>It’s a weird feeling coming home from work and knowing that I didn’t have to do anything. No workout, no stretches, no ab crunches. For the first time since January, I came home, put on sweats, drank hot chocolate and caught up on shows. It felt great, and I wasn’t guilty because I knew I deserved a day off. I’m still sore today, which I expected, but not as stiff as I was yesterday. Yesterday my lower half felt like I had standing in an ice bath for hours, today I just feel blah. The lack of sleep, and mixed up eating schedule from the weekend has caught up, hopefully not breaking down my immune system too much. Good thing I don’t have to run all week, I think it would make me feel worse.

As I mentioned, I already picked out a half marathon. But I’ve researched some more and found some races I’m interested in doing this summer.

Girls With Sole  June 5th, Located in Rocky River, this race features a 5k and a 1 mile family run/walk. Any race in Rocky River, I will gladly sign up to do. This is my only free weekend in June, and what better way to spend it than running for a reason.

Huntington Duathlon  July 24th, Located in Bay Village, this race features a triathlon- 1/4 mile swin-12 mile bike-5k run and a duathlon-5k run-12 mile bike-5k run. I’m opting for the duathlon, and hoping it will be a success. This will be my first duathlon, but I’m sure not my last, and it’s a great way to make sure I get use of my amazing road bike.

Classic at Mastick August 10th, Located in Rocky River Metroparks, this race is a 5k and personal favorite of mine. I ran this in high school and college and even now that I’m old. It’s on a Wednesday night and you run through the metroparks, always motivation for me. It’s a good time and a great way for cross teams to see where they stand before season officially starts.

River Run Half Marathon September 11th, Located in Berea/Cleveland Metro Parks, this race is a half marathon through the metroparks, starting in Berea and going north. I picked this because it’s far enough away to give myself better training, it’s in the fall so it shouldn’t be too hot, and the elevation maps shows it is a consistent down hill, making for a quicker time.

With these four races, I’m hoping not only can I get into a quicker pace, but really enjoy running again. They’re spread out to give enough recovery time, but also I won’t feel bogged down each weekend with a race. I’m looking to do a race every month, but I’ll just have to see how the summer goes. My ultimate goal is to run a half marathon in every state, but I’m not trying to rush it. I’d like to do a half each spring and fall, but who knows, maybe I’ll get one in the winter, just have to find a warmer state to run in.