Looking ahead to another racing season in Montana.

I have finally registered for my first two races of the year.   The Shamrock Run on March 18th is the race here that kicks off the racing season.  It is a 5k and is a pretty easy out and back race.  It is fun as this race as it is fun to see all the local racers again and some people wear fun costumes. 

In April I have Peaks to Prairie Adventure Race in which I am doing the 9.3 mile run leg.  We haven't officially registered yet, but hopefully will soon.  This will be my first year doing Peaks to Prairie and I am so excited!

I also registered for the Womens Run 5 mile on May 12, which is the biggest race in Montana and it is all women!  They also have a two mile race and over 9,000 registered in 2011.  Last year there were 374 women in my age group alone.  I could add here that I won my age group and got 8th overall out of 2582 (only 7 seconds away from 4th), but that would be bragging.  I love this race and all the energy that does with it.  Most of the races I do are pretty small and are only a couple hundred participants vs thousands.

There are a couple other 5k races I am looking at in March, April and May. I did a lot of them last year and am thinking about not doing quite so many this year.  Let's face it 5k races can be brutal.  In comparison to the carefully paced half marathon they are a crazy sprint to the end.

  My first 10k of the year will be in June and a half marathon in July.  August will bring another 10k, possibly a 5 mile race, but that race may also be the weekend of Hood to Coast.  In that case I will not be doing the 5 mile run.  It is one of my favorite races, but I think I am okay with skipping it to do Hood To Coast!

September will bring about another half marathon.  The Montana Half Marathon.  It is my favorite one.  The weather is usually perfect and the course is fast!  There is also another really fun all women's run in September that I love doing and is really growing.

I keep toying with doing a marathon.  There is a great marathon in Missoula that is supposed to be a good one for first timers.   It is in July, which means it could be HOT and I hate running in HOT weather.  I have told myself I will do one when both kids are in school and I can do my long run while they are in school.  If that is the case I have another year and a half before I do one.  Hmm.  What to do.

That said I am curious about how my first 5k is going to go.  I have not been doing very much speedwork.  I have a great mileage base, but have been a little lacking on the intervals.  I have some planned for today.  I am feeling not very good today.  My daughter was sick Monday and my son and husband are feeling sick today.  Ugh.

Today is also Ash Wednesday.  Trying to decide what I should give up for Lent.  Pretty sure it won't be my coffee.  I think I may give up candy and (gasp) cake for Lent.