I’m sure it’s abundantly clear by now: In 2020, I made a personal goal to work toward becoming a runner again. That journey will be filled with inconsistency, starts and stops, frustrations, injuries (most likely), doubt, and all the rest. Just like last time. But I’ll get there. It just takes time.

One of the things I loved most about running was attending various running events (mostly 5Ks). I was never one for large 5K events – WAY too crowded – but I loved the small ones and especially little ones that were fundraisers for very good causes. My favorite was the Run 4 Hope, which benefitted the Rape Crisis Center here in SA. Sadly, they stopped hosting it after 2017, and the event they replaced it with (the 0.5K in 2018) did not become an annual thing either. Anyway. I’ve been to a lot of 5Ks and other running-related events since my first in 2010, and these are almost universal highlights in my memories. I love them. And so what better than to couple a thing you love with a goal you’re trying to reach? Enter running bingo.

While I’ve been to a lot of 5Ks over the years, there are many I’ve missed out on, and many kinds I’ve never run. One day I started listing out potential 5Ks to try, thematically, like one for each state or one for each holiday etc. Then I got creative and decided to play with a bingo card. I came up with 25 different types of events, some difficult and some easy, and put together the board (left). I decided not to count runs done in my past as that’s too easy. Instead, I’m either beginning from the time I made the goal to become a runner again (Nov/Dec) or from the start of 2020. (The only difference is whether or not I’ll count my Elf Run 5K toward this.) There aren’t a lot of rules. As long as I’m running some portion of the race – significant enough for my body and training level – then it counts, and each event can only count toward one category. And of course, I can take as many years as I want to fill out the board.

What can I say? I’m a nerd. These kinds of things excite me, haha!

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Note: Since that photo is small, I’m going to list each of the events out below. This way I can come back to this post and cross them off, in a fashion. Feel free to skip this part!

Complete: 7 of 25 (see photo below for current grid status)

1. Christmas
2. Spring/spring break
3. Medical (for a medical cause)
4. Large event
5. Girls/women (cause for, only female runners, etc)
6. For a good cause
7. Night/dark – Dia de los Muertos Night Run 5K – 10/29/20
8. Thanksgiving
9. Wine/beer
10. Halloween
11. Summer/beach
12. PJs
13. Freebie (middle)
14. With friends or family – Gabriella’s Cupcake Run 5K – 5/5/21
15. Vacation
16. Virtual – Gabriella’s Cupcake Run 5K – 7/18/20
17. Smaller holiday – Shamrock Shuffle 5K – 3/15/20
18. Specialty (mud, trail, color, etc)
19. Winter/ice
20. Rescue pets/animals
21. International – Race Across Morocco 5K – 4/13/20
22. Chocolate/sweets – Chocoholic Frolic 5K – 2/23/20
23. With a costume
24. New Year’s
25. Autumn – Gourdy’s Pumpkin Run 5K – 9/30/20