Making Plans

Slowly but surely, I've been building mileage, and I'm starting to feel that putting together my 2014 race plans is a good idea. Sure, (almost) April seems late to set my races for the year, but I had good reason to wait. Last year, confident that my weekly mileage of 10-15 put me back on track, I signed up for the San Francisco Marathon and CIM. Mere weeks later, I was sidelined by injury, and remained so for enough of the year to make distance racing out of the question.

So, finally back to 4-8 miles 4 times a week, I'm feeling more certain that I am ready to build my mileage up to the marathon distance. I've even entertained the idea of an ultra in the fall, but perhaps that is a bit ambitious.

I started looking through my collection of links for North Carolina races, and made a list of candidates. I'm already signed up for the Tar Heel 10 Miler at the end of April, and I would like to get another race under my belt before it gets hot and sticky this summer. A fall marathon is my ultimate goal.

Here are my preliminary thoughts for my 2014 racing calendar, with likely candidates bolded and other options not bolded. I want to do more than one marathon, but prudence is telling me that may be too much...

4/26   Tar Heel 10 Miler (Signed up)
5/31   Running of the Bulls 8K
10/11 New River Trail 50K (An ultra?!?)
10/19 Bull City Race Fest Half Marathon 
10/25 Eno River (Trail) 6 or 11 Miler
11/2   Raleigh City of Oaks Marathon
11/9   Outer Banks Marathon
11/15 Charlotte Marathon

Obviously, the fall list is too many races too close together. I should add that I'll be in California the first week of October, which will impact my training. Decisions, decisions!