The March Running Challenge
Plus races in Chicago, Dubrovnik, Emerald Bay, Kathmandu, Mines of Spain + Prison Hill, Lauren Fleshman, and the story of the 90-year-old who runs 100-milers (and wants to try a 200-miler)
“You can't start a fire without a spark.”
That’s the lyric that caught my ears and wouldn’t let go earlier this week, when I had a Spotify playlist running in the background in my car as I was driving, listening to music, and just feeling, as Bruce Springsteen sings in the song, “tired and bored with myself.”
My own running this year has been stop-and-start, one step forward and two steps back pretty much since the first of January. I feel a little like a horse at the Kentucky Derby, where the starter has opened the gate for all the other thoroughbreds but I’m still stuck in place because the door to my starting stall won’t open.
It’s time to change that! Because it’s March first, it’s a brand-new month, and spring is nearly here — really, it’s already here in the South where I live, as the daffodils have been blooming for two weeks already — I’m ready to light a spark and get going once again.
All of us are in different places with our running, I know, but I was thinking it might be fun to kick off a running challenge for the month. Feel free to fill in whatever goal makes sense for you — 50 miles, 100 miles, 150 miles, maybe even 200 miles. Again, whatever makes sense for you.
I’m going to try for 100 miles, though I’m a little nervous about my ability to reach it. Even if only a few of us take up a challenge for the month, that’s okay, because this is for myself as much as anyone! 😃
To follow along, join me on Instagram or in the Substack app, where I’ll post regular updates and we can check in and support each other — let me know what you think!
As always, let me know how your running/life is going, and keep in touch.
Your friend,
— Terrell
🏃 To run
Escape From Prison Hill Half Marathon
Carson City, Nev. | Saturday, April 1, 2023
Experience what it feels like to run on ultramarathon-like terrain without actually running the ultramarathon distance at this early spring race through Nevada’s Silver Saddle Ranch and the 2,500-acre Prison Hill Recreation Area, which lies just a few miles from Lake Tahoe in the shadow of the nearby California Sierras. The single-track trails are challenging, with more than 3,000 feet of elevation gain and winding routes through the hills above the ranch; organizers say to “make sure you have some hill training under your belt.”
$60 and up | Sign up here
Dubrovnik Half Marathon
Dubrovnik, Croatia | Sunday, April 30, 2023
Dating back to the Middle Ages, the stone city walls that surround this coastal city in southern Croatia make up most of the route at this springtime race, a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the adventurous runner. The history you’ll run through is palpable everywhere; from being nearly completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1667 to suffering severe damage from shelling during the war for Croatian independence in the 1990s, Dubrovnik has since become one of the most-visited cities on the Mediterranean. You’ll get to look over onto the crystal blue waters of the Adriatic Sea and take in sights familiar if you’re a fan of The Last Jedi or Game of Thrones, as scenes from both were filmed here.
€100 and up | Sign up here