​One of my favorite signs I see at running events reads, “Remember, you paid to do this.” 

For Lent, I gave up buying unnecessary things. I hadn't already registered for anything, so running events are out for most of February and March. I mentioned this in a conversation with a few people. One of them stopped and said, “You pay to run?”

Someone else who had learned this earlier from me said, “Yeah, that’s what I said too.”

Honestly, it’s not something I knew when I started. The few events I had been to before I started training for anything were either sponsored by my employer or free community events. I didn’t pay for anyone of those.

So, yes, you pay to run. There are barricades, water stations, Port-A-Potties, medals, shirts, marketing materials, timing systems, bibs, sometimes prize money, etc. I’m guessing permits too.

I enjoy participating in running events, and I can't imagine all the work that goes into planning one.

Now, the fun part: How much do you pay? Personally, I’ve ranged from $10 to $80-something. That covers the costs of 5Ks to half-marathons.

I don’t know if I’m just being more budget conscious, but there seems to be quite a price hike lately. Short of a windfall, the days of me paying $25 or more for a 5K are gone. Even $20 is iffy, depending on the cause.

I’ll be honest. I scoffed when I saw the $65 early registration fee for the inaugural South Padre Island Marathon at the San Antonio RNR expo. 

(For reference: At the San Antonio RNR expo in December, I could register for next year’s RNR half-marathon for $50. This is an established race with a large expo and a big concert.)

Then I got an email reminder the month of the SPI Marathon, and the price was listed at more than $100. That time, I laughed aloud.

The event sold out or almost sold out, so there are plenty of people interested in the event at the price sold. But there are a growing number of races outside my budget.

A few years ago, I was able to pay for my registration and the registration of five relatives at an event. For the last two years, I couldn’t afford to register even myself for this event.

I really hope local organizers will lower their prices for a 5K. Most the ones I see with $20+ registration fees are new events without official timing systems. There’s nothing particular special about the route. Basically, there’s not much difference between the 5K event and me running on my own.

Admittedly, I know nothing about organizing the events, so it’s an uneducated suggestion. Have you noticed a price hike in 5Ks? Or do you have some insight on the pricing?

So, I'm going through my Flipboard feeds and I read an article about Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's new year's resolution. He's aiming to run a mile a day for the next year and is encouraging others to join.

So far, so good. 

But then he wrote, "It's a mile a day, and at a moderate pace it's less than 10 minutes of running per day."

I'm sorry. What? "Less than 10 minutes?"

I confess my first reaction was "Screw you!" (I actually wanted to make that the blog post title.) While it's a response obviously triggered by my own struggles with my pace, it's not a completely unwarranted reaction.

More power to those who can run that fast, but for everyone else, you're just setting them up to fail. 

Like a lot of people, I was unsure of myself when I started running. I used couch-to-5K apps*, read running books and blogs, and joined a running group. I was positive I must be missing something, because I'm so slow.

In the process, I meant encouraging people who just wanted to help me keep running no matter the pace. I read books and articles from respected runners and trainers and everyday joggers who said not everyone fits into the same mold. 

I was in a very "I'm okay. You're okay" world. Whenever I find someone who ran my 15- to 16-minute-mile pace, it was like a little gift from heaven showing me I'm not alone.

Then Zuckerberg announces to the world running a mile should take less than 10 minutes, and I'm back to wondering what's wrong with me. 

Fortunately, it's temporary. It's like that last burst of energy you use to cross the finish line of a long run, and as soon as you finish, you think, "I'm sorry. Where am I? Gosh, I'm hungry."

Because, you know what? I am hungry, and I'm going to get some food now.   

By the way, Zuckerberg, I've completed and surpassed your challenge for at least the last two years (and I wasn't even trying).


*And as I've mentioned before, those Couch-to-5K programs should really be called Couch-to-Running for 30 minutes. Because running a 5K and running 30 minutes aren't necessarily the same thing.
​

I got an email from 2RunCrew confirming I am near completion of the RGV 3 Race Challenge. Runners have to complete the Brownsville Historic Half-Marathon, the Harlingen Half-Marathon (or at least the half-marathon in the Fiesta Marathon) and (at least the half-marathon at) the McAllen Marathon.

I stumbled upon a mention of the challenge on their Facebook page, I believe. I think it was a smart motivator to help increase participation in each of the four races involved. 

I admit I wouldn't have signed up for the Brownsville Historic Half-Marathon, if it wasn't needed for part of the challenge. 

I'll never be an Ironman. But I'm amazed I'm running and this is a fun achievement. Ideally, it'd be great to have the announcer at the McAllen Marathon mention someone completed the challenge as they cross the finish line. But if I understood the plan correctly, the people who complete the challenge will be acknowledged a few weeks later through the mail.

The email was a nice surprise. I was worried my first two names would cause confusion. Sometimes, it's cut off in participant listings.

I hope they announce later how many people completed the challenge. I don't know if my expectation of at least 100 is totally of the mark (as it is based on no information at all).