For those who are new to events and such, there are some great ones that happen in Winnipeg year-round! I always wanted to run the Manitoba Marathon, and now I finally can since I've moved back to Winnipeg from TO. Since it's my first 'major' event, I'll be just tackling the half marathon (13.1 miles or roughly 20km). If it sounds daunting, with a lot of hard work and solid prep, you can honestly be race ready in 10 weeks if you train smart Check out Runner's World or Men's/Women's Health for plans online! The race day is June 16, 2013. That's 22 weeks and 1 day away, so you'd be giving yourself plenty of prep time.

If the half or the full are too daunting, there are also a 5k and 10k event, and a relay. You can check out all the info on their website at http://www.manitobamarathon.mb.ca/ I just think it's an excellent opportunity to aim for people who are struggling with keeping definitive goals when it comes to fitness or even weight loss, and going after local activities really helps. Giving yourself nearly 6 months of prep time makes it seem like less of a daunting task too, and your body can change a lot over that period of time when you're preparing for something solid, even if it's just 5k! 5k is better than No k.

There are also tons of great running events that take place year round if you want to get a couple under your belt before or after the marathon. The Manitoba Runner's Association (http://www.mraweb.ca/) has an up-to-date calendar about upcoming events, and your local Running Room also keeps track of that stuff on their public bulletin boards. Speaking of which, joining a group at The Running Room is another good way to get yourself race-ready if you don't live near a gym and you would rather train in a group than by yourself! And making new friends is always a good thing, we all need a support system.

If running isn't your thing but you still want a challenge, the Swamp Donkey Adventure Racing events are always cool (http://www.swampdonkeyar.com/). There's one coming up in February called Ice Donkey, which is a 5k obstacle course taking place at Southwood Golf Course, near the U of M (http://www.swampdonkeyar.com/ice-donkey). You can do it individually or as a team. I volunteered at the Dirty Donkey Mud Run (a 5k obstacle course in August. Lots and LOTS of mud on that one--http://www.dirtydonkeyrun.com/) and it looked so super fun, I'm determined to participate in it this year. Pain in the ASSiniboine looks rad, but I'd definitely need more canoe practice before doing a 32km bike ride followed by 32 km of rowing (http://www.swampdonkeyar.com/pain-in-the-assiniboine).

Then there's Swamp Donkey. From the website: "This is a non-stop 6-9 hour event that tests the skills and physical abilities of teams. Disciplines include: mountain biking, canoeing, trekking, navigation, teamwork and special tasks. No special training required, just a will to finish." Looks so delectable! But it's a team effort, whereas the others can be completed solo. Definitely on my Bucket List. (http://www.swampdonkeyar.com/about-swamp-donkey)

In July there's also a Colour Run at Exhibition Park--a 5k where people throw coloured powder at you and you come out a sweaty champion rainbow. WHAT IS NOT TO LOVE.

Anyway, I could go on and on! There are too many cool things happening in Winnipeg if you want to test yourself and collect a few medals here and there. Just thought I'd put up a few links for some members of the Winnipeg group looking to shake it up this year with their fitness goals. Hope to see some of you at these if you can!

Please feel free to post here about any other events you're excited about that I've missed!