I read about Marcia's 2015 race plans and link-up with Erica, Patty, and April for Tuesdays on the Run. I'm going to join in the festivities!
This year, I am not very focused on setting new PRs (even though doing so is always nice, of course). Right now, my theme is: Runcation and all the fun races I've always wanted to do. =D
With that, here's what's on the agenda:
Already Registered
January 24 - F^3 Lake Half Marathon
March 14 - Rock N Roll DC Half Marathon
March 29 - Shamrock Shuffle
April 18 - CARA Live Grit Lakefront 10-Miler
With the exception of the CARA 10-Miler, I will be running all of these races for the first time.
I've already talked about all the great things I've heard about the F^3 Lake Half Marathon. I have read raving reviews about Rock N Roll DC. The Shamrock Shuffle is enormously popular and a favorite of many, so I am pumped to finally run it this year.
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| Bring on the green people! Source |
Normally, the CARA Live Grit Lakefront 10-Miler would not have been on my radar screen since I've already run it twice. However, I received a discount code from Live Grit for 50% off of registration (50LGLF1014). The 10-mile distance is my favorite so I couldn't resist the ridiculously low price.
Waiting for Registration to Open
June 14 - PAWS Run For Their Lives
This race is a done deal for me every year. End of story.
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| I really love this logo from the 2013 PAWS Run For Their Lives race. |
99% Certainty
May 9 - Cinco de Miler
July TBD - BTN Big 10K
August 23, 2015 - Fort2Base
November 1 - Hot Chocolate 15K
All four of these races would be new to me this year.
I am a huge fan of races that celebrate holidays of any kind, and the Cinco de Miler race shirt and swag look awesome this year.
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| A prior running of the Cinco de Miler. There are the green people again! Source |
I've had my eye on the BTN Big 10K for years, also because I like the race shirt and medal. The unique Fort2Base course and distance are huge draws for me. The Hot Chocolate race has always appealed to me because of my sweet tooth, and it sounds like their organizers have made a lot of improvements.
Rock N Roll Series
When plans worked out for me to run Rock N Roll DC this year, I decided to purchase the TourPass 3-Pack. DC's registration prices are already very high, and the TourPass protects you from the price increases. I figured that I could also run Rock N Roll Chicago, then I'd pick a third race at a later point.
Upon later development, Rock N Roll Chicago may not end up working out in my calendar. There is so much going on that weekend! I had originally been planning to go to the Blackhawks fan convention. But, I just found out that my friend Jenny is getting married that weekend, too - and her wedding definitely takes priority over everything else!!!
I guess technically I could squeeze everything into one ginormous party of a weekend. I did think about doing so for a little bit.
The aftermath would be too disastrous, though. I want to focus on having a good time at Jenny's wedding!
With that in mind, here are my top considerations for my other two Rock N Roll races:
September 6 - Rock N Roll Virginia Beach
September 20 - Rock N Roll Montreal
October 25 - Rock N Roll Vancouver
November 14 - Rock N Roll Las Vegas
Virginia Beach and Vancouver would be more great opportunities to visit family and friends while enjoying the ocean; I love Montreal's fabulousness; and Vegas needs no further explanation.
Since we're talking about Vancouver and since I've obviously got green people on the brain today, here you go:
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| The green men at a Vancouver Canucks game. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! |
Under consideration:
May 2 - Wisconsin Half Marathon
May 3 - Pittsburgh Half Marathon
I would also like to do a marathon relay.
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What about you? What race plans do you have for this upcoming year? Please share!!!
I just registered for my first Tri - whee! It's called Tri U Mah (a play on the U of MN's battle cry or something... I dunno, I'm a Badger fan, it's bad enough I'm going there so don't ask me to research).
ReplyDeleteAnyway, it's end of Feb, and it's a 30 minute timed swim, bike and run. Go as far as you can within each time frame.
My first swimming race. EEK!
Congratulations on signing up for your first tri! I know so many runners going the tri route this year. I think you're going to get hooked! Everyone I know that has gone tri has never come back afterwards. =)
DeleteI love the idea of a tri that is based on time as opposed to distance, too. It's a great way to get your feet wet, literally! I can't wait to hear how your training progresses!!!
How did you end up picking a U-MN-themed tri for your first when you are a Badger fan!?!?!? =P
Ugh, don't ask. I'm afraid I might stroke out when I set foot on campus. Just kidding.
DeleteA friend recommended it, and the time trial aspect made me feel like it was less intimidating.
LOL! I was thinking about doing an indoor triathlon at a local gym, too. Attendees swam X minutes in the pool, rode X minutes on a stationary bike, and then ran X minutes on a treadmill. Everyone was given set amounts of time for their transitions, too. I really do love the set times versus the distances.
DeleteGood luck visiting the U-MN campus!!! =D
Yay for so many NEW races and running for FUN! Yes, yes, yes!!! Can't wait to hear which other two RnR ones you choose! Will these be your first RnR? I still have not done one!
ReplyDeleteUm... WI HM is missing from the list...........?!!?!??!?! lol ;)
Oh! My list. Not much! A goal 5K in March and WI HM goal in May. Fun fillers in between!
Thanks, Kim! I've run Rock N Roll Chicago twice, but never any other RnRs. I am surprised that you've never run RnR Chicago! It's awesome, but the July timing is just brutal.
DeleteYou're right about Wisconsin! I AM considering it, but am also considering running the Pittsburgh Half which takes place that same weekend. I just edited my post accordingly. =)
Yay for having two goal races already lined up! I can't wait to hear more about what other races you pick to do for fun. I still need to check out some of those Zion races you mentioned, too!
No!?!? That is a bummer! Heaven knows that what I've got here is only a partial list, though - I will for sure be making extra additions as the year progresses. What races are you planning so far for the year?!?!?
ReplyDeleteI highly recommend RnR Virginia Beach. I did that race in 2012. Just keep in mind that the humidity there is always at like, 99%. It's sticky.
ReplyDeleteOoooh - thanks for the tip, Mo! I thought that since Virginia Beach is on the ocean, that humidity wouldn't be a factor, so this is very helpful to know. I am going to go back and read your recap for full details!
DeleteWoo hoo for races! We are overlapping on the F3, Shamrock (I forgot to mention it!) and also potentially the Wisconsin Half Marathon! Can't wait to see you more!
ReplyDeleteWOO HOO indeed!!! I read your 2015 race plans (though I haven't commented yet) and was blown away by all of the triathlons you are doing. Your Puerto Rico tri is going to be amazing! And after I saw that you are running Wisconsin, that adds even more fuel to the fire for me to sign up. I had a blast hanging out with you at Wisconsin when we both ran it!!! I have also thought about Ravenswood, I love neighborhood races and I hear great things about it every year. Can't wait to see you more, too!!!
DeleteThe ONLY reason I did not sign up for the CARA 10 is because the price went up to $65. Half off? Yes please!!!
ReplyDeleteLooks like your year is shaping up nicely! Yay for RnRDC! I wish the date worked for me. I would SO love RnR Vancouver or Montreal too but don't think I can swing. I'll see you at Fort2Base as well!
Woo hoo! I was shocked, too, when I saw the 50% off promo from Live Grit. What an amazing deal! Bummer that I probably won't catch you at any RnR races this year, but can't wait to see you at CARA 10 and Fort2Base! BTW - yay for your European vacation! How cool would it be to run a race while you're out there, too!?!?!? I hope you can find one that works in your schedule!
DeleteI'd really like to get a Rock n Roll race (or two) on my calendar! I wish I could do Savannah, but it's the same weekend as Wine & Dine. Looks like you have a great race schedule this year! I love the Doggy run one, I am going to keep an eye out for a local version this Spring or Fall!! Thanks for linking up with us today! Hope to see you back next week!
ReplyDeleteApril! Thanks for co-hosting the link-up, I love getting great blog topic suggestions and seeing what others' responses are! I'll definitely be joining up on a regular basis. =D That would be AWESOME if you could find a local race that benefits animal shelters - it's a cause that is very near and dear to my heart! Bummer that Wine and Dine conflicts with RnR Savannah. The timing is also so close to RnR Vegas! November is a crazy month when it comes to half marathons, yes?!?
DeleteWhoa, you've never done the Shuffle? I'm surprised! I bet you'll really enjoy it. All of the excitement of the marathon with infinitely less training and running :P Hahaha. And I definitely advocate for you running the Wisconsin Half :)
ReplyDeleteThis is my current plan for 2015: Shamrock, Lakefront 10, Ravenswood, Chicago Spring Half, Soldier Field 10, Ragnar, BTN Big 10K, Chicago Half, Chicago Marathon, Jingle Bell 5K. Granted, the only ones I'm registered for at the moment are the Lakefront 10, the Chicago Spring Half, and Ragnar, but I'll register for the others eventually :P I'm hoping that by doing all those longer races at the beginning of the year, I'll actually go into marathon training READY to train for a marathon this year, instead of kinda sorta being ready (CARA recommends that you're logging 20-25 miles/week BEFORE marathon training even begins...I've usually been closer to, you know, 9. Maybe 10. Haha. Not good!)
Yes - I feel like the last runner and nonrunner in Chicagoland who has never run Shamrock! Lots of my friends who claim to hate running still sign up for Shamrock and do it every year - which says a LOT about the event! Thanks for the Wisconsin vote - you are helping to tip the scales in that direction. =)
DeleteI love your race selection for the year! You've got some wonderful classics and a nice mix of distances! I think your plan of doing longer races earlier in the year will help out a LOT when you get to marathon training time. For me, the long runs are all mental. When I was in peak marathon training, a 10-mile run seemed like a walk in the park. But now, I am so resigned at having to do anything over 8 miles just to train for a half marathon! And likewise, I'm lucky these days to log more than 10 miles per week, too. Our race schedules will definitely help both of us get on the ball! =)
It's cool that you are running mostly new races. I seem to fall into the habit of running the same races every year. I usually want to see if I can better my "course record", but I should probably try some new ones. I was thinking that running a small town marathon might do me some good!
ReplyDeleteThere is definitely a lot to be said for running the same races year after year - you know exactly what to expect and what to focus on to improve! Plus, I've found that you just feel a lot more relaxed, mentally, going into race morning. When it comes to PR attempts, doing a race you're familiar with is definitely the way to go. Hence, since I don't care too much about performance goals this year, I'm extra motivated to run new races. ;-P So what's on your race list so far for 2015?
DeleteSo many cool races! You've picked out lots of fun ones. It's going to be a very good running year for you!
ReplyDeleteWhere I live, there are more races than I thought there'd be, but not nearly as many as when I lived in Dallas. Oh, the running scene in a major metropolitan area. I miss it!
Great schedule you got here! I am excited that you will finally get a chance to do the Shamrock Shuffle. Fort2Base is a nice race too. You should sign up to be an ambassador. RnR is a great race with the exception of one killer hill around mile 5. RnR Virginia Beach is hot, hot, and hot. I did it in 2013 and am surprised I did not passed out. RnR Las Vegas is a MUST!! I am going to check out the 10 miler race too and see if I can use the same discount code .
ReplyDeleteI love when everyone posts their schedules! Currently, I am just registered for the Shamrock Shuffle and a local 5K in March. I am eyeing the Indy Mini-Marathon (I do it every year but not sure if I want to try something new) and RnR Chicago. I'd LOVE to do a fun destination race, too!
ReplyDelete