Some years it's just better to be particular about what you do. Racing can be hard, and recovery can take awhile, and the last thing I want to do is mess up my body and turn out mediocre race after mediocre race. It's also very expensive. If I wanted a sub-par performance, I can do that in training without the $150 entry fee.
In 2017, I completed 4 5K's (one was legit racing, three were for fun, and two of the fun ones were the day before a marathon), one 5 mile race, one trail 10K, two marathons, one half marathon (training run), and one relay. That was plenty of "racing" for me.
As for this year, it remains to be seen what it's going to look like. My main focus right now is marathons. My year will take shape completely dependent on how the Louisiana Marathon turns out this weekend. If I BQ, and by what I think is enough of a margin, then perhaps Boston 2019 will be my next marathon. If I don't succeed in this goal and want to try for another one during the 2019 qualification timeframe, I'll have to find another marathon. That will be my priority. This means that once again, I'll be the world's worst triathlete.
But I'm okay with that. I'm finding that when I stretch my focus across too many goals, then I suffer. It's much better for me to focus on just one thing at a time. I feel like I'm in such great marathon shape right now, and I LOVE THAT, so for now that focus is exactly right for me.
A part of me misses all the racing I used to do, but then again not having to worry about tapering and recovery of minor races meant that my focus during the training season was 100% on my marathon training plan. Using the one half marathon I did as a training run was the best decision, although at the the time I was irritated about the weather derailing my ability to race it. In hindsight, by slowing it down and focusing on form, cadence, and breathing, without having to worry about a recovery period after the race, it did me far more good than had I raced it. I swear, you learn something new every training cycle!
I did race the 5 miler 2 1/2 weeks before the marathon, and because it was a short race in very cold temps, it ended up serving as a big confidence boost, a lesson in pace control and breathing, and exactly how to deal with freezing temps since that's what race day offered up. Because of it's short duration, there was no recovery required beyond one rest day. Instead, I was able to chalk it up as an intense speed session.
I'm nervous as heck going into race week. Louisiana Running Festival is this weekend, with a shakeout 5k on Saturday (aiming for marathon pace in that one), and then the marathon on Sunday. Start temps won't be above 30 if this forecast holds (and I think it will, or just get colder, because since the 15 day forecast came out, all it's done is get colder and colder and colder), so I know I'm being blessed with the exact conditions I need to run my very best. I have to hope that I did my recovery correct. My body is not perfect, but I think my grit and determination can make up for any deficits caused by the marathon last month. I know, based on the data, that I still had something in me to push even harder in Mississippi, so I'm going to try my best to tap into that on Sunday. I will be crossing that finish line with NOTHING left. Greg should have that inhaler ready!
I know what it feels like to qualify for Boston. It's the most indescribable feeling for someone like me, who wasn't born with a bunch of talent and had to fight hard to get to that caliber. I need to be thinking of that during every moment of that race.
And then, when it's all done, I can think about how the rest of my year will shape up and where my focus can be. Marathoner or triathlete...or both? Remains to be seen!
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