The Challenge Factory discussion
TCF's Marathon Challenge
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Vicki and Trisha's Relay Marathon Challenge

BIG SUR INTERNATIONAL


NEW YORK CITY

Shall we go with one of these, and if so which one? Or do you prefer to start with something else? If I understood correctly, we both have to read the same books? Or is it do the same task? I'll have to double check.

I'll start that one tomorrow too. :)


Marathon: Big Sur International Marathon (Big Sur, CA)
Task: 1. Read a book set in California, or that has a MC who comes from California, or with an author who has three letters from the words BIG SUR INTERNATIONAL in their name.
Book: By Any Other Name
Author: Jodi Picoult
Read: 26 August 2024
Rating: 5 stars
How it Fits: Jodi PicOUlT

Marathon: Big Sur International Marathon (Big Sur, CA)
Task: 1. read a book set in California, or that has a MC who comes from California, or with an author who has three letters from the words BIG SUR INTERNATIONAL in their name.
Book: By Any Other Name
Author: Jodi Picoult
Read: 8/28
Rating: 3 stars
How it works: Jodi Picoult

You're ready to gear up and start training! You must read one book for each kind of training run to complete this section. Relay teams may divide the tasks between them as they see fit.
After these 4 books are completed, roll a single die for your next prompt. Relay teams only roll once for the team.
https://www.random.org/dice/
Your four kinds of training runs are:
1. Regular runs. The base of your training where you just go out and rack up miles. You may read any book you like to complete your regular run.
2. Intervals. These are speed workouts. Either read a book in 24 hours -OR- read a mystery/thriller that gets your heart racing to complete this run.
3. Hill Repeats. These build leg strength. Read a book that pushes your boundaries - whether it's a different genre, longer than your usual, or demanding in some other way (your interpretation - tell us how).
4. Long Runs. These build endurance. Read a book that is at least 300 pages long to complete this run.

I'm fine with doing #1 and #3, which are both super easy.

Marathon: Big Sur International Marathon (Big Sur, CA)
Task: 1. read a book set in California, or that has a MC who come..."
I didn't post mine in this thread like this one but I simply put I had finished it. Guess I should have posted a more official completion post, so I'll do that now. lol I'm going to update it in msg. 5

Task: 1. Read any book you like to complete your regular run.
Book: The Revenge
Author: Tijan
Read: 5 September 2024
Rating: 5 stars
How it Fits: I've been dying to read this one, and I happy to read a book simply because I wanted to! Great task! :)

I'm fine with doing #1 and #3, which are both super easy."
oh my gosh, no worries at all!

Task: 2. Intervals. These are speed workouts. Either read a book in 24 hours -OR- read a mystery/thriller that gets your heart racing to complete this run.
Book: The Angel of Indian Lake
Author: Stephen Graham Jones
Read: 9/5
Rating: 5 stars
How it works: 3rd in a trilogy and I knew absolutely anyone and everyone could die. Great audio and I have to admit - knowing in the beginning that Stephen King narration was somewhere in the story absolutely kept my heart racing, just as much as the non-stop slasher story did!

Task: 4. Long Runs. These build endurance. Read a book that is at least 300 pages long to complete this run.
Book: The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store
Author: James McBride
Read: 9/5
Rating: 3 stars
how it works: 385 pages

Task: 3. Hill Repeats. These build leg strength. Read a book that pushes your boundaries - whether it's a different genre, longer than your usual, or demanding in some other way (your interpretation - tell us how).
Book: The Vine Witch
Author: Luanne G. Smith
Read: 9 September 2024
Rating: 2.5 stars
How it Fits: It was 391 pages long, but it felt like 600. I probably would have DNF if it hadn't been a NetGalley book.

2. New York Marathon in New York, New York - read a book set in New York City, or that has a MC who comes from New York, or with an author who has three letters from the words NEW YORK CITY in their name.

2. New York Marathon in New York, New York - read a book set in New York City, or that has a MC who comes from New York, or with an author who has thr..."
oh are we all done training? is it just one train per marathon?
we'll end up doing all the marathons?
Oh wait. I got myself confused... No, you're not done at all. I didn't see the roll of the 2. You are still on the Big Sur Marathon.
Here you go:
2 = It's absolutely awful weather out for your first really long training run, so you decide to do it on the treadmill instead. Spell out TREADMILL -or- read a book about a rodent or with any "rodent" word in the title - think hamster, gerbil, rat, mouse, etc. Relay teams must each read the optional book listed as an alternate if they opt not to do the spell out.
Here you go:
2 = It's absolutely awful weather out for your first really long training run, so you decide to do it on the treadmill instead. Spell out TREADMILL -or- read a book about a rodent or with any "rodent" word in the title - think hamster, gerbil, rat, mouse, etc. Relay teams must each read the optional book listed as an alternate if they opt not to do the spell out.


TREADMILL Spell out
T - The Lost Story 9/16
R - The Fountains of Silence (AFN) 9/15
E - Bone Deep (ALN) 9/15
A - No Exit (ALN) 9/17
D - Devils Kill Devils 9/18
M - My Darling Dreadful Thing 9/14
I - If I Stopped Haunting You - 9/19
L - Buried Bones (ALN) 9/15
L - The Wrong Bones (ALN) 9/15
(Honestly, runners call it the Dread mill lol)

Did I roll too soon? I'm confused.

Letter: M
Book: My Darling Dreadful Thing
Author: Johanna van Veen
Read: 9/14
Rating: 4 stars
how it works: title starts with M
I'm sorry for the confusion Vicki. After each stage of the marathon there is a die roll. You did it perfectly. I just got myself turned around because with the die roll you talked about another marathon. I should have looked more closely at your thread - then I could have straightened things out a few posts ago. Marathons are long, difficult events, so you have quite a ways to go! After the first one is done you can certainly do another if you choose.
Please accept my apologies for misdirecting you. I'm in the midst of a bunch of stuff in real life that has me a bit overwhelmed, so not always firing on all cylinders...
And yes, for spell out you can use author's first or last initial, or the first letter of the title (using or omitting an opening a, an or the).
Please accept my apologies for misdirecting you. I'm in the midst of a bunch of stuff in real life that has me a bit overwhelmed, so not always firing on all cylinders...
And yes, for spell out you can use author's first or last initial, or the first letter of the title (using or omitting an opening a, an or the).


Letter: R
Book: The Fountains of Silence
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Read: 15 Sep
Rating: 5 stars
How it Fits: AFN is Ruta

Letter: L
Book: The Wrong Bones
Author: Melinda Leigh
Read: 15 Sep
Rating: 5 stars
How it Fits: ALN is Leigh

Letter: E
Book: Bone Deep
Author: Kendra Elliot
Read: 15 Sep
Rating: 5 stars
How it Fits: ALN is Elliot

Letter: L
Book: Buried Bones
Author: Melinda Leigh
Read: 15 Sep
Rating: 4 stars
How it Fits: ALN is Leigh

Letter: T
Book: The Lost Story
Author: Meg Shaffer
Read: 9/16
Rating: 4 stars
how it works: title starts with T

Letter: D
Book: Devils Kill Devils
Author: Johnny Compton
Read: 9/18
Rating: 2 stars
how it works: title starts with D

Letter: I
Book: If I Stopped Haunting You
author: Colby Wilkens
Read: 9/19
Rating: 3 stars
how it works: title starts with I


Letter: A
Book: No Exit
Author: Taylor Adams
Read: 17 Sep
Rating: 5 stars
How it Fits: ALN is Adams


Your training is going well and you are ready to run some tune-up races! You will run three different kinds of races. Relay teams may divide the tasks between them as they see fit.
After these 6 books are completed, roll a single die for your next prompt. Relay teams only roll once for the team.
https://www.random.org/dice/
1. 5K Race. A short and fairly speedy race. Read a book of 200 pages or less in a single day -OR- read a book of over 200 pages in two days to complete this race .
2. 10K Race. A bit more effort and taxes the body more. Read two books that are over 200 pages long to complete this race.
3. Half marathon. The half marathon is a demanding event that is a good indicator of your overall training. Read three series books to complete this race. The books do not have to be from the same series.

6/6 Completed
Finished: 9/27
1. 5K : <200 pages
Book 1: An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good 9/24
2. 10K : 2 books over 200 pages
Book 1: Here One Moment 9/24
Book 2: The White Guy Dies First: 13 Scary Stories of Fear and Power 9/24
3. Half Marathon : 3 books in Series
Book 1: The Methuselah Project 9/26
Book 2: Seeds of Iniquity 9/26
Book 3: Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice 9/27
LAST POSTED BOOKS ROLLS DIE AND POSTS THE NUMBER (see below - I rolled a 1 & 2 for a total of 3)

Book: The White Guy Dies First: 13 Scary Stories of Fear and Power
Author: Terry J. Benton-Walker
Read: 9/24
How it works: 306 pages
Book: Here One Moment
Author: Liane Moriarty
Read: 9/24
How it works: 512 pages

The books do not have to be from the same series. Any book that is part of a series. You can split up who reads what any way you want.

Book: The Methuselah Project
Author: Rick Barry
Finished Reading: 26 Sep
How it Fits: Book #1 in the Methuselah Project series

Book: Seeds of Iniquity
Author: J.A. Redmerski
Finished Reading: 26 Sep
How it Fits: Book #4 in the In the Company of Killers series

Book: An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good
Author: Helene Tursten
Finished Reading: 24 Sep
How it Fits: 178 pages (<200 pages)
Books mentioned in this topic
Sky Full of Elephants (other topics)Hooked on You (other topics)
The Usual Desire to Kill (other topics)
No Rest for the Wicked (other topics)
Coffin Moon (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Cebo Campbell (other topics)Kathleen Fuller (other topics)
Rachel Louise Adams (other topics)
Keith Rosson (other topics)
Tess Gerritsen (other topics)
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Choose your race:
Signing up for your race is the easy, exciting part of it all. The task for this section is to read one book for the race you choose. It should be a book that puts you in your happy place!
Relay teams must run the same marathon together. Each relay team member must read a book to complete this section. Neither team member can proceed with training until both members complete this section.
Choose from among the popular races listed here.
1. Big Sur International Marathon in Big Sur, California - read a book set in California, or that has a MC who comes from California, or with an author who has three letters from the words BIG SUR INTERNATIONAL in their name.
2. New York Marathon in New York, New York - read a book set in New York City, or that has a MC who comes from New York, or with an author who has three letters from the words NEW YORK CITY in their name.
3. Chicago Marathon in Chicago, Illinois - read a book set in Chicago, or that has a MC who comes from Chicago, or with an author who has three letters from the words CHICAGO ILLINOIS in their name.
4. London Marathon in London, England - read a book set in London, or that has a MC who comes from London, or with an author who has three letters from the words LONDON ENGLAND in their name.
5. Paavo Nurmi Marathon in Turku, Finland - read a book set in Finland, or that has a MC who comes from Finland, or with an author who has three letters from the words PAAVO NURMI in their name.
6. Berlin Marathon - read a book set in Berlin, or that has a MC who comes from Berlin, or with an author who has three letters from the words BERLIN GERMANY in their name.
7. Tokyo Marathon - read a book set in Tokyo, or that has a MC who comes from Tokyo, or with an author who has three letters from the words TOKYO JAPAN in their name.
8. Paris Marathon - read a book set in Paris, or that has a MC who comes from Paris, or with an author who has three letters from the words PARIS FRANCE in their name.
9. Dublin Marathon - read a book set in Dublin, or that has a MC who comes from Dublin, or with an author who has three letters from the words DUBLIN IRELAND in their name.
10. Rome Marathon - read a book set in Rome, or that has a MC who comes from Rome, or with an author who has three letters from the words ROME ITALY in their name.
11. Athens Marathon - read a book set in Greece, or that has a MC who comes from Greece, or with an author who has three letters from the words ATHENS GREECE in their name.
12. Great Wall Marathon - read a book set in China, or that has a MC who comes from China, or with an author who has three letters from the words GREAT WALL in their name.
13. Marine Corps Marathon - read a book set during any war, or that has a MC who is a Marine, or with an author who has three letters from the words MARINE CORPS in their name.
14. Grandma's Marathon - read a book set in Minnesota, or that has a MC who is a grandma, or with an author who has three letters from the words DULUTH MINNESOTA in their name.