2015: looking forward
My last post recapped how my running fared in 2014, and I was beyond floored to share what an incredible, healthy, and fun year it was for me. It wasn’t so much a year about setting new PRs (though there were just a couple, by default of “I’ve never raced this distance before”) as it was about exploring my new home and the new-to-me trails here and kinda getting my bearings in the fine locales of the Bay Area.
Coming into 2015, I knew that I wanted to focus on two things this year: a springtime marathon PR (with a fuck, this-might-kill-me-in-the-making-but-I-feel-like-it’s-actually-somewhat-reasonable time of 3:15) and, if I played my cards right, a debut at the 50 mile distance sometime in the late fall/early “winter” here. Buuuuuuuuut, then…
ta-da! we made an embryo! yay, biology!
As much as I love running and training and working my ass off day after day, year after year, and doing all this crazy shit that comes with marathon and endurance effort training–though my present descriptions of the work required is poorly selling how awesome it all really is–I’m reeeeeeeally fuckin’ stoked to be pregnant.
Really really really.
In the long-term scheme of things, there’s a shelf life to my fertility; on the flip side, I’m cocky enough to maintain that there isn’t one to my running. It makes the decision pretty easy.
To be honest, it’s a little weird to know with absolute certainty in January that 2015 isn’t gonna be my year to finally annihilate my marathon PR or get onto the 50 miler stage, but truly–that’s just fine. I’ve got bigger things–like, profoundly and exponentially life-altering bigger things–in store.
Tangential pregnancy explanations aside, when I was planning my 2015 race calendar, I did so a bit hesitatingly because we were trying to conceive. It made me even more excited to apply for and participate in races as a social media ambassador because I figured that I’d still be able to train for and actually race the events if I weren’t pregnant. Alternatively, if the stars aligned and I actually remembered how ovulation worked, if I were, in fact, pregnant by the time these events rolled around, I’d be happy to still help promote them in my communities. If I felt well enough to run ’em, I’d do that, too. Everyone wins.
I’ll save my “running while pregnant” commentaries for future posts because I’ll have lots to say about it, much as I did the first time around with A. At any rate, without further ado, my 2015 calendar:
March 1 – 408k Race to the Row (SJ, CA)
Super stoked to be returning to this race for a second year as a social media ambassador with the Represent Running krew. I kinda love 8ks, though I never actually train for them–I always just throw it in the marathon training mix–but they always feel to me like an interesting mix of the challenges of a speedy 5k with the work of a calculated 10k. If it’s anything like last year, this race will start outside the SAP Center downtown and wind its way through the city before ending up at Santana Row. There are tons and tons and tons of Wolfpack at this course, either running or volunteering, so please give a shout to your buddies in orange! RUNTHEBAY-EG will net you 10% off your registration costs, too.
April 26 – San Luis Obispo (SLO) Marathon
I’ve heard really great things about SLO and its races (a 5k, half, and full marathon), and getting to see another part of new-to-me California will be fantastic. It is fairly unlikely that I will still do the full that weekend, but we’ll see. GARVEYAMB will get you $10 off your 13.1 or 26.2 registration, and you can also register to be on my team (rainbows and unicorns… I’m all about the cheesiness). Aside from the fun that comes with being a social media ambassador and getting to meet lots of the other SM folks over race weekend, I’m also really looking forward to this race because Erica is coming in from Chicago to run the half as part of her Grandma’s training! I love that gal! And David from Chicago will be in town that weekend and following week as well to run Big Sur, so it’s seriously gonna be like a little Chicago runner reunion. Yay friends from the midwest escaping Chicago in late April!!!!
June 20 – ZOOMA Napa Valley 13.1 or 10k
Again stoked to be returning to run in Napa in late June as a part of the ZOOMA Napa Valley social media ambassador gaggle of women. I ran this race so poorly in 2014 that I was hoping for a redux this year, but obviously that will have to wait. It really is a super fast and beautiful course though, so in case you need a reason to come to Napa in June, there you have it. 🙂 ERIN15 will give you 10% off your 10k or 13.1 race costs.
Aaaaaaand that’s it for my 2015 calendar. My due date is 8/21, and depending on the obvious factors like how I’m feeling and how the lil fetus is doing, I’d like to run through the entirety of my pregnancy again. Time will ultimately tell, of course. Maybe I’ll be able to throw in some more pregnancy races in there and some postpartum, or maybe some pacing efforts as well, but we shall see.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from being pregnant before, it’s simply that, well, kinda like marathon training, there’s a lot you can control–as well as a whole lot you can’t. One day at a time. 🙂