The Races I Chose for 2017 and Why

It’s official. I have FINALLY finalized my 2017 racing schedule. At least, I hope it’s finalized. And without further ado, my racing schedule for 2017:

More information can be found on my page: Upcoming Races

A lot of time and effort, not to mention money, went into picking out the above races. Things I take into consideration while picking a race?

• Cost – This one is obvious. I’m a graduate student. I can’t afford to run all the races I want to run. This year, I spent over $600 on registrations alone. That’s for 6 races. Holy moly. That’s crazy. Whoever said running was free lied. Shoes, registrations, body glide, nutrition gels – they’re not cheap, but I love running so much, I don’t mind cutting my costs elsewhere. The Great Chocolate Race in Long Beach was so cheap that I jumped at the chance. Also, I get free chocolate. I love chocolate.
• Location – I’m based in San Diego so I’m more willing to race in my town. That’s why I signed up for the San Diego Half Marathon. I love running around my hometown. Traveling adds to the cost (Hotels, flights), but if the race is amazing enough, I will make the trek. 🙂
• Size and Reputation – I like bigger races. Something about running with others makes me happy and don’t we all want to be happy? 🙂 Also, bigger races usually mean a better reputation (Chicago Marathon, SeaWheeze Half Marathon, and Las Vegas Rock N Roll). If I’m going to pay money to run, that run better be damn fun.
• Medal – Most races don’t release their medals until a few months before the race. At that point, registration fees are higher. And since I take cost into high consideration, I won’t have usually seen the medals until after I’ve signed up. Sometimes, I’ll look into the previous year’s medal and decide based on that.
• Redundancy – Have I run that race before? If I have, it’s lower on my list to run. I don’t typically like to run the same race twice because let’s be honest; there are so many races out there and there’s only so little time. There are a few exceptions to this rule of mine though. The San Diego Rock N Roll Half marathon was my first half marathon and will always have a special place in my heart. I will probably run that one every year until my legs can’t run no more. Maybe I can one day be the oldest person to complete that race. A girl can dream, can’t she? 🙂 Another race I’d run again? The NYC Marathon because WOW; that was just an amazing experience and the most fun I ever had while running. PERIOD. And that’s saying a lot because that’s TWENTY-SIX POINT TWO freaking miles.

What races are you running in 2017? Any of them you’re particularly excited about? And what do you take into consideration when registering for a race?