Running... What's next???

So I've intentionally held off on making any plans public for running next year.  A couple of reasons for that... since I know you all have waiting on the edges of your seats... like my running is some incredible feat of athleticism. 

But I've held off.  One, I didn't want the excitement of completing my first half marathon to make me go off and predict that I could do something that I couldn't do.  Two, I wanted to confirm with a friend who may be joining me for one of these next year.  Three, I wanted to make sure that this was something that I wanted to do. 

And it is. 

I was standing at a local high school football game talking with a member of our church (and local doctor... who also runs marathons) about running last week (and actually last night too).  As we were talking, he said to me... "So do you think this running thing is going to stick?"  I said, without hesitation... "Yes." 

I have begun to really enjoy my time out.  Said doctor and I were talking last night about running and training and as I walked back to my car after the game, I found myself excited for my run today just because we had talked about it last night. 

So I have decided on two races for next year. 

The first will be the Flying Pig 1/2 Marathon in Cincinnati, Ohio.  While it's got a funny name, there isn't anything funny about this race.  It has a serious reputation for some massive hills that test the runner.  So I'm already counting down the days (189 days and 20 hours) until this half on May 1st.  Why the half, you ask?  I am planning to tackle a full (see below), but I'm not going to push to run a full marathon early in the spring with the bulk of my training being during the temperamental winter months... it could be 30's and mild all winter or single digits and frigid all winter... you never know.  So, I'll save the full for a bit later... 

My second long race (not counting any little 5ks of 10ks over the course of the summer) will be the Air Force Full Marathon.  That's right folks... the whole 26.2 miles.  I thought this would be a fun run... it's on an Air Force base about 3 hours from here... and it will be mostly flat.  I will need to work hard to make the whole distance, I don't need some massive hills slowing me down.  So... I'm also counting the days here... (328 days and 21 hours)

So... that's my plan for 2011 running-wise.  I want to return, at some point in the future, and run the full marathon in Akron... since I ran the 1/2.  But next year might not be the year... my parents are having a big anniversary next year and we are talking about a whole family trip that would land on Akron weekend.

After next year... we'll have to see which of the rest of the 49 states to tackle a marathon in!

Jim 

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