i'll race ya!

My cousin Dean enjoying the foliage last year!

Fall racing season is upon us! I'm not sure why but September 1 has always immediately meant fall for me. I'm fully aware that in real life there are 23 more days of summer left and that I should be living those up! It isn't like I'm back in school or something major changes now that it is September...it is totally mental!
There is a point to this, I swear! It is fall racing season! If you saw my training plan that I posted a couple weeks ago there were some races on there and in preparing for the half I'm taking every opportunity to get out there and race my tush off!

September 18 - Dutchess County Classic - They have a half marathon, 5k, and a kids 1 mile fun run. I'm planning on running the 5k. Mike is planning on doing the half! Super excited for him. It will be his longest race to date. He is planning on taking it slow and easy, but just going out and doing the miles and preparing himself for Disney!

October 1 - Run For the Animals 5k - I'm a big advocate for adopting pets rather than purchasing them and I love to support local animal shelters as much as possible. When I saw that the Blooming Grove Humane Society was having a run for the animals I couldn't pass it up. Mike will be joining me for this one too!

October 23 - Fall Foliage 5k - There is a half marathon and a 5k going on this day too. I chose this race because Rhinebeck, NY is simply gorgeous. I am hoping for scenic views and rolling hills for this race. There is a great little town in Rhinebeck that I'm really looking forward to walking around after I'm done racing.

October 29 - Very informal race at Vassar college! Costumes are encouraged and there is a costume contest at the end of the race! No real timing, but there will at least be a clock at the end to know your time. I'm not 100% sure I'm doing this one, but it seems like soo much fun!!

November 13 - Fall Harvest 5k - They have a 5k, kid's fun run and a 7.5 mile scenic challenge. I'm hoping to be able to do the scenic challenge. It will be my longest race to date, but Cornwall-on-Hudson/Storm King is a beautiful area with river views that is hard to pass up.

November 24 - New Paltz Turkey Trot - I can't think of a better thing to do on Thanksgiving morning than to go run a 5k! Once the turkey is in the oven I plan on sneaking out for a workout before coming home to stuff my face with pumpkin pie. Seriously, pumpkin pie is one of my food groups.

December 4 - Jingle Jog - A 7k, this probably the race that I'm the most excited about!! It is supposed to be very festive. I'm a very festive person. Christmas time is my favorite time of year. I love the coziness of it and I can't wait to run this 7k with a Santa hat or antlers or a red nose (ok it is december - my nose will be red from the cold!) or some other costumey thing on...

PHEW! That is a lot of races. I'm still looking to do a few more between 12/4 and 2/26 just to keep me motivated, those 2 months are going to be crucial and I want to make sure I stay on track. Races are the best way for me to do that! There are so many more that I wanted to do but you can't race EVERY weekend! I had to turn some down, maybe if I'm feeling it I'll pop into one or two!

What races do you have on the horizon???