Winter/Early Spring Race Plans

Yesterday and today have been super dreary winter days in the south. Being cooped up indoors and unable to have any outside play time has my toddler (and myself) going a little stir crazy. To combat these dreary thoughts, I'm thinking happy ones...like the Walt Disney World kind! In just 26 days, we will be returning to the most magical place on earth for the Princess Half Marathon weekend and I cannot wait!

I'm getting ahead of myself, though...

Today, I'm sharing with you my winter/early spring racing plans (which includes Princess)!

What's first on the list?

Rock n Roll New Orleans

Source: RnR New Orleans

This race is one I've run every year since its existence (minus 2016 when I was very pregnant for my son). To note, I was actually registered for 2016 and determined to do the race, but I was deterred by my OB due to potential issues I was having. So to keep it safe, I had a medical form signed and had to bow out of that race. Regardless, I'm still planning on keeping the streak alive and doing this race as many years as possible. 

For 2020, I'm doing this race with my Florida buddy Melissa. We are both battling injury at the moment, so we are just planning on run/walking the whole thing and having fun. In all the years I've run this race, I've never ever stopped for beignets along the course and depending on the line when we pass Cafe du Monde, we might just get an order!! How funny would that be? Again, we will see the logistics once we pass by, but since we aren't running this one for time, why not live it up? 

Oh yes, and we will also be wearing the Mardi Gras Mickey ears, so if you see us, please say hi!

Disney's Fairy Tale Challenge

Source: runDisney

Ah yes, sunshine (hopefully) and good times...at least that's what this dreary weather has me looking forward to! 

We are planning to arrive early for the Princess Half Marathon Weekend and stay just one day after the weekend is over, with hopes that we will be able to see Galaxy's Edge prior to the race weekend and Mardi Gras crowd. Although I have a game plan in mind, we shall see how it all works out. I am running both the 10K and the Half and somehow missed out on registering Brayden for the Kids Races. Oh well...hopefully next time! 

Our resort for this trip is Saratoga Springs (a first for us) and we can't wait! I do plan to make it out to a few meetups while there, so I hope to see some of you around!

Injury

Last but not least, where am I with my hamstring injury? Well, it's still there. 

It's NOT at all what it was, but I still have a nagging pain that just won't go away. To be honest, I severely slacked on my PT workouts during the holidays and am just getting back into doing them on a routine basis (4-5 times per week vs 2 times per week during the holidays). You know that slump where you feel like you've been injured forever and it won't ever go away? Well, that's where I'm at right now. I'm still doing Orangetheory and all, but long runs on concrete outside still make me nervous and with lingering soreness the next day. So, my plan right now is to run these upcoming races as best as I can and continue with an increase in PT workouts for now. I know it'll get better eventually, but this one really is taking forever! 

So, that's my upcoming plans and where I'll be over the course of the next month! If you're at either of these race events and see me, please say hi! I hope this winter weather is treating you nice! Have a magical day!

Spring Race Plans

Spring has arrived in the south (well on most days) and with that means perfect weather. Even if it's only around for a little while before the summer heat hits, I'll take it! There's just something about spring that I love...the colors, the weather, the fresh and newness of it all...it's seriously one of the best times of year! (Minus Christmas, of course.)

In the spring, races are usually in abundance around here and they taper off as soon as summer hits due to the ridiculous heat, so you gotta catch them while you can. For this spring, I've found several races I plan on running, so here's a rundown of them all!

#1 St. Patrick's Day 3 Miler

Yes, this race already took place but I'm posting it for two reasons - number 1, I need to write my recap like ASAP and number 2, it's the first race in our local "Triple Crown" series and I'm going for it again this year! (The last time I completed this series was in 2015.)

#2 HCS Warriors 5K

Last year, I ran this "first annual race" and as an alumni of the school, I placed as first female. Yes, the race was small and placing in it was totally random, but I was beyond shocked and excited! This is a race I'll continue running in the future because even though I've been gone for a while, I still love to support the school as I attended there most of my life! (It's a K-12th grade school.)

#3 Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival 10K

This one is incredibly random and 100% new to me as it's in a town about 3 hours away. It also happens to be the day after the Warrior 5K...whoops. In my fervent search for a "local" 10K to use as proof of time for Wine & Dine, I stumbled across this race. It's the only race in reasonable driving distance that is hosting a 10K before the cutoff time for proof of time submissions. I would have run a 10K last fall, but that's when I came down with the great lung plague, so yea...that went right out the window. I'm really looking forward to this one as it's completely new to me and I can't wait! Jason's also going to do the 5K with Brayden!

#4 Contraband Days 5 Miler

Although this race is taking place the day after Relay for Life again this year, I'm still looking forward to running it as part 2 of the Triple Crown series! Yes, my legs are probably going to feel like lead and I'll definitely be sleep deprived, but I think I'll make it! Although it's always hot (this race is held in May) this race is for sure a local favorite!

#5 4th of July 4 Miler

Yes, this race falls in the summer time, but it's also part 3 and the final race in the Triple Crown series. I love running this race and enjoy seeing the local running crowd that comes out for it!

That should be it for now, unless another random race pops up into there (which is completely possible)!

Do you have any fun spring time races planned? Please share! I want to hear all about them!