Plan now for next year's running season

It’s that time of year again. The leaves are turning, the chill is in the air, football is on the television. But for me, it’s increasingly becoming the time to re-evaluate my commitment to running races.

My running anniversary month, or the month I started running seriously eight years ago, was November, Thanksgiving to be exact. Which is usually the time of year most people gain weight.

In recent years, however, I’ve noticed that fall is becoming the time when you start planning for another running season.

What? You ask. Fall? It’s true. If you are a serious runner, or even a casual runner who likes to participate in a race or two, especially in the half marathon or marathon distance, you better start thinking about your plans now.

For example, what once was a race you could enter a week beforehand, the Ogden Marathon registration now opens Nov. 1 and filled up last year in record time. The first time I ran the Utah Marathon Grand Slam, I registered in May. It too has its registration date set for Nov. 1 and is expected to sell out quickly.

If you don’t know much about the grand slam, it’s quite simple. Series organizer Wasatch Running Center chooses four of Utah’s marathons, with a couple of alternates, for runners to complete. In order for you to be competitive in the series of four, you must complete the four they have chosen. By running one of the alternates, you are still afforded the dubious honor of having conquered the grand slam, and will receive the accompanying running shirt and medal. You will just have to figure out your own cumulative time.

When I first started running, completing the grand slam was one of my ultimate goals, and this year marks the second year I have done it.

The series always ends with the St. George Marathon, and what a way to end. The St. George Marathon has well deserved all the accolades it has been given over the years as one of the best marathons in the country.

Another racing series you had better start thinking about is Ogden’s Winter Racing Circuit. This series of five races, the first of which is in February, includes a 5k, 10k, 10 mile, half marathon and a 30k (about 18.6 miles). And these are not your powder puff, weekend-warrior-type races. You will be hard pressed to find a flat part on any of those first three courses, and all of them have the potential of including, free of charge, some “mild” blizzard-like conditions.

This series doesn’t fill up as quickly as the others mentioned above, but you can save some serious dough if you sign up now.