...or perhaps not the end of the streak

The other day I posted about how the end of January is near, I haven't yet done my road race for the month, and the two remaining options aren't at all convenient or particularly exciting. I was *this* close to letting it go. All done. End of the streak.

And then my friend Ruth gave me an idea. "Make up your own!" she wrote on Facebook. "'Why the *!%*!" do I live in MN-Saunders 5K'."

I LOVE it. This is brilliant. I'm going to do it.

What's more, I'm going to invite you to do it with me. You don't even need to live in Minnesota to do this. If you're in Australia and you'd like to run or walk the Why The *!%*!" Do I Live In MN-Saunders 5K, then do so. We'll be glad to have you.

Here's the plan:

1. In lieu of the standard race fee, make a donation to the charitable organization of your choice. It can be in any dollar amount: $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, whatever you're comfortable with and/or can afford.

2. Map out a 5K -- that's 3.1 miles -- starting from your doorstep or the end of your driveway or wherever, and finishing right back where you started.

3. Between 9 a.m. your local time Saturday the 30th and 5 p.m. Sunday the 31st, walk or run that 5K. You don't even have to do it all at once. You can do 1.5 miles Saturday and 1.6 miles Sunday, or any other combination that suits you. Just get out there and complete a 5K.

4. When you've finished, blog about it. Or update your Facebook or Twitter status to say: I finished the Why The *!%*!" Do I Live In MN-Saunders 5K!

5. This is not an MDRA sanctioned event. There will not be timed results, awards, or t-shirts. What you will get will be the bragging rights of having participated in the very first Why The *!%*!" Do I Live In MN-Saunders 5K. And unless this thing goes viral, well, trust me; there won't be many who can make that claim. =)

If there's enough interest, I may even create a Facebook page for this. For now, though, I'll just use this blog, which feeds over into Facebook. And if there's no interest and I'm the only one out there on Saturday, well, that's OK too.

Now, to decide to whom I want to give some money: MN Valley Humane Society, Doctors Without Borders, Dakota Woodlands, MN Literacy Council....

Edited to add, for Ruth asked, "Can I do it on my treadmill? If so, I'll join you. It's about the only way I'd do a 5k in the midst of Jan."

Sure, why not!

So, my official ruling: Treadmills are OK.

Edited again to add, after a conversation with Pete, who really wants this event to include cyclists:

Bikes, eh? Well, they always have a few cyclists leading road races so runners don't wander off the course and get lost, so sure, why not!

So, my official ruling: Bikes are OK too.