3 things thursday

1.  I already have a busy January 2013, and it's still 8 months away!  I was already planning on doing the Rock n Roll Half in Phoenix (to get the Desert Double Down medal!).  Then Houston kept sending me reminder emails for early registration (all you need is a sub-1:52 for the half), and it ended up being a different weekend from Phoenix.  So I signed up for that (as the last 2 Wordless Wednesdays have pointed out).  Then my friend Kelsey (of #doubletrouble fame) asked for interested people to put together a Ragnar Relay team for the Florida Keys race.  So yeah, of course I was in... I've never been to the Keys, and I'll earn an extra medal IN TROPICAL COLORS, because we are doing Ragnar Chicago.

(If you are interested in being part of an AWESOME Ragnar Florida Keys team, let me know!  We have 2 spots open!  All paces and genders welcome!)

2.  Which brings me to my next point - I am going to start to take it easy.  I'm serious.  The double weekend, and the hilly course last week, kicked the hell out of me.  I'm STILL recovering.  I need ice cream.  And beer.

But I digress...

Originally, I planned on signing up for the Madison Half next weekend, so that my 50th half marathon would take place at the same race as my first.  But I don't want to do a race just to do it.  So North Shore will be #49, and I will celebrate #50 with Renee and Sara at Rock n Sole.

Other races I had on my calendar that I got rid of today - St Norbert Block Party 5K (still wavering on that one, may be a game-time decision); 4 on the 4th (I'm going to take it easy on my day off!); Heatbreaker Half Marathon (doesn't fit with my marathon schedule); anything in August (except a new 5K... there's BURGERS AND BEERS at the end); any one of the 20 milers in Chicago (it's something I need to do on my own). 

My wallet is happy.  And I am happy too.  I'm still planning on doing the Bastille Day 8K, and another 5K with my cousin in June.  I don't mind midweek 5Ks, especially since this one is untimed (but the shirt rocks... I am a gear whore).

3.  So yeah, about my legs still hurting from the last 2 weekends of racing.  I'm being REALLY cautious, because I know what over-racing and overtraining did to my foot last summer.  We're not going there again.  But part of the reason might be because I'M OLD!

Today is my half birthday.  I have 6 months left in my 20s.  I'm going to make the most of them.  If it means more training runs at home this summer so that I can travel to warmer locales in the winter, then so be it.  All year I've been freaking out about getting older, but oddly enough, today I felt better.  I am ready.