What’s on your bucket list?
Ever heard of Joy Johnson? She’s the 86 year-old (the oldest in this year’s race) who finished the New York Marathon (her 25th), then died shortly afterward. Her epitaph might read: “I want to die running”. She’s been telling the press and her family that since at least 2008. The Wall Street Journal wrote a great tribute of her linking to the 2008 WSJ wrote about her. See http://ow.ly/qwZDU for recent story from WSJ with link to 2008 story. She even got to talk with Al Roker on NBC’s Today Show the day she died. I was very inspired by her story, even by her ability to shave more than an hour off here marathon while in her 80s.
What running dreams do I still have while I’m still young? (No, I’m not an ancient artifact-stop it!) I’m about half Joy’s age. I better figure out what I want to do next, what bucket races and runs there are. I need to make some running/racing decisions and this exercise will help. When you reach your forties, you become more aware of your mortality. You become concerned about how much time you really have. As an asthmatic, I don’t know how many good running years I have remaining, either. I’ve been blessed with good health since my asthma has been brought under control and thank God for that! God willing, I’d love to run til I’m 100!
So here goes my first attempt at a running bucket list, in no particular order, unlimited by practicality:
1. Run a marathon in all 50 states. OK, so this might take a few years. So far I’ve run marathons in Texas, Nebraska, Colorado, and New York. 46 states to go! Any ideas? Send them to me! Seriously! I’ll pin them!
2. Run the Dublin Marathon or Cork Marathon* in Ireland.
3. Run a 5k race under 20 minutes.
4. Break my 10k PR.
5. Become a Half-Marathon Maniac.
6. Run races with my wife, hopefully at least one full marathon.
7. Run 1 ultramarathon. Target: 50k-100k.
*8. Run the Great Wall of China Marathon.
9. Run 2 “vacation” marathons in the next 2 years (I’m talkin’ to you Missoula 2014!).
10. Run a race barefoot.
11. Win a race (not just against my family either;-)
12. Learn Chi Running.
13. Run a race in snow.
14. Race in the rain.
15. Run a Ragnar Relay.
16. Run a sub-4 marathon. Again!
*17. Qualify for Boston marathon/BQ. This was my Dad’s announced dream to us when we were kids. It rubbed off on me. Obviously this is the biggest stretch goal.
18. Run Boston Marathon at least once.
19. Smash my marathon PR–sub-3:26.
20. Watch Boston Marathon as a spectator.
21. Write or co-write a running book.
22. Create a running podcast, maybe where I tag team with other runners?
23. Run detached without my Garmin watch or phone at least once-twice per month. This will be challenging for me!
24. Have fun while running!
25. Tell everyone I know about how great running is!
What are your running bucket goals? Fill your bucket, DREAM BIG and chase them!
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I love this bucket list!!! There are some good ones on here.
I also would LOVE to do the great wall of China race. That would be AMAZING.
The BQ sounds hard to reach, but even if you just maintain fitness and your PR pace until you are 50 you will qualify- unless they change the standards!
Thanks for sharing! I might have to borrow a few of these. 🙂
Thanks Raina! Looking forward to tackling these.
This is quite the list and different from most bucket lists I’ve seen out there. Your list is all about the experience and not about the events, nicely done. I share the ultramarathon goal with you, I might give it a shot next year. Great list and like Raina said I may steal an item or two.
Thanks Augusto, tried to make it an incrementally balanced list. Some easier than others.
How about the Equinox Marathon in Fairbanks, AK in September?
Angela, Thanks for the suggestion, I’ll put it on my List! -Jeremy