I promise I will stop signing up for races...

...at some point :D

Eventually, there has to be a lull, a break in the endless training and races, but that won't be until at least March June. I don't think I was fully aware of how ambitious my running plans have been until I was at a running happy hour this week talking about my upcoming races and my training plan. Some folks looked at me like I had ten heads, between the back to back trail race and road race as part of training for MCM, or the amount of miles I plan on putting in for a long run (22) before tapering, or the fact that I've already signed up for another full marathon in March (apparently that's a short turn around time from MCM for some people to wrap their heads around).

Old me would have started second guessing these decisions, start questioning if I made the right decision signing up for second races without ever completing that first one. But, the new me knows (mostly) what I am capable of, the determination I have, and the understanding that I am not running for first place, or to create an awesome log of PRs. I am running these races out of sheer pleasure. I will enjoy these, and no amount of scoffing at my plans can or will change that.

Now, do I have a mild addiction to signing up for races? Probably. But the good news for me is, there is no anonymous group for that....yet.

This brings me to my schedule:

This Friday: Whopper run of 18 miles!
Sept 10: Women's Trail Half Marathon (I have NEVER been so excited for a race!)
Sept 18: Philly RnR Half Marathon
Sept 24: 20 miles, ouch!

Oct 1: 14 miles
Oct 2: Get my lungs ready to scream for Erin's 70.3!!!
Oct 8: 22 miles
Oct 15: TAPERRRRRRR! 13 miles
Oct 22: 10 miles
Oct 30: MCM!

Gotta figure out what to do with myself for a little while.

Life after MCM looks a little like this:
Nov 20: Fountainhead 10 Miler, #4 of Backyard Burn Series with EX2
Dec 4: Hemlock Overlook 10 Miler, #5 of Backyard Burn series with EX2
After Dec 4 - Jan, SERIOUS downtime. No really...
Mar 17: Suntrust Rock'n'Roll full Marathon, DC
May 20?: DC Tough Mudder
June 20 ish: hopefully the EX2 Off-Road Half Marathon

In conclusion, I need to buy trail shoes sometime in the semi-near future.

Also, pretty glad my birthday party was much less attended than intended because that means there's a free bag of ice in my freezer just waaaiting to be used for an ice bath tomorrow after my 18. I need to map out an extra two miles, and change my route so I'm not starting from work. I'm actually not THAT frightened at the distance, I'm more worried that it's either a fluke that the 16 went so well, or that this 18 will bite me in the ass when I go to the Trail Half (have I mentioned I AM SO EXCITED?!). Or that I will actually throw up (I'll be prepared with food to eat after the run this time). Or that the pain at the end will get the best of me, but hey that's what foam rollers and icyhot are for ;).

But the awesome part is I am in the best shape I have ever been in. And Marine Corps Marathon is NEXT MONTH!

Sidebar: Go buy The Long Run, seriously, this is my absolute favorite running book, the man's journey is just incredible.


“We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us something is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch. Once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit.” - e. e. Cummings