race calendar for the winter and spring

So my race calendar is really open right now.  Last year at this time I was pretty full.  I have been looking and can't find anything that either strikes my fancy, is local, or a place where I would like to pay to run.  I have my usual on the list.

February

Love the Run Your With - my birthday 5K

March

Running the half marathon.  Its local so I can't pass it up.

April

No Cherry Blossom!  Yep I have not signed up for it.  Good Bye my least favorite race in DC.

May

Heading to the Burgh for the Pittsburgh Half Marathon.  Very Excited for this race!

Marine Corps Historic Half - Hospital Hill may try to kill me again, but it is so close to my house that I have to make this a yearly run.

That takes me to June and summer running.  I haven't looked at the fall yet.  There are some local races that I just like to run.  I'm sure that I will also throw in some 5Ks and other random races here and there.  Is it bad that I just feel like I should have some more races on my calendar??  

a bit crazy and the Marine Corps Marathon

I think I must have fallen and bumped my head last week.  Or maybe I have gone a bit crazy.. I have signed up for my first full marathon!  

Yep I will be running the Marine Corps Marathon as my first full marathon.  I have been trying to decide if this is a good thing or if I might be just a bit nuts.  I have said that I would never run a full.  I have said that there is no way I would go from 13.1 to 26.2.  But I guess something has been slowly changing.  A few months ago I would still say hell no! to 26.2..but in the back of my mind a little voice would say "don't say never.."  then it would start to say "maybe you should see if you can do a full".  "How will you know that you can or can't run it until you try"... I may have to strangle that voice after October 27th!

I have been following all of the excitement with registration.  I have a few friends that were going to try and register.  So I saw everyone's posts about the horrible problems with registration.  And then I thought..next year I'm going to try and run a full.  Next year I will see if I can get into MCM.  Then I got a facebook post from my friend Keith asking if I am running it.  Umm..no I don't think so. I  will be there with pb cups for you though.  He said ok, but he could hook me up with a charity bib.  That was it.  The end of the conversation.  Normally that would be it, I move on and look forward to cheering everyone on.

But that wasn't it.  It just stuck in the back of my mind.  Maybe I should just try to run it this year.  I could raise some money for Fisher House, which is a great charity that supports our troops and their family during a difficulty time.

While on my way home to Pennsylvania I talked myself into running my first full this year.  I thought about how it would fit into my schedule.  I have two half marathons in Aug and Sept. so it is not like I am just being lazy during the summer..sure I've never ran 26.2 miles but I didn't think I could run a 5k, or a half marathon either.  I will never know if I can run 26.2 until I try.  I may not be very fast but I can put the work in and train over the hot hot summer months.  Ugh...  Then I thought how excited Megan was to run her first MCM.   She was glowing at mile 23 (is that possible??)  I don't think I will be glowing, but I might be able to step up to the challenge..(well I guess I better be willing to step up to the challenge because I have signed up.)  I also thought I have just finished my 10th half marathon..how many half marathon does it take to run before your first full?  I have friends that would say zero..since they didn't run a half before their first full. (That really sounds nuts to me!)  I feel like I know a lot more about my body now than I did a few years ago when it comes to running and I am guessing I will know a bit more about myself after October 27th.  I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I am actually going to run a full...

I called Keith and got the info for the charity bib.  It seems that our team will have five of us from my high school.  We will be representing class of 1993-1996 (yeah I will be the old lady of the group lol)  He told me that if I sign up he will change the team name to the Lil' Indians (our high school was Indiana High School, home of the Lil' Indians..)  Well I don't want to be the one that prohibits the name change!  Great I'm in..yikes!  So looks like I will be running 26.2 in the fall....wish me luck!

My friend Shawn sent me this text


















So here's to feeling like a bad-ass!




If you would like to donate some money to the cause you can click here..

Never heard of Fisher House..well here is a bit about Fisher House..

Next up:  Cherry Blossom 10 miler!

Learning to read a calendar

Well it looks like I will not be moving up in Half Fanatics since I do not know how to read a calendar.  I thought the Chambersburg Half was on a Sunday which works out great, however once I learned how to read a calendar looks like it is a Saturday race so no half before RnR USA which means I am not moving up in Half Fanatics (I needed 8 halfs in 365 days.)  So I guess I can work towards 8 this year.

Here is what I have on my list for this year:

March - RnR USA - This will start off my racing season..it is the first long race of the year.

April - Cherry Blossom 10 miler (doesn't count towards moving up in Half Fanatic Land..but it is still on the calendar)

May - Marine Corps Historic Half - I know I said I would not run this race again after last year's hill horrors..but I'm running a mountain in June and hilly Pittsburgh so I figured it would help get me in shape. And who can say no to a race that is fifteen minutes from home?  I hope I don't live to regret this race.

June - Hatfield McCoy Half - this should be a really great race (except that I am running up a mountain)  Anyone  have any thoughts on a hotel..must book this soon.

August - Biggest Loser Half in Erie - I'm running with my friend JoAnn, this will be her first half marathon. So hopefully she will enjoy it and start to run longer distances more often.
              RnR Pittsburgh - I have yet to see the route, but I am sure that it will be over at least one bridge (it is the city of bridges)

September - RnR VA Beach - I know I hated the heat last year.  I am sure I will still hate it this year..but it will give me three RnR races which means extra bling!!  And I can stay with my friend Kristi so who can say no to that?

October -Heritage Historic Half - this is the race that I had my last PR.  I like the small race atmosphere so this is an easy yes to run for me.

December - I would like to run the Blue and Gray Half - once again it is only 15 minutes from my home.  I wanted to run it this past year, but it didn't fit in with my schedule.  Hopefully this year it will fit in better.  If I end up with tickets to a Steeler game this weekend there will be no Blue and Grey Half for me.

It looks like I need one more half to move up in Half Fanatics..I will be looking at a calendar to see what is out there and what I would like to run.  I might just have a very busy running year again.

2013 Goals

Happy New Year to everyone!  Seeing as it is the first day of 2013 I thought I would share some of my running plans and goals this year.

First I would like to add more mileage to my calendar this year compared to last year.  I am going to shoot for 700 miles this coming year.  Last year I was the first year that I actually tracked the amount that I ran.  And if you can call tracking my running miles a resolution, I stuck to it for the entire year!!  Go me!   I would also like to improve my half marathon time..or my 5k time..or really just my speed over all (if you can call what I run speed...lol)  I'm  hoping that being more consistent with my running will help me increase my speed..and if I can drop some lbs..then I'm sure that wouldn't hurt my times either. :)

Races that I am running.  This year doesn't look like it is nearly as crazy with running races, but you never know how it may end up shaping up.

February:  two races that I am debating on running.  I need one more half before March 16th to move up in half fanatics.  So hopefully one of the February races will work out.  I'm waiting to see what the weather is like before I sign up..I'm willing to suck up the higher race day registration to avoid running in a snowstorm.

Love Rox in Richmond on Feb. 16th
or
Colonial Half in Williamsburg  on Feb. 24.  This race starts at 1 in the afternoon..which really sounds nice..I can drive down and drive back with no problem...and the weather should be nicer than in Northern VA at the time.  Although I don't think you get a medal for this one..so we will see...

March -16th- Rock n Roll USA

April - 7- Cherry Blossom 10 miler

June - 8 - Hatfield McCoy Half Marathon

Aug. - 4- Rock n Roll Pittsburgh
          17- Biggest Loser Half Marathon in Erie

September - Navy Air Force Half Marthon

October - Heritage Half Marathon

That is what I am aiming to run so far..I am sure I will be throwing in some 5K's and other local runs as I find them.

Half Marthons 2013

So far my calendar for 2013 consists of the following races:

Rock n Roll USA has a different course this year, so we will see how I like the new course.

Pittsburgh is a new Rock n Roll Race.  I've never ran Pittsburgh so it should be fun. 

These are the only Half Marathons that I have on the calendar. 



I also have been looking at some other races, but have not registered for them yet.


February 24th - Colonial Half Marathon in Williamsburg, VA  If I complete this half, I will move up in Half Fanatics.  The great thing is that it is a 1pm start so no problem driving there and driving back.  I'm holding off on this because I want to see how the weather will look.  I don't want to run in snow.


April 7th - Cherry Blossom 10 Miler.  My friend Kristi wants to run the race, I think we may have talked Becky into running the 10 miler and Glen wants to run the 10 miler too..with all of that I couldn't say no to the race.  I know this is my least favorite race.  This will be the last time I run it (I know I have said that before).  We will see if we get into the race through the lottery.

 

 

April 28th - Iron Girl in Columbia, Maryland

 



June 8th - Hatfield McCoy in WV. 

September - Navy-Air Force Half Marathon - Washington, DC


Any races that you think I should look at to add to my calendar?  I really would love some localish races  in Northern VA or Western PA races so I don't have to go broke with travel expenses.

20K on the calendar and sloth-like weekends

Looks like I just added my first 20K race to my calendar.  Megan is running it, and I figured why not.  Then I looked at my training schedule and I am supposed to run an eleven mile run that weekend, so perfect. :)  Maybe this will help me PR on one of my two Halves in September. 

Well this weekend I have officially been a sloth.

Yep that is exactly what I've looked like for most of the weekend.  I have really done nothing this weekend.  Sure I ran some yesterday and today..but other than that..looks like my weekend has consisted of strawberry pie and napping. 

Yeah this weekend has been one of those lazy weekends.  Sometimes you just need some time to do nothing.  I have read some and I did give the dog a bath...that counts for something right?? Yeah sounds exhausting...hence the naps that have been required on both Saturday and Sunday. 

What did I do on National Running Day? Start my 2013 race calendar of course!

I didn't do much running on national running day.  I know..how dare I!  I just haven't felt it this week.  I start on my 2013 race calendar thanks to the Rock n Roll national running day discount!

Here are the first two races on my running calendar:

March 2013





 August 2013

Hard to believe that I'm already thinking about 2013 when 2012 still has six more months left. :) 

2012 Running Calendar - The Year of the Half

2011 is winding down.  I haven't been running much, but I have been setting up my calendar for next year.  Next year will be known as the Year of the Half!  I'm ending the year with two races on New Years Eve, a 10K and a 4 miler.  That should take care of not ending the year on a bad race note (Hot Chocolate Race).  Here is how the calendar for 2012 is shaping up:

February- Love the Run Your With 5K
March - Rock N' Roll DC Half Marathon
April - Cherry Blossom 10 miler and Kentucky Mini (Half Marathon)
May - Marine Corps Historic Half (This will be the 3rd Half in 90 days..we will officially be a Half Fanatic after this race!)
September - Rock N' Roll VA Beach Half Marathon

I'm sure there will be some other races thrown in there..but so far this is how 2012 is taking shape.

Next Half Marathon....

Well looks like I broke down and signed up for Rock n Roll Va Beach.  I originally didn't want to run Va Beach because it is on Labor Day weekend (I hate driving that weekend) and it can be really hot at the beach that weekend and I don't like to run in heat.

What made me change my mind?  Well I was talking to Matt at run club and he just raved about the RnR Va Beach run.  Other people had told me how great it is, so why not.  I have trained in the heat of the summer and survived, so I guess I can do it again.  I also get some extra bling since this will be my second RnR run of 2012.  I signed up over Veteran's Day so I saved $20 and I found a coupon code, which really saved me 30 dollars for the race.  I couldn't pass that up!

Megan is calling 2012 The Year Of the Half Marathon..I guess it really is turning out that way.  So to refresh the 2012 race calendar:

RnR DC - March
Kentucky Mini (13.1) - April
Vermont Covered Bridge  - June but not signed up yet..so fingers crossed
RnR Va Beach Sept.

Looks like I am going to go through some running shoes in 2012!  Combine that with the other random 5k and I would like to do the Army 10 miler again...I think I am getting tired just thinking about all of the racing...I might have to find a part time job to finance my race calendar :)