I don’t know about you guys, but it always takes me a little while to plan my races out for the year. There’s cost, other travel plans, work commitments, etc. to factor in. And then when there are a few great races taking place the same weekend, there’s trying to decide which one to go with. It can be tough!
Well, after a few weeks of strategizing, I think I have my 2019 race schedule (mostly) set.
drumroll…
(more…)
In November, I impulsively decided to enter the 2018 Chicago Marathon lottery.
It’s been a couple of years since I ran my last (full) marathon (Marine Corps Marathon 2015), so I figured, why not?
Also, I’ve recently decided I would try and run all six of the World Marathon Majors — Chicago, New York, Boston, Berlin, London, and Tokyo. I figured this would be a goal I’d work on while continuing to complete my 50 states challenge.
If you had to choose just one road race to run in California, which one would you choose?
Tough, right?
California is a big, beautiful state. Aside from the fact that there are hundreds of races taking place throughout the year, there’s also the decision of which part of the state to run in — Northern California? Southern? Or how about Central?
Here were my top choices (for a half marathon):
Big Sur Half Marathon in Monterey Bay (not the same as the popular Big Sur International Marathon)
Napa to Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon
San Diego Rock ’n’ Roll Half Marathon
Solid choices, right?? I think so. 🙂
I ended up choosing the San Francisco (half) Marathon. When I told people, they were all like, “but the hills!! Have you seen them?!” Yes, I’ve seen them. I was worried about those hills. But I figured, go big, or go home.
I was pretty nervous about the race, especially after the challenges I faced during Hatfield-McCoy in June. But surprisingly, the hills were not that bad, and the race was amazing — in fact, it’s one of my favorite races yet. I would do it again.
Running the States 