Next year I turn 40. In running, this means I enter a slightly more realistic category for a BQ time and I enter the “Masters” category for road races; I really don’t think either of those matter much for me.

In life, it means I am getting more gray hair and feeling older. My kids asked in all seriousness the other day if I drove a Model-T for my first car. When they found out how old I was, my co-workers started putting black streamers on layaway and writing “over the hill” jokes in advance of my big day (still almost a year away).

I wanted to take my mind off of this milestone and try to enjoy the year. For a hot minute I thought running 40 races over a year would be an awesome, original idea that I could gift to the world (like when I learned Santa wasn’t real and figured I’d go on morning radio to blow the whistle on the greatest lie in history). Not surprisingly, it’s been done before. This guy made a nice fundraiser out of it, and Michael Wardian did 54 races (one at the North Pole) for his fortieth birthday. I’m sure others have done this as well.

So I wasn’t going to cover new ground, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t be worth it to give it a try. When I tried to map it out logistically, though, it seemed overwhelming (to me and especially to my wife). Still, I liked the idea of running a whole bunch of races and racing by my fortieth birthday instead of dwelling on it.

Like any good challenge, I feel like I need parameters. So here goes:

Parameter One: 26-30 Races by May 20th, 2017

My overall target is 26-30 races between May 21st, 2016 and May 20th, 2017. This number allows me an average of one race every two weeks while providing flexibility for vacations, sickness, injury, or the needs of training for longer races like marathons. There is nothing magical about this date, it’s just when it made sense to start after coming up with the idea. The number is still big, but that’s the point!

Parameter Two: Minimal Interference with Dad Life

I am trying to not let the schedule interfere with my life or the life of my family as much as possible. I want to be at soccer games or swim meets, and the lawn needs mowing. As a result, I am focusing mostly on races in the Piedmont sections of North Carolina. Registration fees mount quickly, and adding travel costs doesn’t help.

Parameter Three: Variety of Running Experiences

I want to seek out different types of running experiences. For me, it would be too much to tackle all long distance races and it would be boring to fill out the schedule with random 5k races. I hope to cover multiple distances, novelty runs, and different types of running like trail vs. road. There is a lot of variety out there, and I think it would be fun to experience it and compare.

Parameter Four: Running is the Focus of Chosen Races

I am not planning on doing obstacle races or triathlons as a part of the experience. I admire people that do these, but I felt like in both cases running was only one part of the experience and I feel like that defeats my purpose.

Parameter Five: Go to Races with Other People Whenever Possible

In general, I run by myself. It is sometimes lonely (even if you’re not circling the fields of Borstal), though I don’t mind. If this is about pushing myself, though, part of that is sharing the experience of a race. The race experience is energizing, largely because you are around so many people. Sharing it with others may be more fun, and make the time before the start pass more quickly.

I won’t always be able to meet these parameters but they give me something to shoot for. My first two races of the experience are this weekend. My two oldest kids and I are running the Color the Hill 4k on Saturday, and then I am running the NCRC Classic Half Marathon on Sunday. I am looking forward to getting started!