13 Races in 2013- Recap + Plans for 14 in 2014!

I've achieved a whole lot in 2013, if I do say so myself :) I finished the 13 in 2013 challenge, which means I completed:

• Five 5Ks
• One 5 miler
• Two 10Ks
• One 15K
• Two Half Marathonsas 
• One 18 mile Bike race
• One unofficial Thanksgiving Day family run

For a total of 13 Fitness Events in 2013!! Hot Damn!! Here are some picture highlights:

Commitment Day 

Superbowl 5k

Corktown 5k

Falcon 5 Miler

Dexter-Ann Arbor 10k

Labor Day 30k bike ride

Heroes on Hines- 1st Half Marathon!

Detroit Free Press- 2nd Half Marathon!

In 2014, I have a few overall goals I'd like to knock off the check list:

• a Trail Run
• a Mini Tri
• my first Marathon

and I've set my sights on completing 14 races in 2014! Now that I've done a year of racing, there are a few races I know I'd like to repeat, some I could live without doing ever again, and a few new exciting ones I didn't get to this year. They're listed in chronological order: 

Draft 2014 Race schedule (repeat races are underlined with notes)

1. 1/1/2014 Commitment Day, Farmington Hills - 5k Run (w/ Mike!)
• A REALLY fun/COLD way to start the year off right!
2. 2/2/14 SuperBowl 5k, Novi - 5k Run
• This is on Superbowl day- a great way to manage calories for an otherwise wreck of a day!
3. 3/2/14 Fight for Air Climb, Detroit - 70 flights of stairs!
4. 3/16/14 Kona St. Patrick’s Day, Plymouth - 10k Run  (w/ Mike!)
5. 3/22/14 No Frills All Thrills, Brighton - 8k Trail Run
6. 4/12/14 Martian race series, Ann Arbor  - Half Marathon
7. 4/11/14 Falcon 5 Miler, Bowling Green OH - 5 Miler
• It was about 35 degrees this year. A nice outdoor Spring race to prep for a longer Fall race
8. 5/4/14 Kalamazoo Marathon, Kzoo - Half or Full Marathon (w/ Mike!)
9. 6/1/14 Dexter-Ann Arbor Race, Ann Arbor - Half Marathon
• I did the 10k this year and enjoyed running a local race. Looking to do the Half this year.
10. 7/4/14 Volkslaufe, Frankenmuth - 20k Run
11. 8/13/14 Triceratops Tri, Brighton - .5 Swim, 12.4 Bike, 3.1 Run
12. 9/6/14 Hippe Half @ Run Woodstock, Pinckney - Half Marathon
13. 9/30/14 Labor Day 30k, Milford - 30k Run
• Did this 18 mi bike race w/ my fam this year- will run it as mileage build up for a  marathon.
14. 10/5/13 Sleeping Bear Marathon, Empire - Marathon

Overall, I'm trying to scale up my race distances month by month. I'm not sure if I want to try for a Spring Marathon, or one in the Fall? I did several Halfs this fall, so it shouldn't be out of the question to complete a Full in the Spring, right? I have taken somewhat of a running hiatus, but I'm beginning again this week and it seems that I'd have 20-21 weeks to train and build up my mileage.

The second big question is "Which Marathon should I choose?" I'd like to do a Michigan marathon for my first one, since it's my home. Right now I'm thinking about the Kalamazoo Marathon or the Sleeping Bear Marathon. Kzoo is in early May, and Sleeping Bear is in October. We're headed to for the Kzoo set of races either way- I think I've convinced/encouraged my hubs to do his first Half Marathon this year, and we've chosen to make a trip out of the Kzoo Marathon/Borgess Health Half Marathon. SO I could either train like a boss for May 4th, or I could make that a Half, and do several more halfs in prep for the Sleeping Bear Marathon in October.

Any thoughts from you runners out there? 

What races are missing that I shouldn't leave out? 

Is a Fall Marathon "easier" to train for than a Spring one?