The other day – Tuesday maybe? I have no idea…the days blur together a lot around here – I downloaded a Higdon marathon training app to my phone because that’s how I’m doing it this time around. I was so excited about the app that I posted a picture of it on Instagram.
This picture was from the other day so now it’s more like 173 days.
And then Sue asked me which marathon I was talking about and I was all…oh wow I registered for a marathon and didn’t even write about it. Blog fail.
Anyway, I’m pleased to announce that I’m running the
NEW JERSEY MARATHON!
I knew I wanted to/had to defer Dopey this year, but since things have been going a little more smoothly training-wise lately I didn’t want to miss out on a big spring race. I started looking around for a March/April marathon that wasn’t an enormous hike from where I live. Just like last year I was annoyed at the whole lot of nothing I found. The lack of spring marathons around here is what landed me on Potts last year; I’m obviously thrilled with my decision, but still it was made without a lot of options in mind.
I whittled the small handful of candidates down to two: Jersey and Shamrock in Virginia Beach (late March). Then decided to forego Shamrock because I don’t want to worry about a 22 miler the weekend of my daughter’s birthday party and also I’ve heard that race is really windy and I’m a great big wuss when it comes to wind. I would rather run a marathon in a hail storm.
I’ve heard Jersey is lovely in late April.
My Christmas present to myself this year will be the start of marathon training on December 22. I’m excited, nervous, and really, really hoping I can find some kind of way to shave 10 minutes off of my previous time. Many of my favorite blogs have me hopeful that this kind of thing is possible since I’ve been reading about fantastic fall PRs all over the place (you guys are amazing!). My biggest challenge in all of this I think is DON’T GET INJURED AGAIN.
Enough of the injuries.
So that’s what’s happening. JERSEY OR BUST!!
Do you have a spring goal race picked out yet? Which one!?
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! Happy Friday!
xo,
Salt
Haha, sorry I called you out! Shamrock was windy last year, but I didn’t think it was terrible. Crap, that means my marathon training has to start soon too because mine is 2 weeks before yours! AHHH!!
Totally okay!! I forgot that I hadn’t really mentioned it. You’re doing Shamrock!? Now I kind of wish I was too!! It was just cutting it so close with birthdays and stuff. 🙂
Woo hoo! And see I would have suggested Pittsburgh ! Lol…
I know you will be shocked to hear this, but Pittsburgh is definitely on my to-do list! I love that city. 🙂
That’s a gorgeous time of year in NJ. You’ll love the shore towns.
The boardwalk finish was one of the biggest selling points for me. I’ve actually never been to the Jersey Shore before. I’m so excited!
I hear you Salt…my goals have changed from meeting time requirements to being injury free! No matter how many, or how fast a race we run….it can’t be done with out injury.
*with injury…u get what I’m saying 🙂
Getting hurt has definitely been a humbling experience. I hope you stay healthy too! I never realized that it would be such a challenge.
Injuries are always my biggest obstacle!! I think I am going to pass on a spring marathon next year since my fall marathon this year is so late. But the NJ marathon sounds like a great one! I can’t believe its almost time for people to start training for spring marathons!
I can’t believe it either. I was just talking to my coworker earlier today about how omg this weekend will be mid-November! I am loving these cool temps we’ve been having though! So much easier to run in 30 degrees vs 90!
Yeah for you!!!
I have a spring race picked out as I won it at an auction! Saved myself $30-$40! I can do any distance so I’m picking the Half May 17th Bluenose Marathon in Halifax, NS. Have a great weekend!
Woah congrats! That is is supreme discount! It sounds like a great race too!
What?! My husband Rock was searching for a revenge marathon after he got injured at Chicago We decided on this one because we will be in NYC for the spring and this works perfectly. So I get to cheer you both on?! My day has just been made.
NO FREAKING WAY!!!! We have to meet up!!! Seriously as it gets closer let’s chat about it. It would be so cool to see you up there! (My day was just made too!)
I have all the confidence in the world that you can shave 10 mins off your time (even though your 1st time was INCREDIBLE!) I haven’t really thought much about my 2015 race plan…I should probably give it some thought soon! 🙂
Awww thank you friend! I really really hope so!
And yes you do! 2015 will be here before we know it! I hear there are some good races in Baltimore. 🙂
Ah! You’ll be in my neck of the woods (kinda). Will you be swinging into NYC?
I tossed around the idea! I would LOVE to make that happen. I haven’t been to NYC in forever. The race is on a Sunday and in a perfect world I might go up to NYC Friday night to hang and then back into Jersey Saturday for the expo and to get ready for the race. 🙂 I will let you know what happens!
Great. I hope we can make it happen.
The Rock n Roll half in DC! Last year I was injured for it and had to bail. So not letting that happen again
One day I will do that race! I want to see this terrible hill that everyone keeps talking about. 🙂 I hope training goes well! No injuries in 2015!!
I’m sad that you didn’t pick Shamrock since that’s my goal race, but not wanting to run a 22 miler the weekend of your daughter’s birthday is completely understandable. You’re going to rock NJ!
Awwwww boooo I’m sorry I will miss you! We definitely need to catch up at a race one of these days! That’s awesome you’re running it though and good luck with your training! 🙂
Woo! Hop! I’ve heard great things about the New Jersey marathon! You will rock 26.2! Just be mindful w/your training! Bummed I won’t see you at Dopey Challenge or Shamrock marathon! This Spring, I’m also running Charlottesville marathon (won a free entry!), Big Sur marathon & (gulp), Umstead 100! My Spring is a bit nutty.
WOAH that schedule ROCKS!!!! I’m excited to read about your adventures. 🙂 I’m sad about Dopey, but it’s okay…it will be there in 2016 and I would rather go into it really prepared.
Make sure you at least fist pump a few times on the course!
Spring goal race for me is Flower City half marathon, hoping to kick my PR in the butt.
You better believe I will be fist pumping my way across that finish line!!
I hope you kick your PR in the butt too! Good luck with your training! 🙂
haha! That was supposed to read “Woo! Hoo!” Darn auto correct!
Hahaha I totally read it correctly even if it was autocorrected wrong. 🙂
I plan on doing more than one race of any kind in 2015! I have my eyes on doing the Pro Football Hall of Fame half marathon at the end of April and would like to find a couple 5 or 10k races to do as well, leading up to the Columbus half again next October. Cbus is one race I will do again and again to keep getting my time down!
One day I will run Columbus. I have a special place in my heart for that marathon since it was the one that was going on in the backdrop of my engagement pics. 🙂 A Pro Football Hall of Fame half sounds like so much fun!
I’m trying to figure out which marathon to take on. Also how to get through winter training. Please tell me that you are going to wear a polyester button down and all the neon.
Well I hear Jersey is lovely if you want to join me. 🙂
I’m thinking the poly button down would be the perfect throwaway since I’m sure it will be chilly in the morning. If I can ever bear to part with it.
Woohoo! I don’t have a goal race for 2015 per se, but I am saving up to do Wine and Dine in WDW in November 😀 Probably not a PR race, but it will be my first racecation and first runDisney event!
I have heard only amazing things about Wine and Dine. One day I would love to do that one too! (I hear the food and drinks are really good hehe.)
So I haven’t run the full marathon, but I have run the NJ half marathon twice and I’m signed up for it this year too! It’s my absolute FAVORITE half marathon! Both times I’ve run it I PR’d by alot and I’ve considered doing the full, but I just love the half so much and can’t give it up. Anyways, it’s a great course and I hope you love it. Maybe I’ll get to cheer you on after I finish the half 😀
I LOVE hearing this!!! Thank you so much for the wonderful report. Now I’m even more excited. 🙂 I’ll be up there running on my own most likely so it would be so awesome to have friends cheer me on! You’re so sweet! 🙂
Wishing nothing but the best in you upcoming training Salt!!! I do not have an official spring goal race since Gasparilla is technically at the very tail end of winter but is one of my goal races for the year.
Thank you so much, my friend! I have no doubt that you are going to own Gasparilla!
Awww, bummer. I didn’t know you had pulled out of Dopey (ha, that sounded better in my head). Dang. Hmmm. I don’t believe they let you defer. Can you still go and do the shorter races and let others do the longer ones?
Anyway, good luck at Jersey! I love Hal Higdon plans! Cool about the app!
Ugh I know…totally lame, but it had to happen. Luckily I am able to defer. I had to pay for it ($45 which in hindsight is NBD), but my registration should transfer right over to 2016 (it just has to be a lateral deferral).
And thank you much! I’m hearing all over the place now that Jersey is awesome and I’m getting more and more excited!
Yay! This was my first marathon and my BQ, so I have nothing but good things to say about it! I don’t think I’ll be doing a full marathon this spring, but probably 2 half marathons. I was thinking of doing this half since I had a good experience with the full. We’ll see!
SWEET! I am getting so much good news on this race. I’m so glad you had a wonderful experience there. 🙂 Let me know if you end up doing the half!!
Exciting! Love that gif. And I love how your Xmas present is the start of marathon training. 🙂
Thanks! I think it is pretty much the most fun present I could give myself (besides new shoes of course).
Watch out Jersey – Salt’s a comin’! My wish for you is all the injury free runs! I signed up for the King Crab in 2015, so I’ve got the Frederick Half Marathon in May.
Bless your heart girl – this cold weather has put a damper on my running – I don’t know how you can get out there in December.
Jersey isn’t going to know what hit it. (Haha what?)
I really want to do the MD Double this year so I’m considering Frederick…even though it’s like 5 minutes after Jersey, but maybe I could just walk a lot. We shall see.
Honestly, stick with the cold weather runs. I think you might end up loving them. I MUCH prefer to train in the cold over 100 degrees. (I’m realizing it more now than ever before.)
This is so exciting!! My spring goal half-marathon is the Plattsburgh Half Marathon. It’s an easy course and I run on it every day so I know I can get a big PR. I’m also looking at running the Vermont City Marathon in late May if I can stay healthy through training!
Ooo that’s awesome! I love guaranteed PRs. 🙂
I have heard some wonderful things about Vermont! I hope you’ll be able to run it! (Seriously let’s not get injured…okay??)
Please run it spray tanned up!!!! 🙂
Let the training begin… after celebrating the holidays 🙂
Already in the plans. 🙂
Honestly I’m kind of glad I’m not racing in January this year. My holidays are already going to be insane enough without piling on all those miles! The beginning of training will be so easy and just enough to burn off all the cookies I intend to eat.
I’ll be really interested for you to do a review of the app you’re using. I’m thinking about possibly, maybe, thinking about training for my first full at the end of March and was considering that app. Keep us updated on how you like it.
Best of luck with training and in New Jersey.
I will definitely let you know! It hasn’t done anything yet since it’s still in countdown mode to the start of the training, but I’m curious to see how it will keep me on track. Thank you, lady! 🙂
Yay! That’s exciting! I’m so happy that your training is going well, I know it was rough with your injury for a while. I haven’t picked a spring race yet. I’m thinking about shifting my focus to shorter stuff in the spring…we’ll see how far out of my comfort zone I’m willing to get haha
I have such a love of shorter races. 🙂 The injury stunk, but it has been fun taking it a bit easier this fall and running those couple halves but also focusing on the shorter races (10K/5K). You know you could always come to Baltimore and run a race! 😀
Woohoo! You will be in my neck of the woods! I am sure that if you put your mind to it, you will easily shave ten minutes off your time!
YES!!! You should come visit. You know you want to hang out at the Marathon!! 😉
And thank you I really really hope I can do it!
Yay for marathon training!! We are racing within a week of one another! I’m doing Boston on 4/20:)
Hooray for Boston and hooray for almost taper buddies! I’m so excited to follow your training! 🙂
Exciting!!! And I love the GIF- lol!
You’re super speedy, and I’m sure you’ll be able to knock 10 min off. You’re right- the key is to stay injury-free 🙂
You better believe there will be some fist pumping while I’m up there.
I really hope I can make that time happen. If I stay well I will be able to prepare a lot more thoroughly than I was able to this year (due to stupid tendon issues). I just need to take care of myself. 🙂 Thank you, friend!
How exciting!!! Gotta love when you treat yourself to an upcoming marathon!!!
I have been working on my spring list as well, and funny thing this is actually one on my “maybe” list. I plan on firming it all by by January, but I have a list of 3-4 marathons I”d like to do this spring and Jersey is one near the top of the list, so we’ll see:)
I am sure you’ll get that goal time! I hear it’s a super flat course, so if you like those then you’ll probably take off that 10 minutes for sure!
Well I will be keeping my fingers crossed that you decide to do it then! If you do, we definitely have to meet up! I am on the fence when it comes to flat, but my recent half PR was on a more flat course so I’m hoping that will bode well for the marathon too. 🙂 Thanks, lady!
excited to read this! i’ve heard really good things about that race. i’m super excited to follow another one of your training cycles!
Yeah buddy! I was fist pumping just reading this! It sounds like it’s going to be lots of fun, I just wish I was in Philly so we could possibly meet up!
I don’t have a race picked out yet but I’m in the process of picking my first half marathon. There are so many to choose from I’m overwhelmed haha!
That marathon sounds like a lot of fun good luck with your training!
YAY!! I’m aiming for Shamrock as my second full. 🙂 Yay for spring Marathons!! 🙂 Good Luck with training!
go girl! that jersey shore gif made me LOL for real. i was considering shamrock half, to fit into my spring goal race schedule, but not sure yet – my spring goal race is the country music marathon, if i can heal from this injury in enough time to get started and if i can manage to stay healthy and injury-free during training this time around. but it’s also in late april, so hellooooo spring marathon training 🙂
Whoop whoop! yay you! Can’t wait to hear all about it! no spring races for me yet, but I do have a super fun group ex training coming up!
Good on you! That DOES sound exciting. Question: What would you recommend for a terribly out of shape girl as a beginning running training program. I want to get my bum in shape for multiple reasons but the most important one being that I want to be healthy again. 🙂
Hey Karen! I would definitely recommend the Couch to 5k program. It starts off with run/walk intervals and everyone I know who has done it raves about it! Once you complete the program they have more advanced versions/distances as well!