Upcoming Racing Schedule
Well the 2017 Lakefront Marathon obviously threw a wrench into my plans going forward. I was all set on that being the race for the BQ and moving forward with a schedule from there. But alas, it was not to be. I did some soul searching to decide what's on tap next with the upcoming training seasons. Would I chase the BQ in a spring marathon or postpone until Fall 2018 and instead focus on another distance? I spent a lot of time researching Spring marathons. My goal was to find something drivable and cold. But that yielded some less than desirable options. I then opened it up to cheap place to fly from Madison/Milwaukee and still cold. It definitely broadened my horizons, but it was still difficult to find something I really wanted to commit to. The best choice I could come up with was the Ann Arbor Marathon in Michigan in late March. But I just decided to go ahead and move forward with my original plan for Spring 2018 - Half Marathon training.
It's been since December 2015 since I have run a HM not part of the Dopey Challenge. So, it's been too long. The half marathon is a great racing distance because it's a comfortable pace (relatively speaking) and still allows you to race multiple times in a season potentially. So, I'm excited to see what I can do with some good HM training (which will look quite similar to this past Spring's Daniels 10k training) with a HM as the goal race instead of as a tester during marathon training.
3/17/18 - Shamrock Shuffle 10k (Madison, WI)
Winner - 32:46
Top AG - 37:31
This should be a nice and cold race. Winning and AG is likely out of the question, but I'm wondering what it would be like to race a shorter distance race in the cold of WI winter. It's also relatively cheap at $25.
4/1/18 - First Call HM (Oconomowoc, WI)
Winner - 1:20:54
Top AG - 1:28:58
I've run this course twice prior and really like it. It's an out and back and fairly flat the whole time. This is the same course at which I set my current PR of 1:38 for the HM officially in December 2015. I could potentially challenge for 1st in my AG here. I'm hoping to give "A" effort on this one.
4/8/18 - Parkinsons's HM (Cottage Grove, WI)
Winner - 1:25:26
Top AG - 1:31:04
This is my local HM. It's been a few years since I've run it (Spring 2013 and 2015) because I've always been marathon training for a May race. So since I'm not, I figured I'd give it a go. It's not flat like First Call and on a crushed limestone bike path. So I'm anticipating that with equal weather this will be slower than First Call.
5/12/18 - Kings and Queens HM (Pewaukee, WI)
Winner - 1:23:42
Top AG - 1:47:02
Originally, I wanted to do the Madison Spring HM. But we're taking another trip to Disney World with Steph's family in late May. We'd arrive home the day before the race, but I felt it was best not to schedule that closely and just to enjoy the time in Florida. So, I've got this one lined up instead. It's done by a race group I've not raced with yet, but I've heard great things. So I'm excited to see what they've got.
6/16/18 - Hot2Trot HM (Cottage Grove, WI)
Winner - nd
Top AG - nd
Look who is stepping up to the plate with a HM to offer now. It's not confirmed yet, but the Hot2Trot group is considering doing a HM this coming year. Since it's local, I'm in.
October 2018 - Chicago Marathon
Barring an unforeseen circumstance, I will be signing up for the Chicago Marathon. Steph and I want to make a week out of it in Chicago with lots of sightseeing with G. So it just feels right that this one is on the schedule. This will be my next BQ attempt. Originally, the plan was to run the Chicago Marathon as the last of the World Marathon Majors. The place at which I'd receive my 6-star medal in front of family and friends for wrapping up Phase 2 of the goals. But that plan has now changed. Instead of the last World Marathon Major. It will now be my first in an attempt to catapult me into Boston!
May 2019 - Eugene Marathon
As of right now, I'd like to run the Eugene Marathon in May 2019. It's been a Bucket List event for me because of finishing on the Hayward Field track. We'll see if this happens.
April 2020 - Boston Marathon
Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?
So that's the plan at the moment. Obviously, things can change. But that's where I'm headed for the time being.