Three more races on the schedule: I must be a madwoman

I pulled out my credit card to register for one race, and ended up registering for three.

This is what my inbox looks like right now:

Yes, the race calendar is indeed filling out!!

QUAKERMAN OLYMPIC TRIATHLON JUNE 16 (in a week and a half)

This is an Olympic distance -- double what I did at Keuka Lake, but still half of what I'll be doing at Musselman. It's in Orchard Park, south of Buffalo.

It's a 1500 meter (.93 mile) swim, a 40K (24.8 mile) bike and a 10K (6.2 mile) run. The only hesitation I have is over the swim, but I better get used to it and quick! I'll be headed to Canandaigua Lake Sunday, and maybe Friday, to practice.

I've got the bike and the run! I'm nervous though, because I'll probably come in at about 3.5 to 4 hours, near the back of the pack :(

FLEET FEET FIRECRACKER 5

A five-miler on July 4 in Fairport. It will be hawwwwtttttt!!!!!

SENECA PARK ZOO JUNGLE JOG

A fun little 5K through the zoo. The week after Musselman, I won't be taking it seriously, but I get to run through the zoo!

Other races on the calendar:
July 14: Musselman half iron
Sept. 7: Highlander cycle tour
Oct. 6: Wine Glass marathon

First on the First: A PR attempt for the new year

Jan. 1 I'm going to attempt to whittle down my 5K PR of 24:27 at the First on the First in Westerville. I'd love to beat 24:00, but even shaving a few seconds off would make me happy!

To run a 24:26 I'd need to run a 7:51 pace. To run a a 23:59 I'd need to run a 7:43. So I'm going to stick with the old strategy of starting the first half of the race with the 8 minute pacer then kicking it up!

I'm in the middle of a 2-week hiatus that ends with the kickoff of MIT Saturday. Looking forward to training for the Flying Pig!

Dog days of summer: Lull time for running!

Life has been a little crazy lately, hence the lack of updates, but in all reality there hasn't been a lot to report. It's icky outside. No fun to be out and about. Still I did two races in two weeks.

The results kind of made me want to stick my tail between my legs, hide in a corner and sulk, not because the times were necessarily bad, but because I ran the races so poorly.


Cinco de Julio Cuatro Miler July 9: I signed up for this one simply because it involved tequila and I got in for free. To clarify: The tequila came after the run.

It was 90 degrees out and brutal! There was no mercy on the course, either, the run went a mile plus on Broad Street, a short distance through a shady park and then back through the unforgiving heat!

I met up with my MIT buddies Jessica and Brandon and we did a two mile warmup to meet our six for the day. The event was at The Bluestone, a fancy bar in Columbus inside an old church. The race started at 6 and the heat was by no means dying down. We basked in the air conditioning to stretch and then it was back outside for the run itself. (continued after the jump)

Getting started: Couch to 5K

I actually had two people ask me about getting started this week, so I wanted to give a shout out to the Couch to 5K program (C25K).

It worked for me (mind you, I was 40 lbs heavier at the time) and I highly recommend it, and it sure beats the elliptical for cardio. Tips:

Be nice to your feet -- get a good pair of running shoes. They don't have to be expensive at this point, but designed for running.

You don't need an expensive Garmin but you'll probably want at least a cheap sports watch.

Pick out a race when you start the program and register early. That's an incentive to complete it. When picking out a race, pick a midsize one, so you won't get lost in the crowd or be one of so few that there actually is a risk of finishing last. Also, pick one that says "run/walk" so there's no way you will finish last. And always go for the ones that give you technical or tek or tech shirts instead of the normal cotton ones, they're way better. (continued)