you’re not going to finish, and you’ll realize that the only reason you didn’t succeed is that you didn’t put in the work. Not a fun thing to admit to yourself 😞
Running in races is really fun too. Picture your friends and family standing at the finish line cheering you cross the finish line. This vision of pride and accomplishment will serve as fuel to get you through your training. Maybe you pick a race that's in a destination you’ve always wanted to visit and make a vacation out of it. For some, the idea of receiving a medal is enough reason to get up every day and train for a race.
The point I’m trying to make here is that challenging yourself with a race is one of the most effective ways to TRULY commit to training.
That’s not to say that everyone has to run a half marathon or full marathon to take running seriously. I know plenty of people that stay committed without the desire to run those distances.
I know for me though, signing up for races really helps, and if you’re already thinking about taking on the challenge in the future, I’d say now is as good as time as any.
List of Half / Full Marathons That Aren’t Canceled!
So with all that said, I wanted to provide for you all a list of marathons taking place from now through may that are still slated to happen. I've individually researched every race on this list to make sure it meets the following criteria:
The race has not been canceled
The race has a physical in-person option
The race has a half and full marathon option
I plan on doing another list for June through December in future mug thoughts and also a full analysis of each race on the website. If you’re thinking about doing a race, I don’t want anything to get in the way of that, so this is my way of trying to make it as easy as possible.
Take a look through the list and see what races stand out to you. Find one you like, get your butt signed up, and comment on the blog post which one you decided on. Maybe I’ll sign up to run with you!
Note: I’ll be creating a page on the M1F website that will have all these races listed along with insight on Boston qualifying races, best scenery, coolest SWAG, and overall top race recommendations. Stay tuned!
March
DFW Metroplex Marathon / Half Marathon - Fort Worth, TX (March 7)
San Antonio Marathon: Run the Alamo - San Antonio, TX (March 7)
St Patty's Marathon (Semper Fi Fund) - Washington D.C. (March 14th)
Yuengling Shamrock Marathon - Virginia Beach, VA (March 19-21)
April
Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon - Louisville, KY (April 22 - 25)
Deleware marathon running festival - Wilmington, DE (April 25)
May
If you want to “some day” run a marathon, I want to tell you that we can make “some day” happen sooner than you think. I know the challenge seems impossible at the moment, but that’s exactly what makes completing it so freaken special.
Please let me know if you have any questions at all about this. It’s a big commitment for sure and I want to make sure you have all of the information and support you need before you make it. Whether it’s about the race itself, or what training for a race might look like, I’m here for it all!
Like always, thanks so much for reading Monday Mugs, and for letting me challenge you all to do hard things. Let’s make a splash in 2021 and get you to the finish line 💦🏅
Cheers,
Zack
New to M1F?
My First Finish is an online running platform that helps people achieve their running goals. We provide fully customized training plans, daily accountability, and a supportive community of runners to help you unlock your fullest potential.
If you have dreams of running a half / full marathon or just want to make running a part of your life, you can signup and get two weeks of training completely free. Check us out!