Getting my goals off the ground

Now that I've settled back into my workout routine, as it slowly becomes my pre-marathon-training running routine, I've decided it's high time that I iron out my race schedule for the year. I had a handful of goals in mind, and with a little more experience under my belt from last year, it was fairly easy to pop some races onto my calendar.

So, Happy New Year to me, here's what's on tap for the coming months:

February

5K

March

10-mile

April

Half marathon

June

10-mile

Marathon

July

Half marathon relay

October

10K

5K

10-mile

It may be evident, at a glance, that I'm extremely fond of the 10-mile distance. From the first race I ran over that distance last year, I was hooked. I found that I tapped into this beautiful, euphoric feeling after mile 6, but I was prone to crashing physically and emotionally around mile 11. Running 10-mile races was simply the most enjoyable experience with the least amount of stress. Now that I've thoroughly deconditioned, I'm curious to see if that experience repeats.

The half marathon will be special; I'll be racing in my hometown for the first time, save for an untimed 5K years ago, and I'm excited to see the city through a different lens.

June looks more daunting than it is. The 10-mile - a repeat of my favorite 10-mile from last year - occurs on a day in my marathon training schedule when I'm supposed to run 12 miles, and I'll have two weeks of taper before I take on 26.2.

October is going to pose its own unique challenge. I've signed up for an event that calls for a back-to-back 10K and 5K on Saturday, followed by a 10-mile on Sunday. After having two marathon training periods under my belt at that point, I don't anticipate it'll be physically distressing, but there are so many ways that I can play it. Do I conserve early and have lots in the tank for the 10-mile? Do I live in the moment and put in strong efforts on Saturday? We'll see....!

One week into the new year, I'm feeling good. I'm feeling ready. I've got this.