Author: admin

First things first … The 50K (aka the 100K relay) that I have been training for got cancelled. Womp. Womp.

We got an email from the race director (RD) late Wednesday afternoon that basically said that because it has rained a lot in the last few days, the trail would get very damaged if were to run on the trail. Instead of cancelling the event outright, the RD is actually moving the “race” to his house, but stressed in the email that it would be a fun run and not a race. It would just be running loops on the streets and/or sidewalks of the RD’s neighborhood. So technically, I guess it wasn’t cancelled. Just changed.

Rebecca and I went back and forth about what to do and ultimately decided that we aren’t going to go. We were planning to leave around 3:30 a.m. to drive 3.5 hours to get to the race in the first place. That was crazy enough when it was actual trail race, but now we would be driving 7 hours round-trip just to run around a (potentially sketchy) random neighborhood that we aren’t familiar with at all. In the middle of the day. By ourselves.

It stinks to not do the race that we trained for, but in the spirit of letting it go and rolling with the flow, we might as well make the best of the situation. I was a little disappointed at first, but I feel good about the decision that we made, especially because now we have come up with a good substitute. I’ll tell you all about that soon, but I’m still planning to get my birthday miles in!

This week turned into a weird week training wise. Here is what I did:

Monday: 8.35 easy (half on the beach)

Tuesday: 13.75 miles (w/ 4 miles of speed-work)
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: 7 easy + 5 easy
Friday: 8 easy

Monday’s run was awesome and so refreshing. I was supposed to have a track workout (8 X 800) Tuesday morning, but I could not drag myself out of bed. I knew that Tuesday was really my only shot at getting the workout in. At this point the race was still on and I wanted to have a few easy days before the race. We usually go to Running Wild for the group run Tuesday evening, but I didn’t want to go this week. I usually love group runs at the store, but sometimes I just can’t do it.

The bottom line is that group run at the store is primarily a social gathering, which can be an emotionally draining situation. Introverts have to expend energy in social situations, unlike extroverts who gain energy from such interactions. I enjoy one-on-one (or small group) conversation, but chit-chat is definitely not my thing. Introverts can come across as being shy, anti-social or avoidant, but we’re really not. I promise.

Tangent complete.

I was planning to run on the treadmill after work Tuesday and attempt some sort of workout. I didn’t really like the idea of doing 800s on the treadmill because the speed would have to be too fast. The treadmill is a good option for slower repeats (AT/LT work as opposed to V02 max work), but the faster stuff needs to be done on a track (in my opinion). I ended up doing a wave tempo, which basically means I was alternating between two paces. I did 4 miles of “work” alternating between half marathon and 10K pace every 5 minutes for a total of 25 minutes. I covered the same distance as I would have in the 8 X 800 workout, but it just went a little bit differently than planned.

Apparently differently than planned became a theme at this point. Wednesday we got the email about the race. By Wednesday evening I still wasn’t sure what we were doing, but the one thing that I definitely knew was that I was tired and I needed a day off. It was storming when I got home from work, so that pretty much solidified the rest day decision.

Brooks was not about to let the mini-hurricane outside deter his playtime though.

I had to bundle up and hunker down to survive out there.

Rocking the rainboot and dress look! Dressy casual?

Rain also made for glorious sleeping conditions. I woke up Thursday feeling like a new human. Daniel and I ran together before and after work Thursday and then Friday morning I ran with Rebecca and Jessica. After a day off and 2 days of easy runs, I feel good!

Check out this new Galatians 5:22-23 tank top that I got! You can get one here.

This tank top with a purpose is a wonderful reminder of how we should live and love, how we should treat others and treat ourselves.

I recently found Chelsy on Istagram. She writes, “I hope this tank encourages you to seek the Fruits of the Spirit and I pray that when wearing it conversations are started, relationships are built, and others learn about the joy that comes from knowing Jesus.”

What a wonderful reminder!

Thanks for reading! I hope you have a fruitful Friday.

I am channelling my inner Dr. Seuss
to give this post a little spruce

Sometimes it’s fun to create a rhyme
especially when you have the time

I wanted to mix things up today
so I decided to take my run to the bay

I did half of my run on the road
and finished it up in beast beach-mode

I planned my run at low tide
so there was plenty of beach to hit my stride

I had to forge through a few creeks
but thankfully none that were over knee-deep

I had a few moments of dread
when I had to hurdle over a bulkhead

I have no future in the steeple chase
as I would simply fall flat on my face

I felt like I was on an adventure to the sea lab
as bay was alive with shrimp, jellyfish and crab

I even saw a fox!
But thankfully no crocs!

I ended up with just over eight miles
and arrived home with all smiles

I will bid you farewell
with one last picture of a beautiful artesian well

I hope that you enjoyed this post
with a glimpse of life on the Mobile Bay coast

Hi! Happy Friday!

Let’s start with a training update and then I’m going to share some Friday Favorites.

Here is what my training has looked like so far this week:

Monday: 19 mile LR
Tuesday: 7 Easy + RW group run (6 miles @ 7:40 avg.)
Wednesday: 7 Easy
Thursday: 9.25 w/ 4 tempo miles + 4.75 easy
Friday: 12 Easy

I was supposed to do my long run last Sunday, but after we got back from the beach I had a hard time adjusting back to post-vacation running reality. I was worn out and the long run didn’t happen. I’m sure skipping it all together would’ve been totally fine, but this was the last “long” (relative terminology of course) run on my schedule before the 50K. I decided to give it a whirl again on Monday. Rebecca and I ran 8 together and then I did the rest of the run by myself. I kind of did a run/walk combo, but I got it done.

So speaking of the 50K … It’s NEXT WEEKEND! Ahh. Rebecca and I are doing a 100K relay in Jackson MS and each of us will run 50K. The course is a 10.3 mile loop and we will just run that same loop several times. We are going to do alternating loops, so Rebecca will run the first 10 miles, then I will run the next 10, and so on until we have each done 3 loops.

We are hoping for an 8:30 (ish) average pace. The total race should take us somewhere between 8 and 9 hours. The team that runs the fastest last lap (regardless of whether you finish first or not) wins $100, so obviously that would be pretty sweet. Hopefully that’ll help us pace ourselves on the other laps as well and finish with a really strong leg (and legs (get it?)).

I’m not really worried about the mileage as much as I am a little apprehensive about what running at 9:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. is going to be like (in July in Mississippi no less). I am used to running at 5 a.m. and 5 or 6 p.m., but not really during those in between times. We are definitely going to pack a cooler full of all.the.drinks and a tent for some shade.

Enough about that. Tuesday morning my legs were pretty tired from the long run the day before. I was [thisclose] to not going to the group run that evening, but I ended up having a really good run. The same exact thing happened last week. It’s crazy! I slept in Wednesday morning and was [thisclose] again to not running at all, but Daniel wanted to go after work and I figured that I might as well join him. You never regret a run, right? You only regret it if you don’t go.

We were going to do 5 miles, but ended up with 7. My legs pretty much felt like garbage during the run, but of course I was still so glad that we got it in! If you are a runner you likely get it, and if you aren’t you likely think that sounds absurd. Running in the evenings after work is the best time that we have to talk and catch up on how the day went.

I described Thursday’s tempo workout in my last post, but ICYMI: I did a 3 mile warm up, a 4 mile tempo at 6:24 average and a 2.25 mile cool down. My legs felt surprisingly good! Thursday evening I met Rebecca for an easy 4.75 miles, so I ended up with 14 for the day.

Rebecca and I did 12 miles this morning. We were both pretty tired from our Thursday workouts, but we managed to make it through.

Now that we’ve covered the run stuff, let’s move on to the fun stuff! Here are some things that I am loving lately …

Brooks Lauch. I have found my shoe. I have worn the Launches on and off for several years, but lately they have become my go-to shoe 95% of the time. My feet haven’t been bothering me at all and I think that a lot of that has to do with these shoes.

Birkenstock Mayari Sandals. These are my go-to non-running shoes. I love how they mold to the contours of your feet. They are known to guide your foot into a healthy walking position, delivering exceptional comfort in every step. I wear these to work (or basically anytime that I am not running). After dealing with plantar fasciitis for so long, I refuse to wear heels or wedges anymore. It just isn’t worth it.

Chick-Fil-A diet lemonade. So tart, so refreshing! I been craving lemonade after hot runs. We hit up Chick-Fil-A Tuesday evening after our run and I got my fix.

Pop-Tarts. Daniel has gotten me on pop-tarts recently. I don’t remember eating them growing up or really ever for that matter. If I am still hungry after dinner (which obviously means I haven’t eaten quite enough that day), I have been eating pop-tarts. Not exactly the healthiest of snacks, but they hit the spot and satisfy the need for calories and the desire for something sweet.

Aveeno wipes. I love these face cleaning wipes. I like to wipe my face off with these after running. They have aloe in them and they feel great on your skin.

I guess that was kind of a random assortment, but those are a few of my favorite things right now!

What are your favorite running shoes?

Hey friends! I’m bringing you a little something different today.

I always enjoy reading “Day in the Life” posts. A couple of the bloggers that I follow did these type of posts this week and I realized that I’ve never done one myself before. It’s time to remedy that! I like seeing little glimpses into other people’s lives. There is something about seeing the ins and outs of another person’s daily life that makes me feel connected to them in a deeper way even though they are a random stranger on the internet.

Hopefully you will enjoy this little glimpse into an ordinary day in my life. Besides, I think that the daily grind of ordinary days helps to prepare us for the extraordinary days!

4:40: Hello, world!

The alarm goes off, but I promptly hit snooze. Not quite ready yet, world! After the one snooze, I was ready to at least begin the wake up process, which involves reading my devotional and a quick scroll through social media.

I usually sleep in my running clothes (well, except for the shoes … that would be weird), so once I get myself out of bed, get my teeth brushed and put my eyes (contacts) in, I’m ready to go.

5:00 – 6:30: Let’s Run!

We usually start running between 5:00 and 5:15. Today I had a workout to do and Daniel decided to sleep in, so I hit the treadmill. The workout called for a 3 mile warm up, a 4 mile tempo with a goal range of 6:15 to 6:25 pace and a 3 mile cool down.

I like to ease into my treadmill workouts. For the warm up I start at 10:00 pace and every 2 minutes I increase the speed my 0.2 mph. Basically this turns the warm up into a little mini-progression run. My warm up miles were 9:00, 7:48, 7:18. By that point, my legs were awake and ready to go! I averaged 6:24 for the tempo miles, which was right within the goal range. I definitely had to work hard to hit that.

I cut the cool down a little bit short. I was DONE and just really ready to be off of the treadmill! Side note: I am pretty sure that is possibly one of the sweatiest runs that I’ve done. I had to wring out my socks afterwards. That doesn’t happen to me very often.

6:30 – 7:20: Randomness at Home

Lots of random tasks go down between 6:30 and 7:30. Things like post-run hydrating (I drank 20 oz. of water with 2 Nuun tablets this morning) and caffeinating, making the bed, updating my training log, playing with Brooks, checking emails, etc. Daniel always showers first (oh the joys of one bathroom apartment living) It takes me about 20 minutes to get ready for work, so as long as I am in the shower by 7:00, I’m good to go. Low maintenance #forthewin.

I don’t know that anyone has ever told me that my curly hair specifically looks good, but I go with a “hope for the best” outlook.

7:30: Breakfast

Breakfast is not a fancy meal at our house. Let’s face it … none of our meals are really very fancy. If it can’t be prepared in the crock pot, in the microwave or on the grill, it doesn’t get prepared. Thankfully, Daniel and I are on the same page with this. We eat to live, not live to eat. We eat what I would consider to be a fairly healthy (i.e., clean) diet, but we aren’t perfect (obviously) … we definitely splurge on not so healthy options every now and then. Moderation is truly the key.

Disclaimer: I think that food is something that I will always have to be mindful and cognizant of. It is easy for me to slip into bad (i.e., disordered) habits when things get stressful or life feels out of control. Daniel does a really good job of reining me back in. I have a decent amount of nutritional knowledge, but I am by no means a professional. I am not giving nutrition advice or telling you how you should eat. I have found what works for me. Everyone has a different definition of “healthy” and different things work for different people … #findyourhealthy #comparisonisthethiefofjoy #differentstrokesfordifferentfolks.

Where were we? Ahh, yes. Breakfast.

Greek yogurt with oats and raspberries (one of my all-time favorite fruits) and a side of G2 (actually it is a Sprite zero & G2 mixture). Simple and nutritious. I also take a calcium supplement with breakfast. Daniel typically does a protein shake, a pop-tart or a stop at Chick-Fil-A.

7:45 – 8:00: Drive to Work

I had the added pleasure of stopping by Coffee Loft on my way to work this morning, because I was working at a client’s office and Coffee Loft just happened to be right on the way. It was basically a mandatory stop.

Typically I just drive straight to our office, which is about a 15 (on a good day) to 20 minute drive. It’s not a bad commute at all and it gives me a chance to call my mom and chat for a few minutes each day.

8:00 – 10:30: Work

For any new readers or those that don’t know me well, my day job is in public accounting. I am a CPA. I have a master’s degree in tax accounting, so the majority of what I do at work revolves around taxes (preparing and reviewing tax returns, tax planning, responding to tax notices, etc.). Summer is a slow time of year for us tax folks, so I only work part-time during the summer months. Business tax returns that are extended are due September 15th, so that is the next deadline that we are working towards currently.

10:30: Snack

My stomach started to get a little rumbly mid-morning. I always seem to be hungrier on workout mornings. Luckily I brought some snacks for just such an occasion.

The nectarine was not quite as good as I was hoping that it would be, but oh well.

10:30 – 12:00: Work

Noon: Lunch

We had an internal meeting at work today and lunch was provided. We had homemade chicken salad on croissants and it was so good! Daniel and his co-workers go out for lunch pretty much every day, but I usually try to take my lunch with me. We don’t have a lot of great lunching options nearby, so it is easier just to take it with me. I usually eat pretty quickly and keep working anyway.

12:00 – 4:30: Work

Our meeting lasted for a pretty long time, so the afternoon flew by. I worked on a few returns after that until it was time to go. Thursday is my Friday, so leaving work on a Thursday afternoon is the best feeling!

4:30: Snack

Quest bars are my go-to afternoon snack. I love them! They have 20 grams of protein and they are very satisfying.

5:00: Let’s Run (Round 2)!

I don’t run in the evening every day by any means, but my coach has two to three double run days built-in to my schedule each week. It seems like I usually get two doubles in, but rarely get three. The evening runs are usually very easy, recovery type runs. I met Rebecca right after work and we did 4.75 miles. I ended my run at .25 that morning and I wanted to even that out. I might have some slight traces of OCD. I usually make Rebecca run around the parking lot until my watch beeps for 5 miles, so she was thankful that we didn’t have to do that this time.

She pushes the stroller and we just chat about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

We had a good run and we hung out and chatted for a while after we got done.

6:00: Head Home

6:30 – 8:00: Randomness at Home (Round 2)

Brooksy greeted me at the door with a wet nose and puppy kisses and Daniel and I caught up on our day. He had an appointment after work with Dr. Justin (his piriformis is still being a literal pain in his butt) and after that he went out for a ride on the motorcycle and played with Brooks. I was really excited to discover that my RRCA certificate and my MPR business cards had come in the mail.

After a shower (round 2), I worked on the blog for a while with the Tour de France on in the background. The sun went down at 7:50 and it was a really good one. The pictures do not do it justice at all. It was just like the Kenny Chesney song … a “big orange ball, sinkin’ in the water.”

8:00: Dinner

By 8 I was getting hungry. I made myself a turkey “wrap” (turkey, cheese, pickles and spicy mustard on a flat bread) and had some chips and a sweet potato on the side.

Daniel had peanut butter, nutella and banana sandwiches with string cheese. Like I said … low maintenance. I take an iron supplement and vitamin C with dinner. I also had a big glass of chocolate almond milk.

8:30 – 9:30: Relax and Get Ready for Bed

We spend a little bit of time watching TV each evening. Our latest Netflix series is One Tree Hill. Neither of us have seen it before and it’s been pretty good so far. I’m snacking on a dark chocolate sea salt bar. I like to have a sweet snack before bed. Daniel is snacking on some Noosa (Australian yogurt) and applesauce. I also spend some time reading blogs in the evenings before bed.

9:30: Light’s Out!

Brooks says, “I can’t take it anymore.” He must’ve had a rough doggie day. Maybe I can get him to do a guest “day in the life” post one day!? Either that or we can just go see The Secret Life of Pets. It looks so cute.

Whew. That’s a wrap. It was a fun, busy day. I hoped you enjoyed following along.

How was your day? Did you eat anything delicious or nutritious?

Hey guys!

It’s been a stormy couple of days here on the Gulf Coast. The goods news is that it seems to have brought us a little mini-reprieve from the heat (meaning that it has been in the upper 70s at 5 a.m., instead of mid 80s). The last few weeks were pretty intense, so this week has actually been quite wonderful. We’ll take anything we can get at this point.

We are headed to the beach for a couple of days [insert happy dance], so I want to go ahead and get a quick recap in before we leave. Here is what the week has looked like so far:

Monday: Easy 8 + Easy 5
Tuesday: Track + RW group run
Wednesday: Easy 8
Thursday: Easy 8 

It’s pretty much just been easy running, except for Tuesday. Tuesday morning we hit the track for #TrackTuesday. My workout was 12 X 400 with a goal range of 82 – 84 seconds per lap (i.e., 5:28 – 5:36 per mile). I made the mistake of mentioned to my coach that there was a 2 mile race coming up in August that I wanted to “race,” and in return this fast repeat workout showed up on my schedule. Lovely.

I’ve done 400 meter repeat workouts plenty of times in the past, but I don’t ever remember having a goal pace quicker than 6:00 per mile (90 seconds per 400). I was pretty intimidated by the goal pace range that he gave me this time. I didn’t know if I would be able to hit those times or not, but I knew I had to try.

Daniel and Jessica did the 400 workout with me and Rebecca came to the track with us, but she had a different workout to do (a workout for a 50 mile race looks quite a bit different than a workout for a 2 mile race). Even though we weren’t all running the exact same times or doing the same workout, having them out there with me was really nice because 1) you have more accountability to finish your workout when others are there with you and 2) it’s nice to have a few kind words of encouragement while you are out there working your tush off.

The workout went better than I was expecting! It took me a few repeats to find and settle into the goal range, but once I did, I was fairly consistent with the remainder of the workout. Here is what it actually looked like:

2 mi. WU, 12 X 400 (86, 86, 85, 85, 84, 83, 84, 84, 84, 85, 84, 84), 2 mi. CD

As you can see, the first four were slower than my goal range (granted not by much, but still …). I’m glad that I didn’t give up and stayed with it long enough to actually give myself a chance. Track workouts are tough mental workouts and this one was definitely a test of mental and physical strength.

I finally downloaded the FitSnap app, so that I can make pretty little pictures from my workouts. Check it out …

Fancy, right? Haha.

I was in a weird mood Tuesday evening and I thought about not going to the group run at the store. I usually enjoy group runs, but every now and then after work I just really don’t feel like talking or being social. Tuesday was a weird day at work because we lost power for several hours and weren’t able to get much done. I’m sure that probably contributed to my weird mood.

Since Daniel was going, I decided to go ahead and go as well. I am really glad that I did because I had a great run. Isn’t that crazy? Going into it, I was not feeling it at all, but once I started running, I felt really good and I settled into a strong rhythm. I ran with Daniel and the guys, which was great because I was working kind of hard to keep up and I didn’t really have to make small talk (mostly because I couldn’t). There was a pack of about 6 or 7 of us and I kind of got lost in my own thoughts, just listening to the sound of our footsteps.

We did 6 miles at a 7:30 average, which is definitely faster than my normal “easy” pace (which ranges from 8:00 to 9:00 minutes per mile, at least in the summer). I probably shouldn’t have pushed the pace that evening after doing a workout that morning, but I felt good so I just went with it.

Luckily I had some flexibility with my schedule this week and so I gave myself two easy days to properly recover before my next workout, which will be a brisk pace run. I was supposed to do that today, but we are going to do it tomorrow instead. Hopefully it will be followed with some beach running or walking! I can’t wait.

I think Brooks must’ve known that we were going to be leaving, because he got sick Wednesday. I got a text from the lady that checks on him mid-day while I was at work yesterday and she told me that he had gotten sick and that she thought he might have gotten overheated. I decided to take him to the vet yesterday afternoon, just to make sure that he was okay. I would’ve hated to leave for a few days if he was really sick.

She said that she didn’t think we needed to take him to the vet, but I just wanted some reassurance. Yes … I am an overprotective doggie mom. Thankfully we got the A-OK from the vet. This doesn’t look like a sick puppy, does it? He loves a good car ride.

I know he will be in good hands while we are gone and I am so glad to know that he is healthy.

Alright kids, it’s time for me to finish packing and head out. You can follow along on Instagram for vacation updates!

Hello friends!

I am linking up with HoHo Runs and MissSippiPiddlin for the Weekly Wrap.

Saturday morning I headed to Running Wild to get my long run done for the weekend. Rebecca, Ashley and I needed to get 20 miles in, so we met before the normal group run and got 6 miles knocked out before 6 a.m. We met back at the store and joined the rest of the group for 10 miles and then headed back out to get the leftover 4 miles done.

The store has various distance options for the group runs. This week there was a 5 mile, 8 mile and 10 mile route. We got to run with Lizzie, Jill and Jessica for part of our run too.

Yesterday was Lizzie’s last day working at Running Wild. It was a bittersweet day for sure. She has a great new job and we are excited for her, but we will surely miss seeing her several times per week. She’ll only be about 45 minutes away, so we are planning to visit her regularly.

There were good-bye hugs … these pictures crack me up. Perfectly imperfect.

What in the world?

I have so much love for these running friendships. I know that I have done a pretty solid job of professing my undying love of running on the internet at this point, but I’m going to do a little bit more of that now. Running has brought a lot of really positive things into my life, but one of the greatest things that it has given me is community and a sense of belonging.

These are my people.

For years (i.e., throughout high school and college), I struggled to find a friend group. Don’t get me wrong, I had some great friends, but I never felt like I truly “fit in” or that people accepted me for me. I felt like I had to be or act a certain way to fit in with whatever group it was. Even then, I knew I didn’t truly belong. I was almost happier to be by myself (hello only child) and while this can be good at times, it’s also a lonely way to live.

The running community is absolutely wonderful and I am so thankful to have found the sense of belonging that comes from being a part of it. Belonging is a basic human need, just like the need for food and shelter. Running brings people together by putting the focus on ways we are similar, instead of focusing on ways we are different. Even though we are different in some ways (we are in different life stages, have different political views, come from different backgrounds, etc.), we are all runners and we accept each other for who we are.

We are all a little bit looney and that makes it fun!

After our run, we did our typical drink all the drinks and hang out at Coffee Loft for several hours. I don’t know how we manage to do this, but it’s like we could just talk and hang out forever. I love it!

8 drinks for 3 people … totally normal. Not pictured (aka already consumed) are my G2 and sprite zero that I added Nuun to. I also drank lots of water and one Nuun tablet during the run. Lots of hydration is needed on these summer long runs!

Daniel had to work Saturday morning, so he wanted to do his run Saturday afternoon after work. He is kind of warming up to the idea of me “coaching” him. He wanted to do a workout Saturday and he let me pick it out … this is going to be fun. Hehe.

I decided to have him do a brisk pace run. He did 5 miles easy and 5 miles at brisk pace. I have this same workout coming up this week and my coach had just done a post about the benefits of this type of run, so I guess it was just fresh on my brain. The focus of the brisk run is to stay relaxed while running quickly, which helps us to run as efficiently as possible in workouts and races. The more relaxed we stay the less energy we burn at every speed.

I rode the bike with Daniel during his workout, which was fun. I was able to shout at him encourage him and hold his water for him. Win, win. He had a great run and I was happy to be along for the ride (literally).

I took an impromptu rest day Sunday, which was much need and really nice. Last week was a big week mileage wise and I felt like a day off would be better for me than an easy run.

My day went like this: sleep in –> go to church –> read –> take a nap –> watch the Olympic Trials. It was a perfect mental, physical and spiritual “reset” day. Running and gymnastics are my two favorite sports to watch and they were both on this weekend! I can’t wait for the Olympics now!

What is your favorite event to watch?

 

Today I am linking up with Patty, Erika and Marcia for their weekly “Tuesday on the Run” series. This week’s topic is “How Do You Choose Your Races.” For the last few weeks, I have been trying to choose a fall marathon, so I figured this would be a good link up to join. Writing out the thought process of choosing a race just might help lead me where I want to go.

Spoiler alert: It did! Keep reading …

I like to race a lot! I think the process of choosing a race definitely varies by race type, so I am going to break this down into a few different sections, culminating with the marathon selection process, which is by far the most difficult (in my opinion).

5Ks & 10Ks – There isn’t a very complex thought process that goes into choosing a 5K or 10K race (for me at least). It’s usually just based on location. I’ll pretty much do any 5K or 10K within a 50 mile radius. I typically do anywhere from 5 to 10 5Ks per year and 1 or 2 10Ks per year and most of those are just going to be small, local races.

Half Marathon – The half marathon is my favorite distance to race! If I am choosing a half marathon as a goal race, I am going to consider 1) time of year, 2) location and 3) course.

1. Time of year: I’m probably not going to be doing a half marathon in the months of May – September (at least not a local one). October – April are fair game though.
2. Location: I am definitely willing to travel a little bit further for a half than I am for shorter races. All of the half marathons that I have done have still been within driving distance, but I’d say that my radius is closer to 200 miles for a half.
3. Course: The flatter the better!

Marathon – Here is where it gets tricky! There is so much that goes into choosing and training for a marathon. I have been trying to decide on my next marathon here for a while and it’s not a decision I wanted to make lightly. I basically run one marathon a year. I ran my first one in 2011 and I’ve done 6. Over the course of the next 3 or 4 years, I would like to try to do at least 2 or 3 per year, but we’ll see how that works out.

When choosing a marathon as a goal race (side note: I’ve never done a marathon just “for fun” so I don’t know exactly why I am qualifying that it needs to be a goal race, but nonetheless …), I am going to consider 1) time of year, 2) course, 3) race size and 4) scheduling.

1. Time of year: My marathon window is shorter than my half window. November – January is pretty much when it needs to be. Weather and my work schedule dictate this. I realize that I will have to be open to other months in order to get more marathons in going forward, but I think that will likely just involve a little bit more traveling to get out of the South. I’m cool with that though.
2. Course: The flatter the better still applies here, but it isn’t quite as much of a concern. It’s harder to find pancake flat marathons and a few (small) hills don’t really bother me too much.
3. Race Size: I prefer smaller marathons. I’m not a fan of crowds in general, so races like Boston & New York kind of freak me out. I’m glad that I have done them, but I can’t say that I would *choose* those. I mean, when you qualify for Boston & New York you run them, but I am good with a one and done on those.
4. Scheduling: One of the reasons that it is tricky to pick out a marathon is because I want it to fit as seamlessly as possible into my “race” schedule. The marathon basically takes you out of other races for at least two weeks leading up to it and then probably at least two weeks (if not more) afterwards.

Ultimately, I landed on the fact that this was probably the most important factor for me. I made a list of about 10 marathons that fit into my November – January window and also made a list of the fall races that definitely want to do and then I compared the dates.

Here is the work in progress …

Before I did this, I was really leaning towards Rock ‘N’ Roll Savannah. I realized that if I did that race, I wouldn’t be able to do the fall 10K that I want to do or either of the “turkey” races that I usually do (10 miler the weekend before Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving Day 5K).

So after mapping out the dates and compiling a list of other races that I want to do, I was able to at least narrow it down to one weekend that stands out as the best. The first weekend in December is when it’s going to be. That’s a huge start! A training plan can be built now that the date is set.

Right now the Baton Rouge Beach Marathon is the top candidate. It is advertised as “a flat and fast, double-loop course that starts and ends at the Baton Rouge Beach and passes through the LSU campus, around the LSU lakes, and alongside waterfront estates.” I have never done a double loop course for a marathon before, but Daniel and I talked about it and we decided that maybe it won’t seem as long that way?! I think that’s probably being overly optimistic, but we’re just going to go with it.

P.S. I think Daniel is going to run this one with me! We will likely have similar goals for the race, so that will either be A) really great, fantastic and wonderful or B) a disaster. Time will tell! Lol!

What are the most important factors that you weigh when choosing a race?