Not Quite 40 - 40 Mile Run

For the past few years I have tried to find a way to celebrate my birthday (month) by doing something that will stretch me and challenge me.

• In 2013 I ran 36 laps around a local track to celebrate my 36th birthday. 
• In 2014 I ran the Inaugural Dopey Challenge at Disney. Four races in four days. Starting with a 5k and going all the way up to a full marathon. 
• In 2015 I ran my first 50 mile race the Cloudland Canyon 50 mile run put on by RunBum Tours.

This year is no different as I decided to create my own challenge to celebrate my 39th Birthday by running 40 miles at a local park. I have decided to call the event Adam's Not Quite 40 - 40 Mile Run!

The Challenge:

On January, 30th I will be running a 2 mile paved loop around Veterans Park in Watkinsville, GA. Each loop I will be stopping by my car to mark off a count sheet to mark my progress. I will need to make 20 laps around the park to run 40 miles.

I have a friend, Ross, who is planning on doing the whole challenge with me, and there are other friends who are planning on coming out to run 1 or 2 laps with me. This will also be a kind of training run for Ross and me as we are both signed up for the Georgia Death Race in March. 

Only a crazy ultra runner celebrates his birthday by running really far, but it's a way to make your birthday memorable!

Running Review of 2014

Last year was probably one of the biggest running years I've ever had.  I ran a bunch of miles, ran a bunch of races, and had fun smiling along the way.  It was also a year in which I learned a lot.  Here is a quick rundown of 2014.

• I started off the year by running the Dopey Challenge at Disney.  This was the inaugural year of the Dopey Challenge in which we ran a 5k on Thursday, 10k on Friday, Half Marathon on Saturday, and Marathon on Sunday.  It was a great experience and a lot of fun to do with my dad.  I even did the Mickey Mile with the kids, so I got an extra mile in those 4 days! :-)
• In February I ran the Thrill in the Hills Marathon at Ft. Yargo for the second time.  This was not a good day for me.  I ended up getting sick and not having a great day, but I still pushed through and finished.
• In March I ran three 5k races in less than 24hrs, and was able to improve my time with each race.  I even got a third, second, and first in age group awards!
• In April I ran the Chick-fil-a Half Marathon in Athens and was able to set a new PR for the half marathon with a time of 1:41:20.
• In May I ran my second 50k, the Oconee 50k, in Mountain Rest, SC.  I set a new PR in the 50k with a time of 5:47:09. (Race Report)
• In August I ran the Dirty Spokes Red Top Roaster 9.9.
• In September I ran the Dirty Spokes Hard Labor Creek 7.5 in the morning and then ran the Titan Twilight 5k in the evening.
• In November I ran the Tortoise and the Hare 50k.  In this race I finished 12th overall and 1st in my age group. (Race Report)
• I also have been working my way through at 50 mile race training plan since September.
• In 2014 I set a goal to run 1,000 miles and ended up running 1,208 miles for the year.

Overall it was a great 2014!  I ran a lot, set some new PR's, exceeded some goals, stayed injury free, and made some new friends.  Looking forward to what 2015 is going to bring!

How did your year go?