I’m heading back to the site of my first half marathon race for my fifth marathon.
Today, I signed up for the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach, which will be held on March 20, 2016. My first half marathon race was at the same running festival in 2011, and I haven’t been back for a race there since.
I knew a good amount of people from Salisbury were planning to head down this year, and I figured it would be fun and flat, particularly after two hilly races in the Big Sur International Marathon and the Baltimore Marathon. It’s also relatively close to where I live in Salisbury, as far as marathons go.
I would love to aim to beat my PR of 4:17:45, but we’ll see what kind of training I can get in and what kind of shape I’m in — my times have been slower this year. I’d like to at least break 4:30, since I haven’t done that since my first marathon, and it’ll be a flat course.
Two marathons a year seems to be a good amount for me — I do enjoy the marathon and exploring areas on foot. The training keeps me motivated to do long runs and I get to accomplish goals.
But I am not running to the point that the thought of running makes me miserable or that I’m in extended pain.
I laid out a long run schedule just now, and I found that the first day of a 16-week long-run program will put my first long run on the weekend of the Rehoboth Seashore Half Marathon, which I am signed up for. I’m happy about that, and that race is Dec. 5.
Registration costs go up another $10 tomorrow, Nov. 3. Interested in joining me? (And there are a wide variety of distances, too.) Here’s the race website.
She Runs by the Seashore 