2014 Races!

Running is something I am extremely passionate about.  It causes me extreme joy and sometimes sorrow (when I'm injured and my training is interrupted).  I love everything about it though: 

• It's time spent outside
• It's exercise
• It's social or solitary
• You can do it pretty much anywhere
• It requires mental stamina and focus
• Only equipment required is shoes
• There's a variety of running workouts to do to keep it interesting- sprint, striders, intervals, long runs, etc.
• So many fun races to do!

I think what I love most about running though is the satisfaction of setting a goal, devising a training plan to achieve that goal, and the feeling of achieving it as you cross the finish line. I can't get enough of that high. 

The end of February is generally when I plan my races for the year and start running again.  I really hate running on a treadmill, but it's time to get started.  At least I start out slow and only have to do 1-3 miles on the treadmill.  I accelerate my mileage slowly to try and avoid injury and save my long runs for when the weather gets nice. 

Today is a special day.  I got my acceptance to the Garry Bjorklund half marathon in Duluth, MN.  It is definitely my favorite race as it combines three of my favorite things:  running, Duluth, and family.  No matter who in the family is running, we all gather in Duluth to cheer each other on and have fun! 

Since I got my acceptance, I can appropriately plan the rest of my races for the year.  Here's what I'm doing:

Medtronic 1 Mile in Mpls - May 8 (This is just one mile through downtown and a percentage of finishers get automatic entry into the 10 mile)
Delta Scholarship 5K - June 7 (The top male and female get a free flight!)
Garry Bjorklund half marathon - June 21 (half marathon along Lake Superior)
Torchlight 5K - July 23 (After the race stay and listen to a live band and drink beer)
Truman Days 5K - July 26 (My family puts on this race in our hometown so of course it's awesome)
Minnesota Mile - September 7 (I just love the mile races)
TC 10 Mile - October 5 (Run from Mpls to St. Paul and enjoy the awesome fans and fall colors)
Riverfront 5K - October 11 (Run from Boom Island Park across the Stonearch and back to the park)

I'll probably sprinkle some more into the mix, but these are my staples that I get excited about each year. 

I generally use this website to find races in the area.  www.runningintheusa.com Thankfully the Metro has a strong running culture so there's races going on every weekend.