Keeping a docket full of future races is definitely a good way to stay motivated and stay on track as a runner.  At this moment, I have quite a few planned in the next 6 months or so.  Some are big, some are small.  I have lofty goals for some and others are just for fun.  Each one is important in its own right.

This Weekend:

11/10/12 – Disney’s Wine & Dine Half Marathon.  This will be my second year running this event and boy, has it snuck up on me.  I feel prepared but this race just hasn’t been at the forefront of my thoughts.  I’m aiming to maintain what is a very comfortable 9:30 pace and hopefully picking it up at the end if I feel good.  Night races are always tough to prepare for day of (what/when to eat and all that jazz).

Upcoming Races (at least ones I have already signed up for):

12/1/12 – Historical Longwood/Lyman High School 5K – hoping to PR here!

1/13/13 – The Color Run Orlando – this is an inaugural event and should be lots of fun (note to self – buy goggles between now and January!).  I am running this one one a team with a bunch of co-workers so this will be purely a fun run.  I’m interested to see what this event is like though and I’m sure we’ll have a blast!

1/20/13 – Disney’s Tinker Bell Half Marathon – Disneyland Resort, Anaheim CA – I am so excited for this race and this trip!  I ran the Disneyland Half Marathon in 201o but the Tink course looks even better!  This will be my husband Charles’ first trip to Disneyland too and I can’t wait to see Cars Land for the first time!

2/24/12 – Disney’s Princess Half Marathon – This is my absolute favorite race and it’s celebrating its 5th anniversary (I missed the very first year of this event or I would be “Perfectly Princess” – darn!).  Anniversary years usually mean lots of extra fun and we can look forward to this little beauty at the finish line:

(source)

Well, that’s all I have figured out for now at least.  I plan to really become competitive at the 5k distance so most of my training will focus on that end.  That also means I will be adding several 5k’s in the coming months.  Any seasoned 5k racers out there?  How frequently do you advise racing if I am really trying to get competitive at this distance?

In other news…

So I mentioned my dinner last night.  Well, it was quite delicious and was a step outside of the norm for me and Charles.  I am always on the look out for healthy and delicious new dinner to try and I am far from domestic.  Most of our meals go straight from the freezer to the microwave (terrible, I know).  In our defense, we both work 40+ hour weeks in demanding jobs and then head to the gym for an hour or two to cap off the night.  The last thing I feel like doing when I roll through the door at 8pm is to start my culinary prep work.

In any case, I found these puppies while we were grocery shopping over the weekend:

They looked and sounded good on the package and since I have recently REALLY loved a bunch of Morningstar Farms products, I decided to give them a try.  Trust me, I am no vegetarian but I am always looking to make healthier choices and meat alternative products are good for you and quite frankly more convenient to prepare.

I paired them with some Alexia brand seasoned waffle fries and popped them into the oven for about 25 minutes.  It was quick, easy, and…the verdict on taste?

DELICIOUS.  Quite honestly, I’m not sure if in a blind taste test I would have even been able to identify it as anything other than chicken.  The chipotle flavor made them a little zesty without being spicy and taste and texture was great inside and out.  It got the Charles stamp of approval too.  I am no foodie but – just like any other product I buy – I love telling people when I’ve stumbled on something I think is great!

Mission: EASY, TASTY DINNER = accomplished!

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How far in advance to you plan out your race calendar?  Have you ever made race travel a good excuse to vacation?  What would that be a ra-cation?

Have you tried any meat-alternative products?  What are your favorites?