Nurse on the run
Its only January, and I'm thinking about race season here in New England. Where I live, there are races held on a daily basis. My favorite is a weekly 5k series which runs from April through Sept. Running a faster 5k is this years goal. I hope all this base building and quality running payoff this season. Really looking forward to it.
Running is my mental-Ctrl-Alt-Del.
that's your problem.
I've always wanted to because it sounds fun and would be a great way to socialize with local runners, but I never have. I like the idea of a series, though.
She Runs, She Eats
RUN/BIKE/SWIM REPEAT
I would if it was available. Unfortunately we don't have the population or size of running
community to make it feasible.
5k-25:29 5M-42:27 10K-54:10 1/2 - 1:57:44 FULL - 4:10:48
6 Full Marathons 25 Half Marathons (Not a Fanatic Just crazy)
There are 3 running clubs just in my area. They are a lot of fun and its fun to see the same people each week. Its always followed by socializing and a few beers. They get a decent crowd too. Attendance is up to 150-200. My favorite is held at a reservoir and its gorgeous running there.
Not weekly but there are a couple series here. From 5-13 races each year. I've a few of the races in one of the series the past couple of years. It is a good way to meet other runners.
PRs: Marathon (2:55:08; '11) Half (1:21:14; '12) 10k (36:28; '11) 5k (17:48; '11)
Chief Unicorn Officer
Only in August, they are 3 1-mile races. There are awards at individual races but cumulative awards are given for the entire series and it's based on the three races added up. The ceremony after the last race is really fun and the awards are cash ($500, $200, $100, $50). Not bad for a small local outfit. It's my favorite part of the racing year!
Mile 5:49 - 5K 20:08 - 10K 43:06 - HM 1:36:54
I love the idea of it, but AFAIK, nobody does it around here.
levitation specialist
That sounds super fun!
We don't have anything like that here that I am aware of. I know the kids have a "Gran Prix" that is a once a month for 6 months series of 1 miler races and if they complete all 6, they get a special medal. My youngest is 5 and he is old enough this year to do them, which he keeps begging me to let him do. Since all my races are bigger, and fewer, and never on his race days, I get to run them with him yay! I am so excited! Probably more excited to do his than mine even!
Middle Distance Runner
Unless you're willing to train through many of them treating them as hard training runs and only taper and rest for one every 3-4 weeks, I'd stay away from weekly series that extend that long. Weekly races can have more of an effect, and not always good, on your training and often lead to stagnation or even slowing times depending on what kind of shape you're in at the beginning of the series.
2013 Goals: Mile - 7:45 (SB 7:53.74); Run first ultra marathon (Sep 21)
I definitely won't be racing all of them. I like to use them for tempo runs and race like one every three weeks. I agree that it can burn you out quick if you let it too. I once did a twelve week series without missing a week and it was brutal.
We have a series of 9 xc races on Tues nights in the fall - course and approximate distance announced at the start line. They used to rotate among the various parks in Anchorage, and I used them as away to learn new trailheads. I started just doing 1 each year, then a few years ago, I did 3 in a row for the experience, and I didn't have a major fall race. I haven't done any the last couple years because I've had a couple major fall races. The races are so large now that they limit them to where they have parking, so I never got to run some of the ones I wanted to.
I really like them as a change of venue. Waaay more people than my normal races so no need to worry about being last. Faster than my normal races. Challenging to judge effort since you don't know the distance for sure nor the hills (at least I don't since I'm not familiar with those trails).
There is a weekly race in Cambridge (2.5 & 5 miles) year round which is really cool. I have run there many times but only ran the race once. My town has at least 8 races, and 2 of them are walking distance from home which I look forward to doing. (moved here a year ago). My running club has monthly races, and I love doing as many of those that I can.
If you really have the discipline to treat them like tempo runs - which includes letting other people pass you in the final half mile - then it might be a decent workout. Of course, 3.1 miles is a fairly short tempo run so it's of marginal utility in that regard. If you want to just run them for fun, then just run them for fun.
Short term goal: 2:59:59 (November, 2013)
Mid term goal: Any race over 80% of top AG standard
Long term goal: To say I've been a runner half my life. (I started running at age 45).
Ohio has a neat series called the Subway Challenge series. It's more of a year long series, but most runners typically do between 10-20 of the 60 available races. I've been tempted to give it a try, but I just don't race that often and prefer focusing on my marathon training cycles. It has some pretty good prize money though, which is a nice draw. In the "elite" category, you're eligible for $200 for every race you win, and then a larger, series purse at the end of the year.
PRs: Marathon (2:56xx; '13) Half (1:25xx; '12) 10k (40:26; '11) 5mi (29:23; '13) 5k (18:31; '11)
I think our local running club has weekly untimed 5k's on maybe Wednesdays at 6pm in the summer. I've never participated before, but I might do a couple this summer just to change things up. They also have a mixed doubles 10k relay that I think they actually give out awards for (combined ages, that sort of thing).
PRs: 5k: 27:22 (5/13) 10k: 56:06 (4/13) HM: 2:13 (4/12) M: TBD (9/13)
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