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Racing into 2017

As we head into the new year, we have been talking about our racing schedule for the next year. We have a few planned races coming up and some possible ones on our radar that we are still deciding on. It's funny... we don't do a lot of date nights. Mainly because child care is a bit difficult for us at times but also because we choose to spend our time together a little differently a lot of the time. Many couples might choose dinner and a movie... we run. Ironically, we don't run together but we are able to spend some one-on-one time together before and after each race and we love having something to do "together" that is also making us healthier people.

2017 is going to be a bigger racing year for us than 2016. Here's what we have going at this point, month by month.

January - We have signed up for a 5k through our church, Grace Pointe Church. This is a very low key 5k, but it is for a good cause. Our church is raising funds for the Laos mission. Because the goal is to raise as much as possible, in lieu of a formal course along roads or anything, they are electing to have everyone run/walk 3.1 miles in laps around the parking lot of the church. It's probably going to be a good number of laps but it's a run and we are all about supporting the cause. My mom is actually going to walk it with me. Steven will be running it but I wanted to push the stroller with the kids and my mom will be there doing her first 5k so I am going to walk it with her. (For safety reasons they ask that anyone with a stroller walks instead of running. Plus, I can't run with the stroller and 70+ pounds of kids in it anyway.... at least not very far and definitely not very fast.

February - We are thinking of doing the Run 4 Love 4 Mile by Track Shack. We wanted to do another race in the beginning of the year but didn't want to do a 5k. We would rather it be a bit longer of a race so we are doing the 4 mile through Winter Park. We like Track Shack races because they are often well put together. There is a couple's challenge for this one but I'm too slow so we aren't wasting the money to add our times together. This is right around Valentine's Day so we are calling this our Valentine's Day gifts to one another. Maybe we will even have breakfast after together (we usually do) before we add the kids back into the mix.

March - This is a quiet month for us which is good because April is when we get down to business. Just planning some training runs and getting closer to the 10k distance. I'm going to be throwing some more hill training in there to prep for a certain bridge in April...

April - This month will start with a bang for me. I'm running the Iron Girl Clearwater 5k in the beginning of the month. We are actually hoping to make it a bit of a girls' weekend because my mom and sis-in-law are also doing it. They are likely going to walk, but this is my return to the race that started my love affair with running so I plan to run and see if I can beat my prior time. Plus, this means taking on that bridge again and seeing how I fair. Then, we hit the big one for us. Steven and I are both running the Star Wars Dark Side 10k at Disney later in the month. We are so excited for this one. The course will take us through Epcot and Hollywood Studios. It is also our first 10k distance. We want to do well but also want to enjoy our time so we might not be our fastest but we are excited. I'm still hoping to convince Steven to do the park with me after the race (as long as we have no black outs) without the kids. We have not done the park alone since BC (Before Children) so it would be fun.

May & June - Again, quiet months. We may consider adding a race during this time if there is something inexpensive out there.

July - Races are few and far between during the summer months in Florida. Last year we did the Suck it Up Buttercup 5k in July. It was brutal. It was Steven's first 5k though so I don't know if we might revisit this one this year. There is also a 10k option usually for that race so that is a consideration if we do end up signing up (if it even exists again this year.)

August & September - The fall race schedules aren't out yet so I don't know what might be coming up. Plus, again, Florida racing during the heat of the summer is 1. Not common and 2. Not super fun.

October - We don't have anything formal yet BUT, we are considering signing up for the Track Shack series next year which would give us a few races. I think the UCF 5 miler is part of it. If not, as long as they do the 5 mile again, we will likely do it. It was definitely one of our favorites thus far.

November & December - Probably not doing much during these months. We are so busy to begin with that I don't know that we would have time. So, we will just continue training. Especially because I'm hoping we (at least me if Steven doesn't want to do it) can sign up for the Princess 10k at Disney in February. I'm also hoping we can consider signing Kenzie up for a Kids' Dash for that race. She loves our shirts and medals and it would give her one of her own without being so intensive of a "race" that I feel it isn't appropriate for her at her age.  Now, December does have the 5k through Sea World that I currently cannot remember the name of. We are definitely considering that but we will have to wait to see the schedule and if we can fit it in. Steven really wanted to do it this year but we didn't have enough planning time. We will see.

And that is 2017 in a nutshell. We don't have a lot formally planned yet but we have some things we would like to try to do. Here's to another year of running!

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