I can't stay away

So, I had decided to take a break from doing races and just focus on my health and do fun/easy runs without the need for a rigorous training schedule.  That lasted for about a month, then I realized I'm simply not that kind of person.  By focusing on my health, that's really all I did, continually focus on my health and get frustrated that I can't fix everything.  I kept being reminded that it is something that isn't within my control and since I didn't have a training schedule or goal to distract me, it actually had a negative impact on my well-being.  Once I realized that, I quickly located some races and registered for them.  I instantly felt better after hitting the register button; I now had something to distract me from the aspects of my health that I can't control (and work of course) and a goal to focus on achieving.

So, as of right now, here's what my schedule looks like:

May 31st - Virginia Wine Country Half (http://destinationraces.com/runvirginia/)
This one is already here!  Tomorrow morning is the race and I already picked up my race packet.  I'm not feeling 100% but I know my speed is not what it used to be and I can no longer focus on that and set time goals for myself.  It is only about finishing the races at this point.  Plus, this one has a wine tasting after the race; a little incentive for Lee to stand around and wait for me to run the race.

August 2nd - Zooma Chicago Half Marathon (http://zoomarun.com/chicago/)
I've wanted to do a race in Chicago forever and it just hasn't worked out, until now.  I was planning on entering the lottery to run the Chicago Marathon this year, but didn't realize the date of the Chicago Marathon until I had already planned another race for that same weekend. This seemed like the perfect alternative, a nice easy half to work into the rest of my training for the year.

October 11th - Southernmost Marathon - (http://somomarathon.com/)
An excuse to go to Key West for a mini-vacation and run a marathon at the same time?? Yes, please!

November 30th - Space Coast Marathon - (http://www.spacecoastmarathon.com/)
I wanted to run the Space Coast Marathon in 2013 but because of the Dopey Challenge being on the calendar for January 2014, I didn't register.  Two trips to Florida so close together would have been nearly impossible for me to pull off last year.  I'm super excited to run this race and get my awesome space shuttle medal!

January 7th - 11th - Dopey Challenge - (http://www.rundisney.com/disneyworld-marathon/)
Yep, I've committed to doing the Dopey Challenge again.  As a reminder, it's a 5k on Thursday, a 10k on Friday, a Half Marathon on Saturday, and a Marathon on Sunday; a total of 48.6 glorious miles.  I had so much fun doing the challenge last year, I just had to sign up and do it all over again.

This year I took a slightly different approach than last year.  Last year, knowing I had the Dopey Challenge in January, I didn't register for any of the other Florida races I wanted to do, which in a way backfired.  Training in the snow and cold temperatures of Northern Virginia for four races in hot humid Florida weather didn't really prepare my body and I had a tough time adjusting.  I'm hopeful that by doing two marathons in Florida as part of my training, I will be a little more conditioned for the Dopey Challenge.  Stay tuned for updates on the training and how all the races and travels go!