Off to putting plans into action

Pretty but too boring

I just signed myself up for a few NYRR and NYCRUNS races and took this opportunity to also update my blog. As I mentioned last time already, the schedule I put together depends on a little bit of luck, and, of course, I missed the correct timing to sign up for the Hot Chocolate, the Al Gordon, and the Brooklyn Half (which, by the way, I am the most disappointed about, because it will prohibit me from getting a guaranteed entry for next year's NYC Half). By the time I had the money to sign up for them they were sold-out. I did get into the Frozen Penguin Half (more about this a bit later), the Spring Fling 10k, the Scotland Run, the Japanese Run, Portugal Day, and the Queens 10k. This pretty much exhausted my budget for races this month and the Henry's Hope and the Ice Cream Social have to wait until next month. I am not sure if I am going to run the Israel Run this year; two races per month is plenty.

I kept talking about how I am lying low for a while to get my knees rest (and to get over yet another cold I got from my son) and that I will start training soon. Well, I finally renewed my Endomondo premium membership and scheduled in training for the Spring Fling 10k which will happen on the 22nd of March. I thought of taking it easy and build on getting faster in a 10k first and then move on to half marathon training (aiming at a still to be determined half marathon in the summer) and then off to full marathon training for my first marathon in the fall (I am thinking of Yonkers, with a lot of luck NYC, or Philadelphia). This is a rough plan and it all will start this coming Saturday with a nice slow 5 mile run around the island. Ah, how will the Frozen Penguin Half fit into this? Well, I could have chosen the 5k option instead of the half marathon distance but I have a 9 mile training run scheduled on the same day and I thought that I can wiggle it somehow (i.e. run for distance and not so much for time and placement) and even get a medal for my efforts as well. I'll update my training plans as soon as the 10k is over and I know what next race I want to go for.

Just a few words about running along the North Sea: it sucks. Don't get me wrong. It is a very nice place to hang out and relax but running even a few miles turn into a mental exercise due to the monotony: the sea on one side and the green levee on the other and nothing else. It was fun to do once (I only ran maybe a mile in one direction, turned around, and decided to run through town instead and pick up some rolls for breakfast) but I do not think I would do this again unless I had a running partner, I guess. Well, I tried.