Tuesdays On The Run- Races

I love doing races, more than I like doing the training. For me, there is so much energy in a race, so many things happening, so much excitement! What makes me choose a race? Below is a short breakdown of my thought process while choosing a race.

Today I'm linking-up with PattyErika, and Marcia.



Schedule - When my son is with his father for the weekend, emotionally this days used to be dreadful, painful, and in a good day, all I wanted to do was stay home and watch TV until Sunday night arrived. Having races gave me something to look forward to on Saturdays and Sundays.



Distance- 5Ks for me are something I can do quickly in a Saturday Morning, then go for breakfast and carry on enjoying the rest of the day. A 10K is similar, except for me, it hurts more. A Half Marathon is definitely something that will take at least a few hours, canceling out half of the day and leaving the other half for extra carb loading and watching movies in the couch. A Marathon is a 24 hour event, that includes lots of pizza, water, and a whole tiramisu just for myself.

I loved that awesome bagel at DC!
My favorite post race meal!! Pizza!!


Type of Race- I am a total sucker for fun races! You want me to run while somebody throws colors at me? Yes please! Run while wearing a super hero costume? Yes please!  Turkey Trots- Gobble Gobble!

Turkey Trotting
 
Color run with my sister

I also like races that benefit local agencies... Like the Library, because I LOVE the Library! I also enjoy doing the Girls On The Run Races, even when I feel left out of the celebrations.

I still want to add some type of obstacle run to my roster of races.... but those are more expensive, and further away.

Cost- 5Ks are cheaper than Half Marathons, but still not free. My sisters used to ask me how I paid for all the races, and I used to tell them that I was a stripper on weekends... ja ja ja .... no, I'm not really a stripper, I don't have the moves for that line of work.

Here is the truth, I saved my money specifically for races. So if I wanted to do a race, I would pack lunch and save that money for the registration fee. And packing lunch helped me with my nutrition on preparation for a race.



Speaking of cost.... I found a free 10K to do this weekend! I have no experience with doing a free race, but hey ! what is there to lose?

Location- I prefer local races and sleeping on my own bed. But I have occasionally done out of town races. I count those as Racecations.

Bunny Palooza in Bethany Beach DE


How about you?
What is a deciding factor on choosing a race?
Do you save to pay for races?
Have you ever done a free race?
What is your favorite Post Race food?


Comments

  1. 5ks are always fun. It is nice because there is not much training involved. And like you said you can go about your day afterwards.

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    1. Ladies at F&F, yes ! I think some 5ks are tons of fun !! I have found 5ks that are very generous with food too!

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  2. LOVE me some post race pizza. Usually anything salty & greasy is my go-to. I usually treat myself to a meal out afterwards. A burger & fries + milkshake or a big plate of greasy hashbrowns usually hits the spot too.

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    1. Yes Jessie !! You are right ! Something greasy and salty is always the best!!

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  3. I've never done a free race, although it's tempting! I'd definitely try to find some reviews first. Some race companies are pretty shady (and I'm not talking about ZOOMA!).

    I'm not much into the fun ones, although I think racing in general IS fun. I may be slow, but I still enjoy racing. I'm competitive (even if there aren't a whole lot of people around me to be competitive with, LOL)!

    If it's a warm day, a brownie sundae is one of my favorite post race treats.

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    1. Judy, after I read your posts, I was thinking that I have seen bad reviews for other big braces, like Nike.

      A running friend recommended the race, so I'm hoping they will at least have water !

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  4. I love how you love fun races!!! Some people are race snobs.

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    1. Ja ja ja Megan! I'm not a race snob at all... If there is money, time and the race didn't make me angry, I'll show up.

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  5. I race a lot and yes, I have a budget for racing. (I'm also pretty low maintenance, so I don't have much of a budget for clothes or jewelry or makeup or...

    I would totally do a free race as long as the race was in a safe running area. I always carry my own water, so just having the company from other runners would be fun.

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  6. Did someone say free race? Sign me up! I've never run a free race but I sure would. I love the wide variety of races you've run. My daughter and I are doing a Glo Run at the end of July. I hope I can stay awake for it!

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  7. I have never done a free race (other than virtual ones) but I have done some free running events -- I'll be doing another one of these tomorrow actually. Now that I live in Alaska location is a huge factor for me in choosing races. If I can't get a direct flight/not have to take red eyes or have any hope of acclimating for a different type of weather it just doesn't seem worth the money for registration and travel.

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  8. I feel like most people like races better than training! Once I finally kind of started to enjoy my training more, I found my races were more fun, too!

    A free 10k?! That's awesome! One reason I've stopped racing as much as I used to is cost. When I was a newer runner, races were a great motivator for me. These days it's just not worth the money as much!

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  9. Wow! It is certain that this race is interesting. Looking at these photos, i also feel exciting...
    Beyond that, i am also amazing with your achievement - 10K - So Good! ^^

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  10. Marcia,

    a Glo Run sounds like so much fun! I did a local glow run, and I have never had so much fun running in the dark!

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  11. Ali,

    Racing is very expensive! so can't turn down a free race!

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  12. Raquelita,

    is there many races in Alaska?

    I have never flown anywhere for a race, but it sounds exciting to travel so far for races! Will you be doing any races in Spain?

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