In awe

My excitement is bubling up as we step closer to May!

Wait, April is not even over.

To other people, I always have a bunch of races. True, so many, even I can’t keep track of them.

We just finish the BRR 50, which was a big race for me.

Before then, I ran the New Taipei WJS Marathon, kind of big.

And before then, it was the Clearwater Marathon.

I tried to cover up my excitement. It is just the first one. A izzy bitzy race. Nothing to it.

All them is setting up for this month! My first true 100 mile for this year (coming in two weeks).

I will be running with a friend, Lynne, in two weeks and I am getting her excited too. (Trying to persuade her to sign up another 100 mile, Forgotten Florida, before we dive into this monster, aka, C&O100). I tried to hide it, like you not suppose to name it before the race start, otherwise bad thing will happen.  Think of Burning River.  I told my mom don’t get too excited before the race because you don’t know if there will be a finish at the end. Runners (me) are superstitious. Don’t jinx it.

Actually, I will be running with many friends. It is near where I am so a lot local runners will be doing it. Which race? The C&O Canal!  I have been waiting for this race since the begining. A very long time ago.  I will write more in my race report when it is done.

But for now, here for this week, I will be doing the Roanoke Double Marathon (last year event). This is also a marathon I wanted to do for very long time ago.  I can’t remember when I did the first time, in 2019 maybe?  It is billed as America’s hardest road marathon with 7000 ft of climbing (I think they lie, because they might of included the down elevation with the up, maybe only half of that is real), but yes it is very hard compare to a normal marathon, where usually you see 100-200 ft change with the exception of Lake Hayden in Idaho.  Most people want to run on a flat course, but for those into bruishing themselves with hill workouts, come to run the Roanoke Marathon.  It’s actual name is something like Blue Ridge Bluecross Anthem Marathon or something.  I always call it the Roanoke Marathon.

Here is the kicker, I want to do a doubler, that is to run it twice.  Run one at night before anyone show up and run it again with everyone in the morning. It is actually a thing.

Huhuhuhu.  I am puffing myself up.  Actually for trail runner, the elevation is not that much.  It ia a lot but compares to trail, it is quite normal. A lot of my friends actually are heading to the Promise Land to do real mountain running.  So I can’t really brag that mine is the baddest. Where for them, they would say what are you crying about.

Why I am doing it?  I needed a bit of road running for my up and coming 100 milers.  This is a good fit.

A bit of bad news, my one and only marathon in a new state this year, Providence Marathon in Rhode Island, has been canceled.  That state is messed up. I should have run the New Port Marathon last weekend if I knew earlier it was going to be like this.  There is another Newport Marathon in the fall. Yes, the state is messed up, trying to confuse out-of-state runners. How many new ports are there? (3)

I am a bit heart broken. Yet it is also an opportunity.   I quickly signed up for a 100K in Atlanta, the Great Southern Endurance Run.  I have been also longing to do this one since I started my 100 mile journey in 2020.  Those who have been followed my post for long would remember couple summer  ago, I took two trips to Atlanta but came back with nothing.  This year is it! I am doing it. (GSER first attempt, second attempt). Granted those two times were a 100 mile attempt, this time it is just a 100k (62 miles). Also this time, we no longer need to climb up to Kennesaw Mountain to start the run. That was a wicked climb. We will start at the foot and no need to climb up. Park service would not allow us to go in. Oh well. I wish I could stay an extra day to snap a photo up there. Please let me finish this big project. GSER.

Why am I doing this?  Last heat training session and last long run before everything goes crazy. (MMT and OD100).  Yes everything. And Western States. Saying it 10 times fast. I am going crazy and hyberventilating. I will talk more about it in my race report.

Anyway, there are just too many races to keep track of.  I will take one race at a time. If I am to die today, I am dying happy, but I always want to do just one more race! Just one more time.