Let’s talk racing plans. My year is fully geared towards NYC
Marathon but it’s the journey that’s supposed to make it fun. I don’t need to
race to just stay in shape but if I have a specific goal, I need races to learn
to hurt and stay motivated when the going gets tough in training.
I’m a competitive guy but I enjoy exploring on my bike as
much as racing it and I’ve brought that philosophy into running. I’ve run every
corner and grass patch of Central Park and enjoy exploring new areas when I
travel.
My year will again contain lots of cycling and bike racing,
mainly June/July but this year I will not lose focus of my running. I’ll open
the racing season with two events in Puerto Rico: the XTerra 10k on January 24 and the SanBlas Half Marathon on February 8.
Why Puerto Rico? One of the biggest goals in my wife’s and
my life is to be warm. In recent years, we hibernated in southern Italy where
winters are more like eternal springs. Not truly warm but you can’t argue with
the cycling there. It’s amazing. This year, however, we stage GFNY Puerto Rico
on February 15 and decided that we want to be REALLY warm January/February. So
winter basecamp is Puerto Rico.
Now, running in a tropical climate is hard, sweaty and very
exhausting, especially for a 6’2/165lbs guy like me. But my body generally
functions so much better in warm weather. Everything works smoother and the
risk of a cold is much lower. I gladly trade the downside of less than perfect
running conditions for a perfect living conditions.
I’ve never run an XTerra race but I assume it’s just a fancy
word for an offroad run. It’s there so I’ll race it. The San Blas Half, however, is a big deal in PR and will be
a great experience. I expect to struggle running within 10 minutes of my PR
given the hilly course and warm weather but the goal is to get through without
falling apart and getting some racing miles in.
Markus? I'm working on it.
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