The holidays are over and it’s time for endurance athletes old and new to start looking at how they want to fill up their race calendar.
This is probably the most stressful time of the year for us since any race you commit to means money spent upfront that weather, injuries or annoying life events can abruptly cancel with no chance of reimbursement or deferment.
I haven’t signed up for any races yet since I’m still dealing with chronic pain from two simultaneous knee surgeries last year, but I’m hoping a better focus on technique during training will give me the confidence for some late entries.
There are a ton of great races coming up, and you can find one or more for every month.
Next month on February 22nd is the LoveRox 5K, 10K and Half Marathon. We did this event last year and it was a lot of fun. The races end by the convention center where the Virginia Wine Expo is happening. An entry to the race will get you a discount on an expo entry for the Walk Around Grand Tasting which means you get to sample as much wine as you can handle as well as stock up.
As a bonus incentive Crossfit RVA members get an additional 10% off a race entry by entering CROSSRVA10 during registration. I don’t know if this is case sensitive or not. If you have a problem let try all lowercase.
Entry also gets you a long sleeve shirt and a cool medal to show off. While you’re on the site, check out some of the other races offered by Richmond Multisports. Maybe this is your year for a Triathalon.
http://www.richmondmultisports.com/race-calendar/love-rox-half-marathon-10k.aspx
March brings us the Monument 10K on the 28th. Also known as the race everyone in Richmond does. This is their first year issuing medals. Hopefully they’re better than their steel wool t-shirts.
If you’re looking for a 10K training plan, I’ve posted one copied from Brian Mackenzie’s new book “The Unbreakable Runner”. This training plan starts on Monday the 26th, and it will take you up to the 10K. Any questions, let me know. I’m working on copying his other plans for the 5K, Half, Full and Ultra distances. I can email copies from the book if anyone needs them right away.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1K9v6QvRQB3mO2_S1gotO-lEkX42ebATqoajWnM7jtp4/edit?usp=sharing
Sportsbackers has a lot of events every year. Some of the Rebels will be running the Tent To Trail Relay in Pocahontas State Park in April which is an 4 or 8 member team race that will cover 136 miles in 18-30 hours
There’s also Dominion Riverrock in May, the Moonlight Ride and the Patrick Henry Half in August and the Maymont X-Country 8 Miler in September. All these are of course leading up to the big events in November for the Richmond 8K, Half and full Marathons.
http://www.sportsbackers.org/events/monument-ave-10k/?gclid=COTlvbH4qsMCFcRQ7AodDj4AiQ
September will also bring the UCI Road World Championships to Richmond. This is a huge deal not just for our city as a whole, but for all endurance athletes here in the River City. We are already starting to see improvements on our roads and our trails as Richmond gets more friendly to runners and riders of all skill levels.
If you want to learn more about Crossfit Endurance I suggest you check out the official page at:
http://www.crossfitendurance.com/
The Crossfit RVA Endurance Facebook page is where you can find upcoming wods, videos, race notices and drunken ramblings. “Like” the page to stay up to date
https://www.facebook.com/RVAEndurance
RVA Endurance is held at 6AM on Tuesdays and 5:30 PM on Wednesdays. I’m always ready to help out if you need someone to give technique pointers on running or rowing.