A 5k and Two Relays on the Horizon

I honestly wondered if I would have any kind of race season or calendar for the latter half of this year. Besides my goal half and a sprinkling of summer 5ks, I haven't felt much any motivation to get up early to race or put in miles for training purposes. But the school year has finally started to feel manageable and I've been able to think beyond my next opportunity to nap...and that means my mind is on racing.

This fall is going to look pretty atypical from my usual fall race seasons, though, with both my big races being relays rather than standard fare.

First, a 5k

An old colleague of mine reached out to me a few weeks ago. He is helping to plan a 5k and wanted me to sign up/spread the word. I knew it would be a good race based on timing. It's in mid-October, so I'll have time to train and it'll be a good training race for my other fall plans. It'll whet my appetite, if you will.

The race benefits foster kids, so it's a cause I can feel good about supporting!

After my last couple less-than-stellar 5ks, I'm a bit nervous for this one, but it'll give me some focus and a baseline to help get back into racing shape.

Then, a Relay

Months ago, Kristina piqued my interest in the Fort Lauderdale 13.1 relay. This year I won't be running A1A because they've moved the date from February to January and it's just not realistic due to travel. But, the Fort Lauderdale 13.1 is on a long weekend; I don't feel much like running a half in November, but the relay option sounded fun, and Matt agreed!

Our planned team name is Surf 'n Turf

We have been having a time of getting signed up, though. The website won't let you add a relay team name or add a runner without tacking on a double entry fee. I've gone back and forth with the website support rep but the problem is on the organizer's end. Basically, we will probably plan to sign up at packet pickup the day before the race and hope that works out.

Hey, if everyone is having this issue and can't sign up for the relay, then Matt and I are sure to place because there will only be two teams running - Kristina's and ours!

Finally, a Longer Relay 

Last year I turned down Michelle when she asked if I'd be interested in running the Ragnar Florida Trail relay. I just felt like it didn't fit my plans for A1A and my legs were still kind of in "recovery"; the idea of running 15.5 miles on a trail with tons of elevation was scary.

They deferred to this year, and this time when she invited me, I agreed! I still think the race sounds scary, but I feel more confident about my running than I did this time last year and I think I'm ready to tackle some bridge running after a long hiatus.

I know what you're thinking, but this course is over mountain bike trails so it's actually hilly, not just "Florida hilly".

The race is in early December and Matt is also going to run it. The last time I ran a Ragnar I had a blast, so I'm looking forward to another fantastic growing experience. This race will be the capstone of my 2019 running season and will take the most training and planning; I'm champing at the bit to get started!

So, it looks like that ties up the remainder of 2019, if all these races pan out. I had hoped this year would be about making a comeback, and I think I've been fairly successful. I'm still incredibly happy with my performance at A1A.

It'll be interesting for my two main races to be relays. Training for a relay is different because besides focusing on your own preparedness, you also want to keep your teammates in mind. Running is usually a solo sport, even when you're on a team. A relay is an entirely different animal and requires an entirely different mindset!

Still, the basics of training will be the same. In the next few days I'll be sketching out a calendar and getting down to the work of building mileage and increasing consistency. I can't wait to get started.

ABK