Dream Big!

When 2013 rolled around just a couple weeks ago I hadn’t really put too much thought into what races I wanted to run this year. I had only one in mind (aside from the 3M half I was about to run on 1/13) and that was the Philadelphia Marathon in November. That’s my goal this year- a full on, 26.2 mile marathon in Philadelphia, my home town. The idea of being able to complete a full marathon is nothing short of amazing but to be able to do it with friends and family cheering me on along the way, well that’s just what every little runner girl dreams of, right?

When it comes time to start training for the full I will be using the Runner’s World 16 week beginners marathon training plan. And when that time rolls around (late July, I think) I want to have been running for the months beforehand and have built up a good mileage base. I like training for half marathons. I mean, I’ve only done it twice but I really enjoy the training part; having a schedule, tracking the miles, logging in the workouts and cross training, watching myself progress and get stronger- it’s very rewarding. So I started looking into half marathons I could do throughout the year to help get me ready for full marathon training.

Here is my tentative (I need to find a job in FL before I register for any of these) plan for 2013.

4/7/2013: Gulf Coast Half Marathon- what do you know, there is a half marathon in Pensacola in 12 weeks. Talk about fortuitous. That gives me two weeks for recovery and ten weeks for training which works out perfectly since I will be using the Runner’s World 10 week half marathon training plan. If Paul doesn’t have training that day and is allowed to participate he wants to run this one too which would make it so super special to have him there with me.

6/23/2013: Chicago Women’s Half Marathon- I don’t know much about this other than it’s in Chicago and is for women only, both of which you probably figured just by reading the name. I love Chicago and would love to run a race there. Again, I would have enough time to do a full 10 week training plan between the Gulf Coast and this one, which is awesome, and another plus is that my cousin lives across the street from Grant Park (the start) and so I would just need airfare and registration fee in order to swing it.

And if you want to hear my crazy plan for this one it goes like this; fly to Chicago Friday, run the half on Sunday, fly to Las Vegas either Sunday or Monday to spend a few days with my BFF who will be out there for a work conference, fly to Portland for Fitbloggin. I think you all would agree that that would be the best week ever!

After Chicago I would have a few weeks to recover and then I would begin training for the Philadelphia Marathon. While I am in training for the full there is another half I would like to run.

10/26/2013: Silver Comet Half Marathon- just outside of Atlanta, GA this half marathon seems to be a perfect fit for a fun race with some of my SM runner friends. It is small (capped at 1700, I think), a fast and flat course, and is in driving distance from Pensacola. I wouldn’t be running this as a race but instead as a training run. To make this one happen I would need registration fee, a hotel for the night before, and 1-2 tanks of gas to get there and back. Seems pretty reasonable and I am hoping that some of my favorite people will be joining me for this one. It would be nice to a) meet them in person and b) have some great company during the race.

11/24/2013: Philadelphia Marathon- this is it folks, everything before this date will have helped me get to this point. For me, running the Philadelphia Marathon would be comparable to someone else running Boston or NY. It would really be the highlight of my running career. There are only a few full marathons I would ever even think of attempting and Philadelphia tops that list. The other two are the Marine Corps Marathon and Big Sur and I would only ever consider those other ones if I could run them with Paul. Philadelphia is my big dream and I am confident that I can make that dream come true this year.

I know that running a marathon is no easy feat and that it will take months of training to get me ready for it but I am up for the challenge. Of course, there is other part of this race that I have to work on too- saving. The Philadelphia Marathon will require registration fee, airfare and a hotel room (for my peace of mind) the night before. It will be my most expensive race but it will also be the most memorable and rewarding. And if that means I must make sacrifices in other areas of my life so be it.

So, that’s my big plan for 2013. I know there will be other races thrown in. I have a goal of finally breaking the 30 minute mark for a 5K (best time to date is 30:26) so hopefully I can fit a handful of 5Ks into my training. I also have registered Paul and myself to run two races while we are in San Antonio together before the move to Florida; a 7K (what a weird distance- 4.35 miles!) on 2/3 and the Be My Valentine 5K on 2/10.

If you know of any races (5K up to 15K) in the general Pensacola area in 2013 I would love to hear about them.

What are your running goals for 2013? Have you ever traveled for a race before?

"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it you will land among the stars." ~Les Brown