Building the 2014 Race Calendar

Running in the winter is still a tricky thing for me.  Last winter was pretty cold, I remember running in single digits being pretty painful.  But, hey, that's what makes us stronger.  After all, we have to keep it up especially when the only things on my calendar after my October Ragnar are a very difficult 50K and the American Triple T.  I have to continue my training with serious purpose in the sometimes brutal mid Atlantic.  Cold weather running is something other people have figured out already so I'm sure I'll figure it out, too.

So with 2 absurd races as the only definite events on my calendar, I am determined to shore up my fitness base leading up to these.  Where does one begin in their search?  Active.com, I've found compiles lists of races I'd prefer to avoid.  Trifind.com is actually pretty good for some running races in addition to triathlons and duathlons.  www.imathlete.com is also pretty good.  But I'm going to start on the more challenging (badass) side and browse www.ultrasignup.com.

The first thing reasonably close is in north Jersey with several distance options.  The Watchung Run can be a 10K, half, marathon or 50K.  Any entry is a minimum donation of only $25.  No race swag but hey, not a bad price to pay someone to organize a trail run, especially in the winter.  And compared to a tri, that's practically free.  While I'd like to get a half or full marathon into 2013, it's not looking very likely.  My current plan is to make the Watchung a marathon.  It appears to be a 10K loop.  Ice cold trail race in early January, check.

In late March, the 22nd, there's another 50K trail run I'm interested in in Havre de Grace, MD.  The HAT run will be a great long run well spaced between the Watchung and give me a month before the Ironmasters Challenge to recover and get some more steady swimming and cycling training in.  Registration opens on 11/29 to only 500 runners and has a cutoff pace a bit quicker than my last 50K of 13 min/mi.

April 27 will be my second Ironmasters Challenge 50K.  It's a very tough course and is my first ultra distance run event.  I couldn't manage to keep up with my raceplan the first time and have determined to crush my 2013 showing next year.

The week following the Ironmasters, May 4, is the Devilman Half Lite 50.  I'm really interested in adding this to my calendar but a little apprehensive to do so right after the Ironmasters Challenge.  It may be worth considering dropping the Ironmasters 50K... I'm a little torn on this today but I may bum it on the 50K and run it to support Kristen and consider it a training run so I can compete in the Devilman.

Now, I'm not entirely sure what really compelled me to make the American Triple T the first triathlon event I'd ever register for.  I enjoy a challenge, and this certainly is.  It just sounds insane, so why not?  It also provided me the opportunity to get something on the calendar that will force me to work toward being a strong triathlete immediately, rather than just get a few on the calendar to "try out" the sport and see how I like it.   I already knew I would enjoy this thing.

The other Triple T.  WOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Eagleman is a competitive half Ironman on June 8th.  I haven't done this one yet but I know it's a pretty serious qualifier event (for other people, anyway, not me). It will be really cool to do and watch those trying to qualify for the Ironman 70.3 world championships or the Ironman Kona just blow the field away.

While starting my 2014 event search, I get this from Adam.  This will be late June and sounds like a must-do race. I'll keep my eyes on this and watch it develop.

In mid July is Diamond in the Rough.  Being my first tri event, I'll be putting this back on my calendar.  It was great to show up and place in my first ever tri but I will likely move up in to the olympic distance for 2014.  It was obvious last year that as such a short sprint distance tri, the more competitive crowd was out for the olympic distance.  I recall thinking after my finish I couldn't imagine doing about double that... Kind of like my first 5K.

Again in August, I'm sure I'll revisit the North East Tri. Not sure of the distance yet but it was a really great course.... of the 2 I've been on...

While that's only a handful of events, I want one big one and I think it is the Nation's Tri in DC.  I assume it will be the same weekend next year and fall on the 7th.  I hear it's a great event and I know Adam finished it well this morning.  I think it will be a solid cap to 2014 if I make it another goal race.  There will be a lot of pros here and I will hope that the next 12 months really build up to that event.

While my calendar isn't packed full, I felt it important to find the events I think will be a difficult field and can build my training to my major race weeks.  I will certainly pepper in a few more races as they show up on trifind.com or piranha-sports.com or any other site to use as a training race or barometer of my training progress.  When races start putting their dates on the calendar, I will start filling up June, July and August.

Meanwhile, I've got to destroy this nagging shin splint in my left leg and formulate my training plan based on this pretty open schedule.