My season of races....

At the beginning of this season I had some lofty goals - I had signed up for the lottery for the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco (if I got picked I would be doing the half) and I wanted to train for my first full marathon as well. I didn't know how well those two would go together, but I signed up for Nike not knowing if I would even get in, but if I did I would run it. Well I got in! Hotel is booked, days off requested and everything is in place - my only concern is how would it fit in my full marathon training schedule? Thanks goodness it fits in pretty well! This has been my season of races starting with a fun little fourth of July race, then buffalo stampede, but now we get into the big ones - Cowtown is tomorrow where I get to see the new members of our group this season complete their first ever half marathon! For me it is a training run to log the miles. I have to keep telling myself it is a training run - don't race it - don't mess up your full marathon goal. You put a bib number and a timing ship on me and I tend to run really fast...

In two weeks is Nike San Francisco - my second half marathon for the season which also has to be ran as a training run, nice and slow - this will be the biggest run I have ever done and I think it is going to be so amazing! I'm taking my little camera with me and I plan on having a great time and see the sights!

On November 14th is Run The River - my first full marathon! This is what it all comes down to this season - completing my first full marathon - this will put me in an elite group as only about one-tenth of 1 percent of the population will complete a marathon.

But wait - there's more! - On December 6th (three days after I turn 40) - I will run with three awesome ladies in a relay team at the California International Marathon - they are letting me do the last leg since it is my "Birthday Run" and I'm super excited about being part of this run. CIM is the run that put the running bug in my head -I watched the front runners finish in 2005 when my son was doing a fun run with his teacher and I was amazed - I thought to myself one day I would love to run - but at that time I was not fit, overweight and definitely not a runner. It took me some time to change that, but I did it and now I will be a small part of the run that started it all!