CIM announcement_001With my first race approaching this weekend, I’m excited to announce my full Fall 2017 racing calendar. Without further ado:

September 24, 2017 (Arlington, VA) – Clarendon Day 10K
October 8, 2017 (Albany, NY) – Mohawk Hudson Half Marathon
November 23, 2017 (Alexandria, VA) – Alexandria Turkey Trot 5 Mile
December 3, 2017 (Sacramento, CA) – California International Marathon (USATF National Championships)

With no 50K World Championships this year, I’m spending my fall focusing on a fast and competitive marathon at the USATF National Marathon Championships hosted by the California International Marathon (CIM). Over these next few months, I’ll be running a few shorter races, but mostly focusing on the specific marathon preparation for this race.

Coincidentally, I’ve actually competed at all of the events at which I’m racing this year (though sometimes at different distances).

First, I’ll return to the Clarendon Day Races this Sunday, September 24. I’ll be running the 10K this year as part of a big block of training (in 2015, I raced the 5K and was 3rd in 14’43).

Next, I’ll head back to Albany, New York where, in 2016, I broke a 20-year-old course record and set a new marathon personal best of 2’15’52. This year, I’ll be running the half marathon instead, but I’ll be looking to run fast and see if I can notch another course record (65’48) under my belt.

I’ll then have a big block of uninterrupted training time before finally racing at the Alexandria Turkey Trot 5-Miler, the most competitive of the DC area races, on Thanksgiving (in 2015, I was 4th in 24’28). This race is 10 days before my target race at CIM and I love to run a short tuneup right around this time.

Finally, I’ll head to Sacramento where I’ll compete for the second time in the California International Marathon. This race holds special significance for me as it was where I ran my first Olympic Marathon Trials qualifying time (in 2014 where I was 9th in 2’16’59). This year, I’ll be returning to what will likely be an extraordinarily deep race thanks to its being the site of the USATF Marathon National Championships. I’ll be looking to race well in this ultra-competitive domestic field and also trying to run a new PR on the fast CIM course, with the target of the Olympic Trials “A” Standard (2’15’00).

So, while these will be familiar races, I’ll be looking to do something new at each one: run faster, place higher, compete stronger. I’m coming off my strongest summer ever and can’t wait to see what this fall brings.