I’m sure you’ve figured out by now that I get a tad obsessive as a big race approaches. Kudos to you if you’ve stayed with me as I’ve been training for my upcoming 50 Miler. This race, in case you’ve missed it, is the Mississippi 50 Trail Run. http://www.ms50.com/
The MS50 offers the 20K distance (12.45 miles), the 50K distance (31.68 miles) and the 50M mile distance. Last year, I raced the 50K distance and had a wonderful time! I’ve been wanting to race a 50 Miler so decided to return to this event and try my hand at earning my first buckle.
Ultra’s are funny races. Some Ultra’s give medals. The longer distances hand out belt buckles. At the MS 50, 20K and 50K runners receive a medal. Only the 50 Mile people earn a buckle. A buckle is a coveted item for Ultra runners. This is the buckle I am be working toward on at the MS50.
Registration is still open for this race but as it stands right now, I am still the oldest woman registered for the 50M distance. Sure hope other women my age don’t know something I don’t know! Why aren’t there other 54yo women registered!?! AGH!!!
So, all of this running, the many, many miles…all of this has been an effort to create a solid mileage base. This base is for my “Big” goal, a 100 miler. You can call me all sorts of crazy but I want to run a 100 mile race. Actually, I would love to run a 100 miler and then find a qualifying race so I can put my name in the hat for Western States 100. http://www.wser.org/
Western States is the Cadillac of 100 Milers. This is my Ultimate Bucket List race for my Ultra running wish list. First, I have to run a 100. Then, I have to run a qualifying race so I can put my name in the hat for the WS lottery. THEN I have to keep my fingers crossed that they draw my name! If they don’t, then I have to run another qualifying race so I can enter the lottery every year until they draw my name. This may take a while. Patience is a virtue, right? Anyway, I’m not getting any younger so it’s time to tackle my first 100 miler.
Which 100 miler? Thought you’d never ask!
I’m looking at the Rocky Raccoon 100 for my first 100. http://www.tejastrails.com/Rocky.html I’ve chatted with my coach and he said I’d be more than ready for this race. At least he didn’t laugh himself silly when I asked, right? I’ve talked with MFH (My Favorite Husband) as well. He’s been aware of my desire to run a 100 and eventually WS. He said give it a shot.
Now, Rocky Raccoon isn’t until next February. They just held the 2016 event a few weeks ago. TBH, it’ll take me that long to get all my ducks in a row for next year. I’ve got enough irons in the fire that I really do need to hold off until next February. Here’s the buckle from this year’s Rocky Raccoon:
I NEED to get me one of those! 🙂
That’s what brewing on the Ultra front these days. This by no means diminishes the fact that I’m still working towards all the Abbott World Marathon Majors races as well. #AbbottWMM
It’s the same things with those events. I am at the mercy of the lottery.
My name is in the hat (for the 3rd year in a row) for the TCS New York City Marathon http://www.tcsnycmarathon.org/ The drawing for this race will be held on March 8 and I’m holding my breath! This is one of those races I’d give my right arm to run!!! The largest marathon in the world! How exciting! I get chills just thinking about it. I’ll of course be trying for Tokyo and London when the lotteries for those events open as well.
In case you forgot which races comprise the Abbott World Marathon Majors, I’ll share them with you again: The Tokyo Marathon, The Virgin Money London Marathon, The Boston Marathon, The BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, The Bank of America Chicago Marathon and the TCS New York City Marathon. So far, I’ve run Chicago and Berlin and I must say they have very serious spoiled me for marathon running. What an experience those two races have been. Looking forward to completing the series!
Hahaha!!! We were going to start out chatting about my obsessing about counting down the days to races and here we are talking about my running goals.
The one thing that links all of this together? #IRun4Aiden