2014 Race Schedule so far

So here's what's on tap for 2014 so far, for my records as much as anything.  An asterisk means I'm registered, and the rest are penciled in the calendar.  I'm tickled pink to be starting off the season with a trail run!

Really happened, not far from here

April 13th*   
The Gauntlet - George Rogers Clark Park, Springfield OH  
a 2pm Sunday trail 5k with a Revolutionary War cannon as it's starting gun, modeled after the Native American (and particularly Shawnee) custom of running captives between rows of stick-welding angry locals.  Usually naked.  Gauntlet survivors would be adopted, married, or martyred as the Shawnee saw fit.  We just get a t-shirt.  

May 3rd*  

Flying Pig Marathon Toyota 10K - Cincinnati Ohio

Flying Pig on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River

My introduction to the glory that is the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon weekend, without the two mile long uphills of the half marathon. This starts out in the thick of downtown Cincinnati and crosses over to Kentucky and back on historic bridges... and more importantly, the bridges are the only big hills.  Running this with Kate, yay!

May 9th
The Whiskey Run 5k - Troy, Ohio
This will be the first year for this race and there's not much info available, but I like night runs, and I certainly like whiskey, so let's do it - 7pm start.

June 7th
Gauntlet Trail Run - Greenville, Ohio

Yes, this is me doing the Mud Ninja in '13.
So hard. So much mud. So many profanities.
I was bruised everywhere for weeks.

Gauntlet, gauntlet, gauntlet, what's with all the gauntlets?  I guess we're just enchanted by the idea of being tortured by Native Americans. (it's, um, like, sooo... spiritual.  /eyeroll).  Since the Great Spirit has endowed the Miami Valley with another military-style mud run, this one is a "definite maybe" to do with my niece and nephew.  They are both pretty badass in both the running and doing-things-boldly departments, so I will have to SERIOUSLY step up.

June 12th
Mission Possible 5k - Tipp City, Ohio
St. John's Catholic Church in Tipp sends teens and adults on short missions around the US.  Their Young Neighbors in Action and Just 5 Days groups will be traveling to San Francisco,  Cleveland, and St. Joseph, MI to work in homeless shelters and soup kitchens, do tutoring and recreational programs, and make minor home repairs to those in need.  It sounds like an honest-to-goodness nice charity run, and Tipp City is such a great little town for races! And... it's at night.  Yay, evenings! (6:30 pm)

June 28th*
Donut Dash - Island Metro Park, Dayton Ohio
"5K Run-Walk-Hobble-Crawl-Roll-Twitch" This 8:30am race takes 3 minutes off your finish time for each donut you eat at two "donut stations" along the 5k course.  Win-Win-WIN.  Kids run a competitive mile afterwards for free, and donuts for all throughout.

August 2nd*
The Color Run - Cincinnati 
I figured this would be a one-and-done thing, but it truly is the Happiest 5K on the Planet, as trite as that may sound.  If you could somehow coordinate a WWII-style aerial bombing of all Color Runs, it would decisively cleanse hipsters from the Earth, but don't be scared:  when you attend the Color Run you'll find the hipsters at their least bitchy, and the normal people downright pleasant.  This is not a "run" in the competitive sense but an experience. Also, if you're still listening to the pop hits from 2003 like me, about 45 minutes at the Color Run After-Party will get you up to speed on current popular music; every song I recognized from the Grammies I heard first, at 6400 dB, covered in sweat-soaked rainbow cornstarch.  Mucho family friendly fun (kids under 6 run with a parent for free!).

Me, Leyna, Kate, and Tabby with my runs-for-free kid in front, post-Color

September 19th*
Air Force Marathon 5K - Wright State University, Dayton Ohio
Sebastian's first evah race.  I believe he does not yet know that I am also signed up for it. Whether we walk or run, it'll be fun to do it together.  Huh huh huh, "do it."

September 20th*
Air Force Half Marathon - WPAFB Dayton, Ohio
In addition to two half marathons again this fall, I thought I'd set the bar slightly higher and try my first ever back-to-back races, just about 12 hours apart.  We'll call the AF 5k a warm up to the AF Half the following morning.  I may just park in the main course lot that evening and sleep in the car.  (I will not actually sleep in my car.)

October 4th
Waynesville Cabbage Roll Festival 5k
It makes me crazy that we've lived in Dayton for... goodness, six years? - and I've never been to Waynesville.  We have friends from there.  It's apparently just oozing history and charm, and there's a festival dedicated to cabbage rolls!  So this year, for the love of God, I WILL visit, and damnit, I'll pay $25 to get a t-shirt commemorating those three miles of hasty, sweaty visiting too.

October 19th*
Detroit Free Press International Half Marathon - Detroit, Michigan
7am is apparently a grand time to see the sun rising from the Ambassador Bridge, and I look forward to that and running over the Detroit River to Canada and then running back into the US, under the Detroit River.  Windsor Tunnel Anti-Panic Attack training will be as important as regular half training, since vodka (a la Meg Ryan in French Kiss) should not will not be an option.

November 1st
All Sole's Run/Walk - Brunner Literacy Center 5k
A great little run supporting a local charity that is almost ENTIRELY volunteer driven (there are 2 paid employees), serving over 250 clients in the North Dayton/Trotwood communities with free literacy, ESL and life skills tutoring.  A good way to end the racing season, with a long sleeve shirt and volunteers on site making balloon animals.

And that's the 2014 plan, so we'll see how it goes!