TriVeggies

And just like that, we’re in a new year with a new race schedule just begging to be trained for. Though I am indeed the TriVeggie, this year so far is pretty heavy on the running races, but I don’t mind at all. I know there’ll be plenty of triathlon opportunities as the spring warms up and the summertime comes on full blast! 

For a long time, I eschewed the half-marathon in my own personal race calendar for reasons I can’t really explain; I either raced shorter distances, like the 5K or 10K, or longer, like the marathon. But over the past few years I’ve really come to embrace the beauty that is a half-marathon: It’s long enough to have to train well for, yet short enough to be done by brunch (usually). It’s a challenge for me, and it’s also a feat. It’s the sweet spot of racing for me at the moment, and I love it.

So naturally, I’ve got two half-marys in back-to-back months this spring. 😉

If that’s one side of the bookshelf, my season is bookended in October by my beloved Marine Corps Marathon, a race I just can’t seem to quit. I was sure that after I joined the Runners Club of five-time finishers I’d hang it up for a bit, but every couple of years here I come again, signing up as soon as the email comes through. If you’ve never run it and have any interest at all in marathons, do consider it; it’s a tour of all the historic sites in Washington, D.C., with amazing crowd support and wonderful Marines oorah-ing us along the course. I’m excited about it already!

In the middle, I’ll have at least one sprint triathlon. I’m currently vacillating between the Salute to the Military sprint tri on May 25 or the Reston Sprint on June 3. I’ll add them both as tentative to my plan below but will probably choose just one!

With that color commentary, the plan goes as follows:

March 16: Rock n Roll Washington DC Half-Marathon. The kickoff to my season, it will be a nice gauge of where I am fitness-wise. RaceX has me finishing in 2:46:08, though that is bound to change for good or for ill between now and race day. (This note will apply to all RaceX predictions!)

April 27: Rock n Roll Nashville Half-Marathon. A friend and I are planning on running this one together, and I’m excited to take a race-cation! (We did the Las Vegas half last year and had such fun.) Even if something comes up and she’s unable to race, I am really looking forward to this one for its own sake. RaceX predicts 2:36:37.

May 25: The Salute to the Military Sprint. This is tentative for now, but it would be fun to measure my performance against prior years’, as I am multiyear finisher. It’s really a great race.

June 2: The Reston Sprint Triathlon. Also tentative. I’ve never raced it before and thus it holds some appeal in that regard! Also, the Reston Triathlon folks always put on a great race.

October 27: Marine Corps Marathon. With the exception of last year, which we’ve been all over by now, I like to end my season with a long-distance race of some kind, and Marine Corps Marathon is an old favorite. RaceX predicts 5:11:10.

Will I see you out on the course this year? Let me know in the comments!