2011 Race Schedule

If you haven't noticed already, my proposed race schedule (sidebar right) is QUITE ambitious, especially considering previous years/seasons. Here it is, in full (as of now):

*note - the asteriks represent races I'm already registered for.

HMRRC Winter Series 10K* - 1/9  [Training Run(s)]
As a new member of the Hudson Mohawk Road Runners Club (HMRRC), my $15 yearly membership entitles me to participate in a bunch of free races throughout the year. There is a series of 5 winter races that seem to give me a great opportunity to get my ass outdoors, off the treadmill and give my calves a real workout. The first one is this weekend, and I'm thinking about getting out there and just using it as an opportunity for a training run (no dreams of PRs b/c those aspirations could lead to injury)

TBM Spring Series Race #1 (cat5 bitches!)* - 3/19  [First Bike Race!]
MY FIRST ROAD BIKE RACE!! And damnit, am I excited! From what I understand of the cycling category system, my lack of competing in any bike race has me at an unofficial cat6 rating. And, just by competing in a road race, ANY road race, promotes me immediately to a cat5! So, unless I am unlucky enough to end up in one of those wildly-popular and reputable cat4/5 bike-wrecks, I am just a few short months away from earning official status as a Cat5 Donkey! The course itself is flat and fast, and only 18 miles long. Perfect! This race will provide me the proper motivation to not slack off with the cycling cross-training that I will be doing in preparation for my next, and more important race...

National Half Marathon* - 3/26  [At Least 30 Days of Rest]
This will be my first-ever half marathon EVER, and also my first "A" race of the season. Lots of pressure, eh? It's also a great chance to return to DC! Look for my training plan in the coming days. Until then, think positive thoughts about me achieving an 8:00min/mile average come race day. (This would be a GREAT pace for me!)

Saratoga Springs Lions Du - 5/29  [71 Days of Rest, Bike; 64 Days of Rest, Run]
Another FIRST for me (assuming I do it)! I've never done a duathlon, and the distances seem very good. Tough, but good. I also feel like I will have given myself enough time to make a full recovery from the beating my legs will inevitably take. The plan would be that I then can use the fitness I've acquired, and then focus on more speed-work leading into late-spring.

Hudson Crossing Sprint Tri* - 6/12  [14 Days, AHHH!]
ANOTHER FIRST!! After the half-marathon, in an effort to make sure I give myself enough time to recover, I plan to start back up with swimming. This will also cure my workout bug and keep me from thinking I've healed well before I actually have. I also look forward again to really dialing into some more speed-related races, AND GETTING BACK TO TRIATHLON! Wohoo!

Whiteface Mountain Uphill Bike Race - 6/18  ["C" Level Race, No Rest Necessary, Right?]
This would be purely for fun. Of course, only as fun as biking directly up hill with no warm-up can be! :) Still, it sounds like a shit-ton of fun and would add another summit to my Adirondack belt. There's another bike "race" up Mt. Washington which would be cool to do sometime, but jesus that costs like $300, which seems a bit steep to me.

Boyne City Independence Day Run 10K - 7/4  [22 Days of Rest]
Another purely fun-run. At this time of year I always find myself vacationing in northern Michigan near Traverse City, and I like nothing more on vacation than eating, sleeping and exercising entirely at my leisure. Last year I brought my bike, went for three rides, three runs and a handful of open-water swims. I also ate my brains out. This year will at least give me a nice goal-race to look forward to... maybe. Or, I'll just do my regularly scheduled swim/bike/run/eat/sleep/DRINK routine.

Warrior Dash!* - 08/13  [33 Days of Rest]
I'm wildly excited about doing this race. It just looks incredibly fun, exciting and I can only imagine the energy level of all of those participating will be like nothing I've ever experienced. Plus, there's a whole large group of us doing the race so it will make for a great, drunken adventure. DEFINITELY AN "A" RACE!

NY Capital Region Road Race - 8/20  [7 Days of Rest,"C" Race; 40 Days of Rest,"B" Race]
I'm unsure about this one, but I'd love to do this bike-race since it's literally right down the street from where I live. It's also the biggest bike race in my area and it would be great to be a part of it. I have high ambitions to participate (race?.. heh, am I to that level on a bike?) in as many local bike-races as possible to build up some experience. It'd be great to make cat4, but I hear you have to do 10 races in order to achieve that... and that seems HIGHLY unlikely given my current race schedule. Never-the-less, this would prove to be great motivation for adequate cross-training during the lead up to the year's ultimate A race!..

Berlin Marathon* - 9/25  [36 Days of Rest (Bike-Race), 42 Days of Rest, "C" Race]
I'm calling this an "A" race, but in reality it's a huge vacation planned around a huge race. My first-and-only marathon was a huge flop, so if I'm able to pull this one off w/o injury then it's already a wild success. Any time goals I have will come much further down the road, obviously, based on how training is going. I look forward to celebrating any success with the opening of Oktoberfest, the day of the race!

Troy YMCA Monster Dash 5K - 10/29  [34 Days of Rest]
By the time I hit this race, there should have been plenty of time to recover from the marathon AND it offers a great way to get back into training and racing to make light of my fitness level at this point of the year. Its short distance also means I won't be necessarily be jeopardizing injury by adding a ton of miles post-marathon. Plus, I did this race this past Fall and it was a great small, local race! It ALSO gives me a chance to break a course record! And GODDAMNIT, I know that guy with the stroller will be training his ass off to beat me this year AND I CAN'T LET HIM AND HIS BABY WIN!

Detroit Turkey Trot 10K - 11/24  [26 Days of Rest]
Another great local race, especially considering I'll most likely be in the Detroit area again during Thanksgiving. It will most likely be another "A" race b/c it will be another shot at breaking a PR. And, from the looks of it, this will be my second and last shot of the year at taking down my 10K PR which I set this past Fall. And, if we're lucky, it won't be pouring rain, I won't miss the start and I'll be able to do some actual racing with people at my same ability level when nearing the finish line.

Albany Last Run 5K - 12/17  [23 Days of Rest]
My racing season's swan song, same as this past year. A fun, holiday run that I can recruit a whole group of family/friends to run with me, and then go out with afterward. Think of it the same way we're all thinking about Lance's appearance at the Tour Down Under. :)

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So, there it is! I might add in a 5K/10K here or there b/c my network of YMCAs has a series of them in the summer, but their schedule hasn't yet been released. Other than that, you can see I have a few major races, and then a lot of fun, first-time races. The non "A" races will be used for measures of my fitness and to put some more experience under my recently enlarged belt.

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TO SEE MY RACE SCHEDULE AS IT SURELY EVOLVES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, CLICK HERE.

TO READ MY RACE REPORTS FROM THE ABOVE RACES (AND MORE!) CLICK HERE.