The Challenge Factory discussion

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.

TCF - Richard's Solo Marathon Challenge

Big Sur International Marathon in Big Sur, California

✅ 1. Read a book with an author who has 3 letters from the words BIG SUR INTERNATIONAL in their name.
Book: Driven from Within
Author: Michael Jordan
Date Read: June 10th
How it Fits: Letters = IAELORAN

You're ready to gear up and start training! You must read one book for each kind of training run to complete this section.
After these 4 books are completed, roll a single die for your next prompt.

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.

✅ Training Runs:

1. Regular runs. You may read any book.
Book: Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man
Author: Mary L. Trump
Date Read: June 10th

2. Intervals. Read a book in 24 hours.
Book: Lawbreaking Ladies: 50 Tales of Daring, Defiant, and Dangerous Women from History
Author: Erika Owen
Date Read: June 10th

3. Hill Repeats. Read a book that pushes your boundaries.
Book: It's Not OK to Feel Blue and other lies
Author: Scarlett Curtis
Date Read: June 11th
How it Fits: Made me feel seen, regarding my depression.

4. Long Runs. Read a book that is at least 300 pages.
Book: Boys Will Be Boys: Power, Patriarchy and the Toxic Bonds of Mateship
Author: Clementine Ford
Date Read: June 10th
How it Fits: 384 pages

Dice Roll: 4

4 = Your family has a big event planned that you can not skip - but it means you will miss out on a week of your training. Spell out CONFLICTED -or- read a book with a MC who gives up something important to them to fulfill a family obligation (say who and what).

✅ Conflicted

C: Civilization One: The World Is Not as You Thought it Was - ⭐️
O: The High Frontier: Human Colonies in Space, Gerard K. O'Neill - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
N: The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge, Jeremy Narby - ⭐️⭐️
F: The Magick of Matter, Felix Flicker - ⭐️⭐️
L: Why Cats Land on Their Feet: And 76 Other Physical Paradoxes and Puzzles, Mark Levi - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I: Worlds Without End: Exoplanets, Habitability, and the Future of Humanity, Chris Impey - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
C: The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
T: Where am I Wearing?: A Global Tour to the Countries, Factories, and People That Make Our Clothes, Kelsey Timmerman - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
E: The Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Vol #8 Spranger to Zubiri - ⭐️⭐️
D: Dark Side of the Moon: Wernher von Braun, the Third Reich, and the Space Race - ⭐️⭐️

Your training is going well and you are ready to run some tune-up races! You will run three different kinds of races.
After these 6 books are completed, roll a single die for your next prompt.

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.

✅ Tune-Up Races

1. 5K Race. Read 1 book of 200 pages or less in a single day.
a. How to Take Smart Notes: One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking – for Students, Academics and Nonfiction Book Writers - 178 pages - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

2. 10K Race. Read 2 books that are over 200 pages long.
a. Agatha Christie: An Autobiography - 576 pages - ⭐️⭐️
b. Life on Mars: What to Know Before We Go - 338 pages - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3. Half marathon. Read 3 series books.
a. Unfuck Your Body: Using Science to Eat, Sleep, Breathe, Move, and Feel Better - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
b. Unfuck Your Worth: Overcome Your Money Emotions, Value Your Own Labor, and Manage Financial Freak-Outs in a Capitalist Hellscape - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
c. Unfuck Your Brain: Using Science to Get Over Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Freak-Outs, and Triggers - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dice Roll = 2

2 = You slip on wet leaves during your 5K event and bang up your knees pretty badly. Spell out SCRAPED KNEES -or- read a book where the MC gets badly injured or with the word Injured in the title.

✅ Scraped Knees

S: Building the Intentional University: Minerva and the Future of Higher Education, Stephen M. Kosslyn - ⭐️⭐️
C: 50 Law of Attraction Exercises, Tips & Tricks: To Hack Your Mind & Increase Your Manifestation Power, Jessica Connor - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
R: Twin Peaks and Philosophy: That's Damn Fine Philosophy! - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A: This is How, Augusten Burroughs - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
P: You're on an Airplane: A Self-Mythologizing Memoir, Parker Posey - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
E: Everything I Need to Know I Learned from Dungeons & Dragons - One Woman's Quest to Trade Self-Help for Elf-Help - ⭐️⭐️
D: The Blue Zones Kitchen: 100 Recipes to Live to 100, Dan Buettner - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
K: The King of Late Night - ⭐️
N: Accessory to War: The Unspoken Alliance Between Astrophysics and the Military, Neil deGrasse Tyson - ⭐️⭐️
E: Ethiopia: Recipes and traditions from the horn of Africa - ⭐️⭐️
E: Earn the Right to Win: How Success in Any Field Starts with Superior Preparation - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
S: Arcadian Days: Gods, Women, and Men from Greek Myths - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

You have done all of the hard work getting ready for your event. It's the night before the race - now you just need to set up for tomorrow and get out there and do it! To complete this section, read one book for each task.

After these 5 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. Race expo - most marathons have a large expo where lots of running gear is sold - read a book where a character goes to or works at an expo.
2. Pasta dinner - read a book where the MC cooks or eats a lot of pasta.
3. Set your alarm - read a book that is alarming to you in some way (explain how).
4. Lay out your clothes - read a book where the MC is a real clothes hound.
5. Morning ritual (beverage, food, gear) - read a book where any character has a set ritual for something that they always do (explain what).

✅ Night Before the Race

1. Race Expo. Going to an expo.
Book: Famous Nathan: A Family Saga of Coney Island, the American Dream, and the Search for the Perfect Hot Dog
Author: Lloyd Handwerker
Date Read: June 26th
Fits: "the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in Saint Louis" p.61

2. Pasta Dinner. MC cooks pasta.
Book: The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food
Author: Dan Barber
Date Read: June 25th
Fits: MC is a farm-to-table chef & cooks pasta.

3. Set Alarm. Alarming book.
Book: Monsters on the Couch: The Real Psychological Disorders Behind Your Favorite Horror Movies
Author: Brian A. Sharpless
Date Read: June 24th
Fits: There are real disorders that can explain vampires & zombies.

4. Lay Out Clothes. Clothes hound.
Book: Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions
Author: Brian Christian
Date Read: June 25th
Fits: "Tom’s otherwise extremely tolerant wife objects to a pile of clothes next to the bed, despite his insistence that it’s in fact a highly efficient caching scheme." p.151

5. Morning Ritual. Set ritual.
Book: How to be a Study Ninja: Study smarter. Focus better. Achieve more.
Author: Graham Allcott
Date Read: June 23rd
Fits: Meditation every morning

Die roll?

Oh right. 4.

4 = You can't get your shoes tied comfortably - they either feel too tight or too loose, so you keep obsessively retying them. Spell out SHOELACES -or- read a book where shoelaces are mentioned.

✅ Shoelaces

S: 27/6 - We Can All Make It, Sara Davies - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
H: 27/6 - Heuristics and Biases: The Psychology of Intuitive Judgment - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
O: 29/6 - Over the Top and Back: The Autobiography - ⭐️⭐️
E: 3/7 - Elements of Art: Ten Ways to Decode the Masterpieces - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
L: 30/6 - Where Song Began: Australia's Birds and How They Changed the World, Tim Low - ⭐️⭐️
A: 28/6 - Would It Kill You to Stop Doing That? A Modern Guide to Manners, Henry Alford - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
C: 26/6 - The Pocket Butler: A Compact Guide to Modern Manners, Business Etiquette and Everyday Entertaining, Charles MacPherson - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
E: 3/7 - Enough - ⭐️⭐️
S: 27/6 - Solomon's Memory Palace: A Freemason's Guide to the Ancient Art of Memoria Verborum - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Today is the big day!! You have worked long and hard for this. To complete this section, read one book for each task.

After these 4 books are completed, roll a single die for your next prompt. (admittedly, this bit is a bit backwards but hey, that's how it worked out...)

https://www.random.org/dice/

1. Early miles: Smiling - at the beginning of a marathon everyone is generally very excited and happy because today is the BIG DAY. Read a book where one or more characters are very excited and happy about an event. Say what the event is.
2. Mid miles: This is getting hard - as the race miles build up, most runners start to experience some fatigue. The body definitely sends signals that it is working much harder. Read a book where a character gets into a situation that becomes progressively more difficult as time wears on. Say what the situation is.
3. 20 miles: Why did I sign up for this??? There is often a point in a marathon where runners begin to doubt themselves and have serious second thoughts about what in the world they are doing out there. Read a book where a character has serious self doubt about a course of action they have set out on. Say what it is.
4. Race finish: Exhultation, hunger and exhaustion. You have DONE IT! At the end of a marathon you are depleted of all energy stores but also ecstatic because of your accomplishment. Read a book where a character completes some monumental effort and is now wiped out but also happy. Say what it is. NOTE: There is one more die roll following this step.

5. (optional - after your die roll is complete...) Sign up for another race! Lots of runners feel a let down after the intense cycle of training for and running a marathon. One common result is that many will start looking for their next race challenge shortly after their marathon finish. If you are among this infected group, simply go back to Section I and start again!

✅ The Big Day

1. Race finish: Exultation, hunger & exhaustion
Book: Tranquility by Tuesday: 9 Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make Time for What Matters
Author: Laura Vanderkam
Date Read: July 5th
Task: Read a book where a character completes some monumental effort & is now wiped out but also happy.
How it Fits: Character gets her work done early & gets to spend more time with her family.

2. Mid miles: This is getting hard
Book: You Never Give Me Your Money: The Beatles After the Breakup
Author: Peter Doggett
Date Read: July 5th
Task: A character gets into a situation that becomes progressively more difficult as time wears on.
How it Fits: Tension about finances increase.

3. Early miles: Smiling
Book: Tekebash and Saba: Recipes from the Horn of Africa
Author: Saba Alemayoh
Date Read: July 8th
Task: Read a book where one or more characters are very excited & happy about an event.
How it Fits: The author & her mother were excited about starting up an Ethiopian restaurant in Melbourne.

4. 20 miles: Why did I sign up for this???
Book: Right Thing, Right Now: Justice in an Unjust World
Author: Ryan Holiday
Date Read: July 9th
Task: Read a book where a character has serious self doubt about a course of action they have set out on.
How it Fits: "Regulus must have doubted himself, as any human being would have. Not just when he was in the sheer agony of his torture, or the long, lonely journey back to his painful fate. But also in those tortured moments of consideration, as he wrestled with his competing obligations"

Dice roll: 1

1 = Race morning goes extremely well for you - you wake up refreshed and arrive at the race feeling fabulous. Spell out ECSTATIC.

✅ Ecstatic

E: Encylopedia of Freemasonry and Its Kindred Sciences - ⭐️⭐️
C: Ted Bundy: America’s Most Evil Serial Killer, Al Cimino - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
S: The High Cost of Free Parking - ⭐️
T: Nerves of Steel: How I Followed My Dreams, Earned My Wings, and Faced My Greatest Challenge - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A: The Once & Future Witch Hunt: A Descendant's Reckoning from Salem to the Present, Alice Markham-Cantor - ⭐️⭐️
T: Behind the Candelabra: My Life With Liberace - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I: Impulse: Why We Do What We Do Without Knowing Why We Do It - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
C: The Body Book: The Law of Hunger, the Science of Strength, and Other Ways to Love Your Amazing Body - Cameron Diaz, Cameron Díaz - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Can I play the New York Marathon now?

Yes absolutely.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! YOU FINISHED YOUR MARATHON!

New York Marathon in New York, New York

1. Author has 3 letters from the words NEW YORK CITY in their name
Book: Ace Voices: What it Means to Be Asexual, Aromantic, Demi or Grey-Ace
Author: Eris Young
Date Read: July 13th
How it Fits: Letters in name = ERIYON

You're ready to gear up and start training! You must read one book for each kind of training run to complete this section.
After these 4 books are completed, roll a single die for your next prompt.

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.

✅ 2. Training Runs

Regular runs. Read any book you like.
14/7 - Everything is F*cked: A Book About Hope - ⭐️⭐️

Intervals. Read a book in 24 hours.
14/7 - Defending Your Castle: Build Catapults, Crossbows, Moats, Bulletproof Shields, and More Defensive Devices to Fend Off the Invading Hordes - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hill Repeats. Read a book that pushes your boundaries
15/7 - Travelers to Unimaginable Lands: Stories of Dementia, the Caregiver, and the Human Brain - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My current partner is very close to Alzheimer's age :(

Long Runs. Read a book that is at least 300 pages.
15/7 - Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain - 352 pages - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dice Roll: 6

6 = Your boss needs you to work overtime for two weeks to push a project through, so you can't fit in your regular morning workouts and have to run late in the day when you get home - NOT your idea of fun. Spell out UNMOTIVATED -or- read a book with the word Inconvenient or Inconvenience in the title.

✅ 3. Overtime

Unmotivated
U: 17/7 - Faster than Lightning: My Autobiography, Usain Bolt - ⭐️⭐️
N: 18/7 - Adventures With the Wife in Space: Living With Doctor Who, Neil Perryman - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
M: 16/7 - The Chaos Machine: The Inside Story of How Social Media Rewired Our Minds and Our World, Max Fisher - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
O: 20/7 - The 12-Hour Walk: Invest One Day, Conquer Your Mind, and Unlock Your Best Life, Colin O'Brady - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
T: 16/7 - Wisdom From The Ancients: Enduring Business Lessons From Alexander The Great, Julius Caesar, And The Illustrious Leaders Of Ancient Greece And Rome, Thomas J. Figueira - ⭐️⭐️
I: 20/7 - Manifest Now, Idil Ahmed - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
V: 16/7 - Vampire Forensics: Uncovering the Origins of an Enduring Legend - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A: 16/7 - The Social Life of Books: Reading Together in the Eighteenth-Century Home - ⭐️⭐️
T: 18/7 - The Tale of Beatrix Potter: A Biography - ⭐️⭐️
E: 16/7 - Get Your Life Back: Everyday Practices for a World Gone Mad, John Eldredge - ⭐️⭐️
D: 16/7 - Beneath the Surface of Things: New and Selected Essays - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

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.

✅ 4. Tune-Up Races

1. 5K Race. Read a book of over 200 pages in 2 days.
23/7 - Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

2. 10K Race. Read 2 books that are over 200 pages long to complete this race.
a: 22/7 - Faster Than Normal: Turbocharge Your Focus, Productivity, and Success with the Secrets of the ADHD Brain - 250 pages - ⭐️⭐️
b: 22/7 - Radical Honesty : How to Transform Your Life by Telling the Truth - 322 pages - ⭐️⭐️

3. Half marathon. Read three series books to complete this race.
a, b, & c: 25/7 - Macmillan Encyclopedia of Energy - 3 volume set - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dice roll: 2

2 = You slip on wet leaves during your 5K event and bang up your knees pretty badly. Spell out SCRAPED KNEES -or- read a book where the MC gets badly injured or with the word Injured in the title.

✅ 5. Slip

S: 26/7 - A Grain of Salt: The Science and Pseudoscience of What We Eat, Joe Schwarcz - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
C: 26/7 - Up to Speed: The Groundbreaking Science of Women Athletes, Christine Yu - ⭐️⭐️
R: 27/7 - Break on Through: The Life and Death of Jim Morrison, James Riordan - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A: 26/7 - Advanced Spanish Step-by-Step: Master Accelerated Grammar to Take Your Spanish to the Next Level (Easy Step-by-Step Series) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
P: 26/7 - The Ashgate Research Companion to Lesbian and Gay Activism, David Paternotte - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
E: 29/7 - Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
D: 30/7 - Really Saying Something: Sara & Keren – Our Bananarama Story, Sara Dallin - ⭐️⭐️
K: 25/7 - Glow Kids: How Screen Addiction Is Hijacking Our Kids -- And How to Break the Trance, Nicholas Kardaras - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
N: 2/8 - Space Between: Explorations of Love, Sex, and Fluidity, Nico Tortorella - ⭐️⭐️
E: 30/7 - Encyclopedia of Espionage, Intelligence and Security, 3 volume set - ⭐️⭐️
E: 1/8 - How to Hug a Porcupine: Easy Ways to Love the Difficult People in Your Life, June Eding - ⭐️⭐️
S: 28/7 - Living Untethered: Beyond the Human Predicament, Michael A. Singer - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

You have done all of the hard work getting ready for your event. It's the night before the race - now you just need to set up for tomorrow and get out there and do it! To complete this section, read one book for each task. Relay teams may divide the tasks between them as they see fit.
After these 5 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. Race expo - most marathons have a large expo where lots of running gear is sold - read a book where a character goes to or works at an expo.
2. Pasta dinner - read a book where the MC cooks or eats a lot of pasta.
3. Set your alarm - read a book that is alarming to you in some way (explain how).
4. Lay out your clothes - read a book where the MC is a real clothes hound.
5. Morning ritual (beverage, food, gear) - read a book where any character has a set ritual for something that they always do (explain what).

✅ 6. Night Before

1. Race expo - read a book where a character goes to an expo.
4/8 - The Last Mughal: The Fall of a Dynasty: Delhi, 1857 - "Monsieur Jordain and his Travelling Circus" p.104 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

2. Pasta dinner - read a book where the MC eats a lot of pasta.
6/8 - Fodor's Essential China - Many noodle houses are reviewed by the MC - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3. Set your alarm - read a book that is alarming to you in some way.
3/8 - Love & Death: The Murder of Kurt Cobain - I never realised how crazy Courtney Love was! - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

4. Lay out your clothes - read a book where the MC is a real clothes hound.
11/8 - Red Roulette: An Insider's Story of Wealth, Power, Corruption, and Vengeance in Today's China - "she was parting with large sums of money for watches and clothes." p.196 - ⭐️⭐️

5. Morning ritual - read a book where any character has a set ritual for something that they always do.
4/8 - The Irresistible Introvert: Harness the Power of Quiet Charisma in a Loud World - "Having a morning ritual of drinking tea in quiet is a great way for introverts to add a mini retreat to the day." p.29 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

It's so rare to find a book where someone goes to an expo specifically. I had to look up synonyms for 'expo'. Is that okay?

Yes, that's okay. I never expected this task to be so challenging- and in non-fiction it's even harder. I put "expo" into the search engine and several books come up, but many are fiction.

Sorry I didn't respond yesterday. I was taking an electronics holiday.

Erica wrote: "Sorry I didn't respond yesterday. I was taking an electronics holiday."

That's ok. Self-care is important.

Yes it is. I wish more people would do it. This world might not be so screwed up if they did...

I'm ready for the next task, by the way.

Oh right!

After these 5 books are completed, roll a single die for your next prompt.

https://www.random.org/dice/

Sorry, I didn't see that instruction. My bad!

Dice roll: 1

1 = The restaurant where you planned to get your prerace pasta dinner was booked so you had to settle for a fast food burger. Spell out SPAGHETTI -or- read a book with a character who is a restaurant chef (say who).

✅ Fast Food

Spaghetti
S: Solomon's Builders: Freemasons, Founding Fathers and the Secrets of Washington D.C. - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
P: BiblioTech: Why Libraries Matter More Than Ever in the Age of Google, John Palfrey - ⭐️⭐️
A: The Age of Overwhelm: Strategies for the Long Haul - ⭐️⭐️
G: An Illustrated Guide to Samurai History and Culture: From the Age of Musashi to Contemporary Pop Culture, Gavin Blair - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
H: You Deserve a Drink: Boozy Misadventures and Tales of Debauchery, Mamrie Hart - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
E: Eccentric Orbits: The Iridium Story - ⭐️⭐️
T: Master Your Beliefs : A Practical Guide to Stop Doubting Yourself and Build Unshakeable Confidence, Thibaut Meurisse - ⭐️⭐️
T: Ask A North Korean: Defectors Talk About Their Lives Inside the World's Most Secretive Nation, Daniel Tudor - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I: The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Today is the big day!! You have worked long and hard for this. To complete this section, read one book for each task. 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/

1. Early miles: Smiling - at the beginning of a marathon everyone is generally very excited and happy because today is the BIG DAY. Read a book where one or more characters are very excited and happy about an event. Say what the event is.
2. Mid miles: This is getting hard - as the race miles build up, most runners start to experience some fatigue. The body definitely sends signals that it is working much harder. Read a book where a character gets into a situation that becomes progressively more difficult as time wears on. Say what the situation is.
3. 20 miles: Why did I sign up for this??? There is often a point in a marathon where runners begin to doubt themselves and have serious second thoughts about what in the world they are doing out there. Read a book where a character has serious self doubt about a course of action they have set out on. Say what it is.
4. Race finish: Exhultation, hunger and exhaustion. You have DONE IT! At the end of a marathon you are depleted of all energy stores but also ecstatic because of your accomplishment. Read a book where a character completes some monumental effort and is now wiped out but also happy. Say what it is. NOTE: There is one more die roll following this step.

5. (optional - after your die roll is complete...) Sign up for another race! Lots of runners feel a let down after the intense cycle of training for and running a marathon. One common result is that many will start looking for their next race challenge shortly after their marathon finish. If you are among this infected group, simply go back to Section I and start again!

✅ 8. Big Day

1. Early miles: Read a book where a character is very excited & happy about an event.
If You Ask Me - ⭐️⭐️
Betty White was excited about getting into acting

2. Mid miles: Read a book where a character gets into a situation that becomes progressively more difficult as time wears on.
Doing Business by the Good Book: Fifty-Two Lessons on Success Sraight from the Bible - ⭐️
"employees would question whether to place their careers and their family’s welfare in my hands; they would doubt their opportunities for growth and development under my leadership." p.61

3. 20 miles: Read a book where a character has serious self doubt about a course of action they have set out on.
Game of Thorns: The Inside Story of Hillary Clinton's Failed Campaign and Donald Trump's Winning Strategy - ⭐️⭐️
Hillary Clinton's campaign got harder because of various scandals.

4. Race finish: Read a book where a character completes some monumental effort & is now wiped out but also happy.
Crossing the Desert: The Power of Embracing Life's Difficult Journeys - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
MC escaped persecution from Iran & arrived in America as a refugee

Dice Roll: 3

3 = Several kids give you high fives to encourage you as you cruise up a hill. You smile, remembering all those tough hill repeats you did. Spell out KID ENERGY.

✅ 9. Kid Energy

K: Mint Your Money: An Easy Manual to Unlocking Your Wealth-Creating Potential, Pranjal Kamra - ⭐️⭐️
I: Overcoming Impossible: Learn to Lead, Build a Team, and Catapult Your Business to Success, Robert Irvine - ⭐️
D: Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern India, William Dalrymple - ⭐️⭐️

E: Exploring BDSM: A Workbook for Couples (or More) Discovering Kink - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
N: The James Brown Reader: Fifty Years of Writing About the Godfather of Soul, Nelson George - ⭐️⭐️
E: Exposure Anxiety - The Invisible Cage: An Exploration of Self-Protection Responses in the Autism Spectrum and Beyond - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
R: The Red Book: A Deliciously Unorthodox Approach to Igniting Your Divine Spark - ⭐️⭐️
G: The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine - 4 Volume set - ⭐️⭐️
Y: When We Are Seen: How to Come Into Your Power—and Empower Others Along the Way, Denise Young - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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If this race has finished, I'd like to stop this challenge now. Thanks for your efforts, I appreciate you! Enjoyable challenge.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! YOU FINISHED YOUR MARATHON!



You got it. Happy reading!!