Grasmere, Helena, Paris, Philadelphia, Woodstock + Texas Grasslands
Races you'll love running + weekly recommendations
Three weeks.
That’s all there is left in 2023… which just astounds me. That can’t be all the time left in the year, right? Where did it go? How did this happen?
It’ll soon be time for me to take a brief break from writing to you, but not to worry — I’ll be back in action on the first of the new year, when we’ll get started on training together for the races we’ll run in 2024. (And, for another race where we can meet up to run in-person together, probably in mid- to late spring — stay tuned on that.)
Thanks to everyone who took the time to answer this past Friday’s open thread, in which I asked for your thoughts and ideas about what you’d like to see here in the coming year.
I noticed a couple of themes: one, I didn’t see many (any?) requests for granular information on training; nothing about how to get faster or stronger. There were plenty of requests, though, on “running for life,” or what I interpret as using running to sustain and improve your life. (If I’ve got that right.)
Also, I noticed a few asks for ways for subscribers to form connections, which I take to mean real-life, in-person connections — that’s something I’m really excited to hear, and would like to make a reality next year, whether that’s establishing groups in different cities so you can get together to run in-person on a regular basis, or whatever shape you’d like it to take.
The end of the year is a natural time to reflect on where we’ve been and where we’re going, and it seems that — now that we’re coming up on almost nine years for The Half Marathoner — community and connection is the glue, the magic that keeps this building and growing, even after all these years.
I know it’s what makes it so much fun for me to write, to know you’re out there and that it matters to you — and, moreover, that the people here matter to each of you. You matter to each other, and you’ve helped create this space as much as I have.
Let’s look to build on that even more next year — with in-person meetups like the one we recently did in Virginia for the Richmond Half Marathon, and groups that can meet regularly around the country. (And even the world?)
Is that something you’d be interested in, as part of your membership here? Let me know if it is — and in the meantime, have an amazing run out there, and stay safe in the cold!
Your friend,
— Terrell
🏃 To run
🏞️ Grasslands Trail Run Marathon, Half, 50-Mile + 100-Mile. With more than 20,000 acres of rural grasslands in the Texas backcountry, the Caddo and Lyndon B. Johnson National Grasslands are where you’ll run this early springtime race, designed for those ready for real trail running conditions — which means you’ll need to be ready to run across streams and through muddy bogs, as well as sand and underbrush. The terrain for the race consists of a mix of gravel, single-track trails and dirt trails along a number of rolling hills, as well as a mixture of pine and oak grove forests and wide-open prairie grasslands, from which the park takes its name. And the animals you may encounter along the way include horses and cows, who frequently share the trails with you as you run. Set for March 16, 2024.
🇫🇷 Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris. A running/sight-seeing tour of many of the most famous spots in Paris, including stretches that run past the Eiffel Tower, Rue de Rivoli, Notre Dame cathedral, down the Champs Elysées and through the expanse of the Bois de Vincennes, as well as past the Musée d'Orsay before you cross the finish line in front of the Arc de Triomphe. This is a big, popular race — tens of thousands of runners come out to run the Paris city streets as part of it each year — so sign up as early as possible if you’re interested. Set for April 7, 2024.