Current Race List

I've been adding and contemplating some of my next races. Here's where I stand at the moment:

One race is in the books. Two more have been registered for and are coming up in the next month. What I haven't decided on are the Cowtown races. I completed the half marathon last year and I felt pretty good about it. I will say that last hill at mile 9 is a killer but the rest was a nice, fairly flat race.

What I don't know is if I want to do it again. I know it would be a good challenge for me. I know I would have just come off of a 15K and a 10K a week or two before. I also know that I could just do the 5K or 10K the day before, since I've never run those.

A year ago, the Cowtown half marathon was the last race I did in 2018 and part of me wants to do it again as a part of this journey back. I think I'm going to wait on my decision until after the Hot Chocolate 15K. That will be the biggest hurdle for me and even though I've done it multiple times before, this time I'm older, heavier and I haven't trained as much as I have in the past. So it will be the determining factor.

If I feel good afterwards, then I'll seriously consider Cowtown. If not, there are plenty more half marathons out there for me to do this year! And I already have them on the list!

Hotcake Hustle 5K

First race of 2019 is done and in the books.

It ended up being a rather nippy day but it was beautiful outside. The sun was shining, the sky was blue and fairly clear. And the wind was...well, rather pushy shall we say.

We arrived in Addison on Saturday, January 12 for the Hotcake Hustle 5K. It was the first race of the season for the RUNProject (www.runproject.org), which is a race organization I plan to continue to run with throughout the year. I've found their races to be spread out well, fun themes, good swag and great distance options.

I chose to run the 5K. It was a great way to ease into the training and running season for me. It was also great for Patrick to participate in his very first race. One of the selling points (to Patrick especially) was the "hotcakes" after the race. I was more in it for the beer, as is the tradition after a race, but to each their own.

We were geared up and ready to go. The countdown started and then we were off. It wasn't awful, but I definitely wasn't thrilled with how it was going. Getting back into running after not doing it for some time is hard. The first mile for me was the roughest. Calves and shins were very tight and the wind was brutal. Once I got past the first mile, I started to get back into a rhythm. I could push through the wind and the cold and focus on my pace and my breathing.

When I reached the finish line, Patrick was waiting for me and cheering me on. He's a little speed demon. He sprints during his run intervals, which is hysterical to me because you won't ever catch me doing it. Haha. But he finished a few minutes ahead of me (not surprising with his long and quick legs) and it was nice to see him on the sidelines watching for me.

It had been awhile since I ran a race with someone and even though we didn't run together, it was very nice knowing that there was someone waiting for you at the end. :-) Grabbing the official race swag, we took our obligatory post-race photo (with the help of some kind people who had asked for our help first) and took stock of the long line for breakfast and beer.

With our medal and our mug in tow, we opted not to wait in line in the cold for the pancakes. I'm sure they were delicious, but so were the pancakes we got at IHOP down the road. ;-)

Next race: Hot Chocolate 15K - February 9, 2019

Goals, Goals and More Goals

A new year has started which means it's resolution time! I have a couple that I'm going to be trying to maintain, but the big one (and subject of this blog) is to get back into running. This year was kind of a bust for me in the race department. I was able to start off pretty well, completing two big races in February. Unfortunately, I stopped after that, getting busy with work, life, etc.

So the goal for 2019 is to try to run at least one race per month. I've done it before and here in Dallas it's an easy task. At least one race is held every few weeks, sometimes multiple races in each month, and many times multiple races in a given day.

Black Friday proved to be favorable to me as I purchased a new pair of running shoes. I've always been a fan of Brooks so when the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon released their gear that would be on-sale, I jumped at the opportunity and purchased these bad boys. You'll see me coming for sure!

I've signed up for a few races already and even got my boyfriend to join me for the first one, which is under a week away. We both know we won't be the most prepared for it but that's ok. For me, it's about getting back out there and for him, it's about finishing his first race!

I will continue to post about my training, the ups and downs, as well as the races I plan to finish. Until I actually register for the races, they may or may not happen for me. For example, I ran the Cowtown half marathon last year. I'm on the fence if I want to do it again or not. But, here's what I've got so far:

I have many more on my list that I will post about later. But until then, I'm just very excited about this goal. It's something that I actually enjoy (run for the bling!) and I know that if I schedule it, I will accomplish it!

BUT...

My biggest goal doesn't even happen in 2019. In January of 2020 I hope to complete the Dopey Challenge at Walt Disney World. 4 races in 4 days in the "happiest place on Earth." I've tried to do this challenge multiple times over the years, ever since it's inception. Injuries and lack of funds have been the blockades in my way. But I have a plan that I hope to accomplish this time...

I would like to participate in this race by raising money for a charity. I'm saying this now so I actually do it. Many races these days allow you to register and in doing so you also sign up to raise funds for an organization. It's a perfect chance for me to achieve a goal I've thought about doing for five (plus) years and do something good for someone else. A win-win in my book!

So stay tuned over the next year as I work my way back into running shape!