The start of racing season

This Sunday is the Shamrock Shuffle 8K run in Chicago. It's the unofficial start of the racing season, and I'm really looking forward to it this year. I've lost about 15 lbs since the beginning of the year and my training runs have been faster.

I took some time off at the end of last year because of nagging knee pain, but also because I'd let myself get burned out. I bit off way more than I could chew with my training schedule, and I wasn't prepared for it physically or mentally. I think this year will be much better. Time will tell...but for now, I'm very excited for the season to start.

This will be my third year doing the Shuffle, and my third attempt to finish in under 50 minutes (roughly a 10:00 mile). Part of the problem is that the race is me and about a gajillion of my closest friends, and I feel like I spend a lot of time moving in and out of traffic. My plan this year is to start closer to the front, and to say "EXCUSE ME" more, instead of going around people. That's the plan, anyway.

Tomorrow should be a good day. According to weather.com, it should be almost 60 degrees at the start of the race, and partly sunny. Even if I don't finish in the time I'm looking for, I still plan on enjoying myself. I've got my pre-race ritual down pat - coffee from the local BP station on the drive in, a pre-race Clif bar, my iPod nano all charged up and with my favorite running tunes, and so on.

More later...