(Knocking on Wood...) Thinking About Some Upcoming Races

My last race was one of the USATF team races: O'Gara's Run 8K back in March. And now I'm thinking about ending the season by racing the final team race: the Fort Snelling 15K Relay on October 16.

It's one of those races that has very little posted about it online, but my understanding is that it's a 3-person relay race around Pike Island in Fort Snelling. Pike Island is quite flat, and it's got a smooth, packed running surface. Here's a photo showing a bit of the path from 1 of 3 times I was out there with my boys this summer (from this post on Henry's last day of preschool):

I just finished a week of 3 runs that were 40 minutes each, and this race 4.5 weeks away. I'm pretty sure I can be ready to race a flat 5K in 4.5 weeks. And the fact that it's a relay is nice: I don't think I'd be the slowest person on my team, so I won't feel the need to go "all out" and kill myself at my first race back. (Certain team races WOULD make me feel like I'd have to go all out and kill myself for the sake of the team, but this one's not making me feel that way. My running team just needs bodies to score points.)

I'm also thinking about another race 7.5 weeks away: Rocky's Run 6K CC run. This is the last race in the MDRA "Grand Prix" series for 2016, and it's run on a golf course in Roseville (so it's not some SUPER crazy-hard CC run). If I am able to race the 15K relay in a few weeks and everything goes OK there, I'd love to score a few more (pointless) points in the Grand Prix at Rocky's. That was the race back in 2012 that secured my Grand Prix title - that was a fun year of racing!

Anyway, wish me luck with some upcoming (gentle) speed work sessions!