Races for 2012

I've got a goals and resolution post turning around in my head, but for now, I thought I'd just cover the basics: my 2012 race calendar.  Parts of it are concrete, and there are parts I haven't decided upon yet.

March 17: St Patty's day 10K.  (Definite, though haven't actually registered yet.)  I did this race last year and had a great time.  I won't decide what my specific goals for it are yet, but I know I'll definitely be shooting to beat my time in this race from last year (1:00:12).  I'll likely be shooting for a PR on the course, even though it's a hillier course then I set my current 10K PR.  Of course, this race also has a "win your weight in beer" draw prize.  Admittedly, I'm not a big beer drinker, but it would still be fun to win it!

April 29: Police Half marathon.  (Maybe.)  This was the half marathon that I ran in a blizzard last year.  There's a big part of me that wants redemption on this course.  On the other hand, I'm well into my half Ironman training plan by this point.  In the past year, I prioritized my running and my biking suffered because of this.  I'm considering not doing any running specific races at all while training for the HIM (half ironman).

May 27: Calgary Half marathon.  (Maybe) This is an either/or situation.  I'll only be doing one half marathon in the spring, if at all.  On one hand, this one is a bit deeper into my HIM training plan so the mileage amount works a bit better.  On the other hand, it's right before triathlon season actually starts, and I don't think I want to do races on back to back weekends.  My concerns about training for a run race are the same as listed above.  Having said that, I like the confidence I get from the half marathon distance when it comes to the run portion of the HIM itself.

June 2: Vulcan Tinman Sprint triathlon (Probably, though not registered).  This was the first triathlon I did and it was a lot of fun.  It's kind of like a warm up triathlon and I think it's good reminder of the whole experience.  Plus, they have a low-key, fun kids race, which Spud did last year.  This year, both kids could do it.

June 16: Chinook Olympic Triathlon (Definite, and registered already): I definitely want to do another Olympic distance triathlon before I do my HIM.  This one fit into my schedule and is local, which makes it easier on my family.  It's also supposed to be a nice course.  The swim is cold, but won't be as cold as Banff was or as cold as my HIM will be.

July 29: Calgary 70.3 (Half Ironman) (Definite and registered already):  This is the "A" race of the year.  All of the races leading up to it are training races, with this one being what I'm training for.

Sept 8: Banff Sprint triathlon (definite and registered already): This one is for fun.  I loved doing Banff last year.  This was the one where the course itself inspired me.  Having said that, the timing of it isn't good for me to make it one of my key races.  I don't really intend to train in August.  After my HIM in July, we'll be going on family vacations, camping, backpacking, etc.  My running shoes can come with me most places, but I don't want to be stressed out about following a schedule.  I figure I can still knock off a sprint distance (and have fun doing it) on residual fitness and whatever training works for me.

Oct/Nov: I definitely want to do a race in the fall, but haven't figured out what.  Likely a half marathon.  Maybe a full marathon?  Possibly a destination race?  I have some time to make this decision.

I'd also like to throw a 5K race in there somewhere.  I've never been able to let go of the fact that I just "sort of" broke 30 minutes in my last 5k, a year ago.  Granted, I have no doubts that I'm capable of a sub-30 5K now.  It's a foregone conclusion.  I still want to do it though.

So, that's the current plan, some of it subject to change.

  What are your 2012 races?