April 30th, 2020: As I sat down to squeeze in this article before the deadline (NOW) about hilly workout suggestions in my home town of Canaan…“PING”…I got an Email from Lisa and Tom, the race directors for the “hopefully” upcoming 60th Anniversary running of the beloved Mountain Washington Road Race, which informed registered runners that ah-ah-ah about that tentative postponement date of August 22nd…well ah-ah-ah maybe that’s not going to work out after all because Governor Sununu is not so sure that gatherings of >1,000 people will be possible at that time…GEEEZ!

To this I say, “ENOUGH ALREADY…NO MORE BAIT AND SWITCH…PLEEEEEASE.” It’s time for all runners to take the bull by the horns and determine their own fate and here’s how. 1) If you are registered for a race that’s scheduled in 2020, consider the possibility that that race is going to ACTUALLY happen a pipe dream. 2) Create your own VIRTUAL race to replace the pipe dream or sign up for an already existing VIRTUAL race.

Personally, I’m registered for the Boston and Chicago Marathons. I have a faint and ever dimming hope that one of those two races will happen. But, instead of moping about the $500+ I have probably squandered or pining for The Good Old Days when being registered for a big city marathon meant something, I have decided that I will run my own VIRTUAL Boston Marathon on the Northern Rail Trail by starting at Potato Road in Canaan, run 13.1 miles toward the Connecticut River, turnaround and comeback. I plan to use USATF course certification guidelines to “Jimmy Certify” this VIRTUAL course…CARE TO JOIN???

As for the MWRR, Joffrey Peters is conjuring up a gnarly-beyond-nasty VIRTUAL MWRR course as I write. Stay tuned…CARE TO JOIN??? Fair warning there may be rocky trail sections thrown in…GRRRRRRRR…

And, you know what?, VIRTUAL races are really COOL. To be honest, nothing can replace running shoulder to shoulder with your favorite AG rival down the home stretch, but…but…but I just signed up for the VIRTUAL Brooklyn Half Marathon for free. As I registered I was asked if I wanted to donate to their “Rising New York Road Runners” program for kids and I said sure. So, for less than $25 I made a commitment I will keep that connects me VIRTUALLY with the running community at large and, in my case, with my family in Brooklyn…Let the trash talk begin! I will train for and run my VIRTUAL Brooklyn Half sometime between May 1 and 17th, simply post it on Strava as a “race” and the race organizers will offer links to ongoing results until final results are posted on May 21st. What’s not to like? Close to home, the Hanover Recreation Department and UVRC Board member Tim Smith are collaborating on a VIRTUAL “Main Street Mile” in May as well. The opportunities are endless.

So, as you can clearly see…IT’S TIME TO EMBRACE VIRTUAL RACING. Make the commitment, connect with other runners, challenge a friend to join in and start training and trash-talking. I knew we could figure this social distancing dance out…I KNEW IT!!!