12 Marathons in 12 Months

   

     In 2017, I promised my then fiance that I would not run in an ultra race in 2018.  She wanted a year off after doing my first 50 mile race in 2016 and attempting my first 100 mile race in 2017, both of which where in Leadville, Colorado.  Julie Anne said, "You can do any marathons you want, but just give me one year of not crewing an ultra."

Does anyone else see a loophole in that statement?

Late in 2017, I decided I would try to do as many marathons as I could within the state of Ohio.  Being a born and bred Clevelander, of course the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon was #1 on my list.  I've run it, or the half marathon, 8 times before and I've always taken pride that it is my hometown race.  It is a well organized race that has only gotten better since my first race in 2010.  The course, the aid stations, the crowd support and even the expo have all made marked improvements, which is tough for a race not nearly as iconic as Boston. The Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon team has done great work to make this a race that is as good as any other out there.

As of right now the biggest difficulty I see in this challenge is ensuring that I have enough time of of work to make it to the races.  Pharmacists, like myself, work weekends and various shifts.  There are a few races I signed up for that are actually on my weekend to work.  The Glass City Marathon (Toledo, Ohio) is one of these races. This means I will have to drive to Toledo Saturat night, run the marathon in the morning, shower, and drive back to Cleveland for 8 hours of work later in the day.  Needless to say that Monday will be a bit of a rest day for me.

I will definitely do my best to get out a timely race report for each of these races, comparing them to the other races I've done in the past as well as the other marathons in Ohio.  Ohio is not a state that emboldens itself to running year round.  With our summer heat and our frigid and snowy winters, most of the marathons we have are crammed into the Spring and Fall months.  Back to back weekends of marathon racing will need to be done to complete this challenge that I set for myself. I'm in no way Dean Karnazes but challenges like this are what keep running fun for me and keep me motivated.

As of this moment, here are the races I plan on doing.  Some of them you might have heard of (did I mention I'm an ambassador for the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon) and some you may not have:

Run for Regis - 1/20/18
Old Girlded Grit - 2/24/18
Glass City Marathon - 4/22/18
Pro Football Hall of Fame Marathon - 4/29/18
Flying Pig Marathon - 5/6/18
Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon - 5/20/18
Youngstown Marathon - 6/3/18
Mohican Marathon - 6/16/18
Air Force Marathon - 9/15/18
Akron Marathon - 9/29/15
Buckeye Trail Run - 10/6/18 (Maybe)
Towpath Marathon - 10/7/18
Columbus Marathon - 10/21/18
Cleveland Fall Classic Half Marathon - 11/??/18 (Victory lap, if done by then)

(Reference site for all marathons in Ohio)

These races cover all of the biggest cities in Ohio and some of our awesome trail systems we have.  I'm by no means planning on winning any of these races, or even finishing high enough to brag about it.  This challenge is about consistency, proving to myself I can do it and showing how far an average runner can push themselves with some proper dedication, hard work and time sunk in.  I'm a firm believer that everyone needs people to help hold them accountable of their goals, this blog (and Julie Anne) will should help lock me in to keep training. I will post occasional workout logs and training when I can/I run out of new ideas to write about.

As a challenge to any blog readers I have out there, are you going to join me for any of these races?  Nothing beats showing up race day and seeing the faces of friends running with you!  If you aren't running but plan on going to the race to support others, any and all of your support is appreciated. The crowd and volunteers are what makes these races great and possible!  I'll gladly take a selfie with anyone helps cheer me on!  Sweaty hugs are also free.  I'll save the sweaty kisses for my wife. ;-)