I've been working on planning out my life lately. Well, not my entire life but certainly my racing and speaking schedule. When I say "planning" what I mean is praying about all the fun things I'd like to do with my friends and family. I do NOT mean planning all those "other" things like budgets and doctors' visits and meal plans. Boring! Today I added two events to my 2024 calendar. Here they are:
1. Run the Bolder Boulder 10K (6.2 miles) in Colorado for the second year in a row. I love this race because it's so -- Colorado-ish.
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| At mile 5 of the Bolder Boulder in 2023. |
Entering the stadium along with 50,000 other runners alone is worth the plane fare, not to mention being a part of the world's greatest Memorial Day tribute.
The event is scheduled for May 27 -- Memorial Day.
2. While in the Centennial State I'll have the pleasure of speaking in the Sunday morning service at Summit Church Denver, where a couple of my former students shepherd. This will be on May 26. In addition, I'm on the verge of deciding which marathon I will (Lord willing) do in 2024, as well as which triathlons (I usually do 2 of these per year) and 10-milers I'll sign up for. I'm not sure I will do another ultramarathon purely because of the amount of training and effort that goes into running a 32-mile race. If all I had to do every day was train, that would be one thing, but in addition to running I need to continue to train hard at the gym. And, to be honest, I don't miss running ultras because they really beat you up. So in 2024 I still hope to do enough races to give you that runner's high while also enjoying the challenge of those other disciplines.
Of course, I definitely plan to get back on a surfboard in Hawaii in August and maybe even climb another Alp in July but that is TBD.
Here's to a 2024 filled with races, new challenges, and lots of massages. As we enter the new year, I will remember that I can do hard things and I've never backed down from a challenge. I will embrace the suck that can accompany hard training and know that it is all a part of reaching one's goals.
How are your goals shaping up for 2024?