It's been a busy couple of months since my last post. Most importantly my wife gave birth to our beautiful daughter Emme Grace on January 5th. This has been the best distraction from me running than I ever could have hoped for. Its funny that I really enjoy running, but if I set my alarm to sneak in a run at 5AM before work it seems impossible to get out of bed for those first couple of minutes. If I have to get up at the same time to change a diaper or do anything for Emme I really don't mind at all. Of course that doesn't mean that I don't put in earplugs every now and again so I can get a full night of sleep. I'm grateful that when I do want to sleep the whole night through my wife never gives me a guilt trip.
I started running pretty regularly as of about 3 weeks ago to try and get ready for a 1/2 marathon in April in San Luis Obispo. There are also a handful of local races within a month of the 1/2 marathon so I figured I would run some of them as well. Before today what I was planning on running...
March 18 - Modesto, 5k
April 22 - SLO, 1/2 marathon
May 12 - Miracle Miles for Kids, Morro Bay, 10k
May 27 - Strawberry Stampede, Arroyo Grande 5k
I really have been on the fence about running the 1/2 marathon in April because I just don't feel my fitness level is where I want it to be at right now and it is a hilly course. Also it is really hard for me to run a half marathon and not try and PR because it takes so much more time to train for than a 5k or 10k. With all of that in mind I started looking for other half marathons in June that would be close by. I found a race in Ventura that has a gradual decline for the first 7 miles before it levels off for the last 6. This seems race fits the bill for when I want to try and run a half marathon and also the type of course. With that in mind this is what my next couple months will look like...
March 18 - Modesto 5k
April 21- SLO 5k
May 12 - Miracle Miles for Kids, Morro Bay 10k
June 3 - Ojai 2 Ocean half marathon
The first race will be in my hometown of Modesto. It fits perfectly into my schedule since we were already headed there so everybody in my family can meet Emme. It will be a good gauge as to where my fitness is. I hope I'm still around the 20 minute mark and can work up towards the half marathon in June.
