Mid-Year "Off-season" and Upcoming Races

Even before my final race of the spring season, the Skyline 2 Sea 50k, I started feeling a bit sluggish. It had been an intense (by my standards) race season with 150+ miles of racing in just 11 weeks. That's definitely more than I had ever raced before. It was also my most successful (half-) season with a couple of top-10s and a couple of PRs (spread over four separate races).

Give me a break! It's off-season. That means "eat ice-cream" where I'm from.

With my trip to Chile as well as a bunch of other travel (Pittsburgh, Vegas, Atlanta...phew!) looming in May and June, life has been pretty busy (oh yeah...I had finals, too!). May/June always looked like the perfect time to rest.

That's an Argentinian steak, Chilean wine and a Californian carnivore

I need the rest. Physically and emotionally. My runs have been very short (except for two 17ish mile efforts) and relaxing. Then last week it happened: I got a little spring in my step. My legs feel strong again! Without even thinking it, I easily ran 40+ miles this week (including some mountain running at high altitude. Not bad for "off-season." In all, I will have probably run around 250 miles during seven weeks of downtime, which officially ends June 15. (It's "official," because I say so!).

With that, I have also started signing up for a bunch of summer/fall races. Here is what's on the plate:

• Angel Island 16k (June 20) - My first weekend back in the States. Nine miles...sort of like a long sprint. The lady will be running too. So will Will.
  
• Sequoia 30k (July 18th) - I know the course and plan to run hard. This should also be a good long-run getting ready for the following week.
• Salt Point 50k (July 26th) - Looking forward to running 50k's again. This can't come soon enough!
• San Francisco One Day: 12 hour (Oct. 24) - A timed race will be a new experience for me. I do have a little adventure planned around this though, which the RD has already approved (thanks, Sarah!). More on that later.
• California International Marathon (Dec. 6) - Haven't run a road marathon since 2004. Me thinks that the 3:47 PR should fall on this fast course. Curious to see how well I can do on the road after my five-year hiatus.
  

Other races under consideration (likelihood of me entering in %)

• Pacifica 30k (5%) - July
• Headlands 50k (30%) - August
  
• Santa Cruz Mountains 50k (90%) - September
• Dick Collins Firetrails - Marathon (75%) - October
• Dick Collins Firetrails - 50 mile (15%) - October
  
• Carmel Valley 50k (25%) - October
• Rodeo Beach 50k (15%) - December

I may throw in another short race in November in order to get ready for CIM. I don't really know how to look those up efficiently anymore though. :)

And, yes, all races have been cross-referenced with Cal football home games...GO BEARS!