This year’s theme is the spice of life. That’s right, it’s all about variety.
This challenge requires you to complete two of each of the following races: 1 mile, 5k, 5 mile, 10k, 15k, half marathon
Wow! That sounds like lots of running fun to me, and it will certainly add structure to your training and racing year.
Challenge Rules
- You must run exactly the race distance in a race. No running a 10k and counting it for two 5k’s or running a 15k and counting it as a 5k and a 10k. That would defeat the purpose of the challenge. One caveat, though: an 8k is almost exactly the same as five miles; so, you can count an 8k instead of the 5-mile race.
- You can count the run portion of a triathlon or duathlon as running that distance of race. For example, if you do an Olympic distance triathlon, the distance of the run will be 10k; you can count that as one of your 10k races.
- You must run these distances in actual races. Virtual races don’t count.
- As always, this is on the honor system.
Purpose and Benefit of the Spice of Life Challenge
Let’s say you prefer half marathons. Well, your half speed will be greatly improved by running shorter races because those races will end up being speed work for your half marathons.
On the other hand, if you prefer 5k’s or 10k’s, doing a couple of half marathons each year will make a 5k seem super short, and this will have a postive effect, mentally. It’ll be easier to push yourself harder for 3.1 miles when it seems ‘short,’ which it will when you compare it to a half marathon.
Running longer races when you usually run shorter races can help and how running shorter races when you usually run longer races will have a massive impact on your performance from a purely physical perspective, but there is more. It’s always good to challenge yourself to do something that is not easy nor comfortable. If you’re not good at it, then that’s a reason to do it. This will improve mental strength, and we all know how valuable that is to runners.
We all need to do things that seem difficult, participate in events that take us out of our comfort zones. I’m reminded of this quote:
Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. – Neale Donald Walsch
Let this challenge take you at least a few steps outside your comfort zone. You might be super surprised what you find waiting just a short distance outside that zone.
Accountability
You can email me to say “Add me to the online list of people competing in the challenge,” but you don’t have to do that to be a part of the challenge. Some people feel that will keep them accountable. This is something new with 2016. The list will be posted on the Facebook wall and on this website. I’ll post the link here in a few days.
If you want to be included in that list, just use the contact form to email me.
As always, I love it when you comment on the Mojo for Running Facebook page. Please stop by and comment about your progress. I’ll try to remember to ask people to weigh in on their progress every six weeks or so. You can even list your races or, better yet, post a pic of you at one of those races. I’d love that!
Now, go out there and make it an amazing year, and I hope the Mojo for Running 2016 Spice of Life Challenge is part of what makes it great.
