With races canceled since March and through August, it’s definitely been difficult for me to train. I’m a very idiosyncratic runner: I’ve always used races as part of an overall training plan, to build mileage and improve pacing, rather than a true competition with other runners. Races bring me joy, pure and simple. I enjoy the camaraderie with the other runners (I get very social while waiting on the port-a-john line!). Nothing makes me happier than meeting the challenge of completing a race, particularly a longer race on a very hilly course. That sense of accomplishment makes me smile all day.

I set our racing schedule early in the year, researching new races, along with perennial favorites. Believe it or not, I can spend hours looking at dates and comparing to my husband’s schedule, checking logistics and reviewing the course and pacing requirements. I try to find two races per weekend (sometimes two in one day!) and for the last weeks in July and August, when we’re off celebrating our anniversary and my birthday, respectively, I try to find as many races as I can, sometimes as many as 7, Saturday through the following Sunday. The summer is especially wonderful as it offers early morning or evening races midweek.

I really like the structure and routine of racing, so when races are cancelled, I don’t choose the virtual race option. I’ll just do my own distance on the treadmill or quiet route near home.

With a nod to The Who and a view to next year, here are some May races to put on your forward racing schedule for ‘21:

5/3 Cinco de Miles 5k – Bedford, NH
This is another fun Millennium Running event. The 5k course starts in the driveway of the Bedford High School then follows County Road to an out and back loop before finishing at the Bedford Memorial Park Pool. There’s always a nice post-race party following an MR race.

5/24 Runner’s Alley Cisco Brewers Portsmouth Memorial Day 5K – Portsmouth, NH
This is one of our favorite races, and a great way to kick off summer racing! We’re really missing this one especially. This is a fast, flat course on a large multi-corporate campus, closed to traffic. Nice post-race refreshments, plus there are so many excellent restaurant choices in Portsmouth, one of our favorite cities. If you haven’t been, this is a fun introduction to the Seacoast running scene.

5/30 Shelburne 5K/10K & Half Marathon – Shelburne, VT
This was to be the inaugural event. The proposed course is described as hilly, and mainly on quiet country roads. With the multiple race options, this promises to be a fun way to see the Vermont countryside while running your favorite distance. Watch for this one next year!