When the August 2012 edition of Runner’s World magazine came in the mail about a month ago I noticed at the top it said “Half-Marathon Special.”  This got my attention because I had just run my first half marathon back in February and I was currently preparing to run another in the next 4 to 6 weeks.

Reading through the magazine I learned a lot of great information about half marathon’s.  It shared the history of the half marathon, listed famous people who have run them, highlighted some of the most popular races, and a lot of other great information.  If you are interested in half marathon’s I would highly recommend picking up this issue.

Along with all the great information I read about I also learned there are a few clubs that focus on running half marathons with some very lofty goals.  The ones that really caught my attention were the ones whose members plan to run half marathons in all 50 states or run 100 half marathons.

After finding out about these clubs and their goals I immediately started considering pursuing one of them.  But I was not sure which one.  Initially both seemed appealing to me. They would require a lot of training, travel, and I know I would have some amazing experiences.

Even though both of these goals had a lot of positive reasons to pursue them I also had some significant obstacles in my way.  The most notable being the impact it would have on my family.  Having 3 kids our family is already stretched in many different directions and it would be hard to travel the amount required to accomplish the goals for either of these clubs.  I also had to consider the fact that I coach youth basketball on the weekends for 8 months out of the year which would limit how many half marathons I would be able to run.  Then there is the fact that the city and state I live in has a lot of great races throughout the year and several of them are ones that I plan to participate in every year.

Considering all the of the obstacles in front of me I did not think it would be very feasible for me to try to take on either  the goal of running a 100 half marathons or running a half marathon in 50 states at this time.  I just could not see a way for either to realistically fit into my current lifestyle.

This presented a problem for me.  Being very goal focused I really wanted a significant running goal similar to the ones I had read about.  One that I would have to work very hard towards, that would take several years to accomplish, and that would be challenging for me but achievable at the same time.

Knowing that I could not currently work towards the goals of a half marathon in 50 states or 100 half marathons I decided to come up with my own goal.  I thought about all the pro’s and con’s of the goals of the two clubs.  I then factored in what my running had been like for the past 6 months along with my current race plans for the next 6 months.  From this I was able to come up with a goal that I believe fits my needs.

I am calling it 150 By 50.  It basically means I am planning on running a 150 races by my 50th birthday.  Not just any 150 races either.  I plan to run at least 70 half marathons or marathons and 80 5K races or farther.  Since I am just a couple of months from my 41st birthday I only have just over 9 years to accomplish this goal.  I believe a 150 races in that time in itself is going to be a challenge and will take dedication on my part.  However, by setting the additional stipulation on how many of them have to be half marathons or marathons it ensures that I am truly stretching myself and doing something that will really push me both physically and mentally for a significant period of time.

Having a goal that I know is going to take hard work, dedication, and the better part of 10 years to complete really excites me.  I know by deciding to take on this goal it will help me to live a healthier life, I will get to meet some great people along the way, and I will have some amazing experiences over the years to come.

This is definitely one of those goals that will have a huge impact on the person I will become in the years ahead.  It is one of those goals that also has the potential to have a very positive impact on my life and the people around me.  Most notably my family.  I hope my example will motivate them to live healthy lives, to have worthy goals, and to take on challenges that will push them to be their best at whatever they choose to do in life.