MFR 114: Destination Races
Whether you’ve travelled to Podunk or New York City, on a plane or in a car, with four friends or 24, you know that a destination race is the bomb; you know how much fun that can be. If you haven’t travelled to do an out-of-town race with friends, you really, really should.
Look at the faces in that picture. The photographer didn’t have to tell anyone to smile, believe me.
When people do their first marathon, I always say, “Your legs will recover in a few days, but your smile muscles will be hurting for weeks.” Well, it’s that way with destination races, too, whether you’re doing one of the long races or you just along to support the group, your smile muscles will be activated again and again for months when you think of that trip. Every time one of the memories sneaks into your consciousness, you’ll realize you’re smiling – again.
Imagine sharing the experience of a great trip, an amazing vacation, and a spectacular race with a dozen running friends, or a few dozen. Yeah, it really is that much fun.
In this episode, my goal is to provide you with the information you need to make it happen. I wish it for every runner of every level. Sharing the adventure with running friends increases the intensity of every element of the race and the trip. You’ll make new friends, lifelong friends, and the bonds with your current friends will grow that much stronger.
Imagine being in another state, far away from home. You’re nearing the finish line, and you see your running friends along the course, cheering. After you finish, you make your way to be there when the next person crosses.
A few hours later, you’re celebrating over a great meal surrounded by those same friends, toasting the day’s accomplishments, sharing for the first time, stories that you’ll be telling for the rest of your life.
In this episode, I provide the details you’ll need to help your running group or running club plan the excursion, along with a framework to use to select an appropriate destination race. There is much to consider, such as size, location, proximity to an airport, the race’s reputation, and much more, but evaluating the possibilities is part of the fun.
“Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.” -Dalai Lama
“If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine, it is lethal.” -Paulo Coelho
“Better to see something once, than to hear about it a thousand times.” Asian Proverb
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.”
“Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends … The mind can never break off from the journey.” Pat Conroy
“We travel not to escape life but for life not to escape us.” Budget Travel
“Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.”
“If at some point you don’t ask yourself, “What hae I gotten myself into?, then you’re not doing it right.” -Roland Gau
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.” – Mark Twain