Yesterday was Square Root Day!

It was 3/3/09 - and three is the square root of 9 (3√9). So the next one won't be until 4/4/16. Isn't that cool how that works?

Yes...I AM a math geek! However, instead of celebrating Square Root Day the healthy way and cutting up root vegetables into squares, I went to Happy Hour at Equis where they were serving $2 beers and $2 appetizers. So I drank 3 Racer 5's (TWO DOLLARS EACH, OMG!) and enjoyed the early evening with 9 friends (4 of them people we met there, but hey...new friends!). I was pretty proud of how that worked out.

However, celebrating in that fashion also meant that I skipped masters swim. Whoops! Gotta have some fun when it presents itself, though.

Still, I felt a tad guilty this morning (only a tad) and decided to start filling in that race calendar.

There are two 10K races in April...one in Santa Cruz and one in Santa Rosa that is benefiting REACH (the medic helicopters). I may just do both! Why not?

Doing those would help get me back into running shape for the Tri For Real Series in Folsom in June, July and August. I may throw in a couple sprint tris in between as well. Then I will finish the season with a half marathon (not sure which one, any suggestions?) and the Big Kahuna in October.

I also really want to pick a few bike races to do this summer as well just for fun and to see how they go/how I like them. Velopromo doesn't seem to have anything up past April yet but we'll see.

Sure is looking like a full plate (I'll update my sidebar soon)..

• March 14 - Solvang Century Ride
  
• April 19 - Santa Cruz 10K
• April 26 - "Just Go" 10K (Santa Rosa)
• June 7 - Tri For Real #1 Olympic Distance (Folsom)
• July 4 - Kenwood 10K
  
• July 12 - Tri For Real #2 Olympic Distance (Folsom) -OR-
• July 19 - Donner Lake Triathlon - Olympic Distance (Truckee, CA)
  
• August 9 - Tri For Real #3 Olympic Distance (Folsom)
• August 22 - Santa Barbara Triathlon (MAYBE)
• September 13 - Escape From the Rock Triathlon (San Francisco)
  
• October 25 - The Big Kahuna Triathlon (Half-IM) (Santa Cruz)
• Insert Date Here - Some Half Marathon

I have to smile as I look at this. Knowing that I'll be adding in a few other goodies in between, it IS turning out to look like a busy season. And I'm GLAD about that! I've taken an extra long time this year to actually lay out a schedule. I've taken an extra long break from running. I've chosen leisure over working out (well, not always, but many times in the last few months) when the opportunity presented itself.

But I FINALLY, finally feel like I WANT to run again. Like I am ready to commit to a few more hours a week. My words can't even describe how good it feels to actually want all of this, maybe more than I've ever wanted it before. And really my goal this year is to simply do the best _I_ can personally do and have fun at it.

I am also making a promise to myself to:
-Refuse to stress over missing a workout here or there
-Take time to rest if I feel I'm getting sick
-Not be afraid to take something off the schedule if it begins to feel like too much
-Take rest weeks SERIOUSLY and ADHERE to them

I think one of the big reasons I was SO burnt out was that I never took proper rest over the last four years. Yes, I took time off between seasons, etc., but never enough. I was always too afraid of 'losing' my fitness. But now it's kind of fun to think of the challenges that lie ahead. Tomorrow's goal - a 20 minute run. Wooo!

March seems to be off to a good start.