Running Wild

Popularity means signing up for races months in advance

What gives?
There is this crazy paranoia all of a sudden with race registrations.
I remember when I started running not so long ago, I would wait until the last two weeks to sign up for any race because back in the old days before I discovered cross training I was always worried about getting injured and having to drop out.
Now I don’t worry about that so much.
Now it’s this insane demand for races and them selling out.
It’s October and I’m already signed up for races in March and May for fear of not getting in before they sell out. The May race is already sold out and has been for a while and I’m sure the March race will sell out by the end of this month.
I get it.
I know running is more popular than ever these days, but seriously some of these races don’t need to sell out that early.
For some I know it’s a motivation thing.
For example, for someone doing their first marathon or half marathon, it’s motivation to turn your money over early and sign up.
But I recognize a lot of the names on these lists and they’re not first time runners.
I understand when there’s a marathon such as the Chicago or Washington Marine Core Marathon, that you have to sign up early because there is way more demand.
But now it’s spread to local community races.
Frankly, I find it annoying to sign up for race in March in October just because it might sell out.
There’s no need for it.
I understand a couple of months early, but last year, the Burlington Chilly Half Marathon was sold out in November. The race takes place the first week of March.
There were clinics with that race as a goal race and many of the people couldn’t get in if they hadn’t already signed up.
I find myself checking registration lists of the races I want to run in case they seem to be filling up.
It’s stupid.
All it takes is one person to do it and them everyone else jumps on the bandwagon. Then, before you know it, a race is full just because a few people signed up.
I like caps. I think more races should use them because it ensures an orderly event where runners will be taken care of, but it has incited this kind of crazy signing up months in advance.
And by the way, I’m not pointing any fingers at any one because I am already signed up for races next year.
But only because all of you did so first.

Food, scenery make for nice fall run

It’s claim to fame is it’s golf course, but this weekend the clubhouse at Angus Glen was filled with a different kind of folk.
The Angus Glen Half Marathon was held Sunday and what a windy day it was.
I’ve yet to see the race director who has a weather machine so if that’s the only thing to moan about it was a major success.
I can’t say enough good things about this race.
It was my first time doing the half marathon here and, even fighting a cold, I enjoyed the course.
It wound through scenic country roads for the most part.
The course was very challenging, but challenging in a good way.
Far from flat, there were a lot of hills and some I will say not in very nice places (17 and 18k) but despite that, they were gentle hills.
It’s saying something when you can enjoy a course when you’re under the weather.
I ran my second best time for a half, which made me like the course even more of course.
With about 700 participants in the half, it was a nice size, never seemed to crowded.
This is definitely a race I would do again and the food didn’t disappoint either. Unfortunately I only picked at it, because I wasn’t very hungry, but there were nice chicken salads, potato salads, cookies and sandwiches and coffee and hot chocolate of course.
There was also somewhere warm for us to stay before and after our race which is a bonus on a cold days like yesterday.
So the run season is over for a couple of months for me now.
Now comes the fun part of the year, the year end celebrations of everyone’s goals. Translation red wine and food that’s not so healthy for us.
Don’t worry I have enough activities to keep this blog going.
But let me put a question to all of you.
What races have you done over the last year that were your favourite and why?
Write me and let me know.