This race looks pretty bad ass. 140.4 miles. You jump off a ferry into freezing water and swim to shore, bike, and then run up a giant mountain to cross the finish line.

The feeling of accomplishment must be phenomemal.

Call Me Crazy

This past Saturday I finished the most grueling race I have ever done. And for some inexplicable reason I find myself already searching for my next race(s).

Damn you, endorphins and dopamine!

I’m probably getting a road bike this month. So that means some duathlons and triathlons during the freakishly hot summer months with a possible half-marathon or two in there. And then back to full marathons on the colder months.

And I’m still debating that 50K in July. But if it’s going to be as bad as Nashville it ain’t happening.

Ultra-Marathon and 70.3 Fever

Only a year ago the thought of doing a full marathon intimidated me. This year, I’m registered for the Country Music Marathon in April and I am even considering doing the Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans less than a month away simiply because I don’t want to wait that long.

And not only that, but I haven’t run a full marathon yet and I’m already looking for ultra-distance races to do later this year.

What is wrong with me?! I never thought I would ever say this, but I REALLY want to run an ultra-marathon. Even if it is a little 50K. Just thinking about doing one of these races gets me all excited! And I blame this new infatuation on 4 fellow tumblrs: runwithrach, runlong, lifewithkim, and livelongtrainhard.

And then there are also a few 70.3 triathlons that I have my eye on for September/October.

2012 is going to be a really exciting year.

Next race(s)?

All this talk of upcoming races on my dash makes me want to sign up for the next one. Soaring Wings was half #5 for me. And I think it is about time I step up and do my first full. But which race should I do?

A bunch of you seem to be going to New Orleans, which sounds really tempting. It’s such a cool city, with virtually no elevation change. But that is on the same day as the Little Rock Marathon. And given the choice, I would probably stay and race in LR. No travel expenses!

And then there is the 1/2 Ironman I want to do next year…

I have no clue what race I would sign up for since I know nothing about the IMs. But it would most likely be in the second half of the year. Redman perhaps? @tridad? @rach? @robin? Any advice?

First I have to get a road bike. I had all this worked out and was about to pull the trigger on the purchase of a new Specialized Allez about a month ago. But I decided to do the “financially responsible” thing again, opting instead to pay off all debt before making any non-essential purchases. I figured that once I am debt free (which should take a few months), I could reward myself with a new Allez. And I cannot wait!

A full marathon and a 1/2 Ironman seem like too little for next year, though. I may have to throw in some 5K’s and maybe one other 1/2 marathon or perhaps some sprint tris to keep me busy and in shape all year long!

2012 is going to be a good year.

Stepping it up: Half-Marathon to Ironman in 1 year?

So far I have done 4 half-marathons and I think it is time to step it up and do a full. Those of you who have run full marathons, what races do you recommend for this year? I wanted to do Chicago, but I took too long and now registration is closed. *LAME* And Country Music Marathon I think is way too soon. What other events are you guys running in the next 6 months?

I also want to do something other than just plain ‘ol running. Not that I am getting bored with it. I just want more. There are a couple of duathlons coming up in Arkansas in the next few months and I think I am doing one of those. And if I can find a place to swim around here, I am also signing up for a triathlon - even if it is just a sprint triathlon. My goal would be to do a full Ironman (or similar) race in about a year. Does that seem feasible, runwithrach?

Also, would it be lame to do my first duathlon and triathlon with a mountain bike? That is all I have and I don’t plan on buying a fancy road bike just yet. I want to know that I am really into the whole duathlon / triathlon thing before I make that investment.