Where do bad ideas begin?
Good ideas seem to happen in garages. Seems like that’s where all the tech companies got their start. I should spend more time in my garage. But where do bad ideas begin?
In regards to this idea it’s more of a question of when. I just turned 40 and we’re in the midst of a global pandemic. In fact, in Michigan the day of my 40th birthday was the day that more people stayed home than any other day. Not what I was thinking my 40th would be like.
So this bad idea has been hatched from a combination of midlife crisis and global crisis. Seems like the perfect place to start!
I’ve been running for about 10 years but things got serious last year. I ran over over 100 miles in January (a bad idea that came to me on New Years Eve). Then, as Forest would say, I just kept running. And I logged over 1100 miles for the year. This year I trained for my first ultra. I actually ran my first marathon during training and my race that was supposed to be in the UP was cancelled so I ran a “virtual” 50k on the Poto at Pinckney Recreation Area.
I love running and I love Michigan. Like I really love Michigan. I never want to leave the state. I don’t like discovering new places that aren’t in Michigan. I don’t totally know why. I think part of me is afraid I’ll find something better and not like where I’m at as much. But when I have traveled, even to tropical places or the mountains, I’ve still never found anywhere I like better than Michigan, especially the UP.
The other thing I’m in love with (besides my family of course!) is God. I’m a minister for an amazing church in Lansing, MI. I use my runs to pray and meditate. I get ideas (all the ideas from God have been really good!) and I work things out in my heart, mind and soul. He talks to me among the trees and I try to listen as I pant along.
So why set a goal of running (biking and kayaking) as many unique Michigan trails as possible? Honestly, I’m not totally sure. They’re there. It’s something to do. I think with my race getting cancelled and more and more races getting cancelled, it’s cheaper and more reliable to just do epic runs on your own or with a few friends. My goal in running the 50k was never actually the race. I want to run the 42 mile Pictured Rock Lakeshore Trail one day this fall. In researching where to run my cancelled 50k virtually I saw so many great trails that are always accessible. My schedule is flexible so I see day trips to trails around the state and vacations based on epic runs in my future. Having a crazy goal that will take years will add some structure to my running too.
So here are the rules for MI Trail Challenge:
- Miles only count once toward the total
- Find interesting trails and places in Michigan
- Trails can be hiked, biked, run or paddled – mostly running
- Run each trail in one run whenever possible
- Cluster runs of shorter trails in areas of MI together
- Keep track and map original miles and numbers of runs
- Past runs count if I write about them
- Blog and take pictures along the way, keep it humble and humorous
- Bring people with me
- Combine trails with trail races when possible
- Have fun!
So, I’ll be writing blog posts about these trail adventures in Michigan. I’ll share pictures and videos. I’ll track original miles covered on trails, the number of unique runs I take, and I’ll map where I’ve run all over this amazing state. Oh and there might be some thoughts about God in there too.
MI Trail Challenge 