Welcome to Race Linkup, a monthly linkup opening on the last Monday of every month and staying open for four weeks. Link your race schedule so everyone can see who else will be at the next race and we can arrange meet-ups with other bloggers and our readers. You can link up your race schedule every month or only when you register for an additional race – you choose how often you want to get your schedule out there for other runners to see. I’d love to have you link up, and if you do, please remember to follow my six simple rules.

 

I’m about to embark on only my second race of 2017 and to say I’m a little apprehensive would be an understatement. I went into the For The Love Of It 10K back in February feeling healthy, strong, and fast. I ran a strong race and two weeks later I got injured… Since that race I’ve been injured, border-line injury free, injured, and once again injury free. Needless to say, there hasn’t been a real training cycle this go-round. There’s been no speed work, no hill repeats, nothing but conversation paced running, mostly by myself. 

In just eight short days I’ll toe the starting line at the Firecracker 5K, one of my favorite races. Our MRTT chapter will have a good showing and I will have a blast seeing many of my running friends as we kick off Independence Day. This year, though, I’ll go into the race with a different goal. I’ll go into it just to have fun, and not compete against my race times in previous years. My focus will be to not go out too fast, something that would be incredibly easy to do on a course that I know so well and have raced many times before…

Erin and I have dubbed this “our race” because it’s one we have enjoyed together ever since we met, always having such an amazingly fun time each year! This year Erin has been working hard at the track running intervals and running hill repeats on our favorite hill. I suspect this will be a great race for her, and I will be cheering her on from back in the pack!

 

As for the rest of my racing season, here’s what I’m planning, assuming that I stay healthy and injury free…

July 4 – Firecracker 5K – Reston Town Center, Reston, VA
August 20 – Leesburg 20K – Market Station, Leesburg, VA
October 8 – Army Ten-Miler – Pentagon, Arlington, VA
November 11 and 12 – OBX Half Marathon – Outer Banks, NC
November 23 – Thanksgiving Day 5K – Crossroads United Methodist Church, Ashburn, VA
December 10 – NOVA Jingle Bell 5K – Clyde’s at Willow Creek, Broadlands, VA 

 

  • Questions:
  • What are your Independence Day plans?
  • Do you wear themed costumes/running outfits for races? 
  • Which race on your 2017 race schedule are you most excited about?

 



Hope to see you at a race!