2014 Race Plans

I'd been wanting to write this post for months but I didn't have all my races locked into the schedule so I held off. Now that my first race in under my belt I finally have the rest of my season solidified. This is definitely going to be the biggest race season for me and quite frankly I couldn't be more excited about it. It is a mix of new and old races, with some added competition and added miles thrown in.

York YWCA Ladies Sprint Triathlon (June 29)
I raced this last year and absolutely loved it. The race is about 5 minutes away from my house in Pennsylvania so I end up doing a lot of training on the course. Last year I finished third overall (it's a women only race) and this year my goal is to win. I know it's a lofty goal but I like a challenge. And if someone shows up on race day who is better than me I will not be upset if I don't win. I'm only basing this goal on the competition the past few years.

USAT Age Group Nationals (August 9)
This is the race that I am probably the most excited for. I have never done a race of this magnitude and to be honest I'm really scared. But I earned my spot at this race and it might be my only chance to go for a few years. My mom and I are driving out to Milwaukee and my sister is flying out. I've never been to that part of the country so I'm really excited to see some new places and race against the best in the country. Since it is a pretty flat course I am going for a PR at this race. My goal is sub 2:40.

Keystone State Sprint Triathlon (August 24)
Every single year this ends up being my favorite race. Each year it is also under less than ideal conditions and somehow I race significantly better than I should. I debated doing this race since I will be in the middle of half ironman training but I knew I would regret it if I didn't sign up. Not being in school over the summer means I have the flexibility of doing long rides during the week. Last year I finished second woman and this year my goal is to PR and podium. And have an absolute blast, once again.

Rev3 Poconos 70.3 (September 14)
This is the big one. The one that I have had my eye on all year and will dictate training the entire summer. After two seasons of racing sprints and Olympic distance triathlons I knew this was the year to move up to the half distance. I debated which race to choose for far too long but ultimately went with this one because I've heard such good things about Rev3 races and I didn't want to worry about training for such a big race during my senior semester. Originally I set the goal of breaking six hours but really all that matters to me is having a strong and happy race.

So there you have it. I might add a 5K here or there if I feel like getting in a running race. The rest of the year following the 70.3 is up in the air. I probably won't train for anything specific but I might do some shorter running races for fun. I'm also eyeing up the Baltimore Half Marathon to celebrate my last semester in Baltimore. It's only a month after my half but I would only be running it for fun.

Are you doing any of these races?