How to Plan Races & Adventures for the New Year

Plus, my 2023 book roundup with recommendations

Welcome back, and hello December! On Sunday, I wrote a post for paid subscribers sharing my thoughts and emotions around the Hardrock 100 lottery. If you’d like to receive bonus posts (plus access to all the bonus stories in the archives) and an invitation to the monthly Zoom meetup, please consider upgrading your subscription to the supporter level ($6/month or $60/year).

Making tracks on a bluebird day.

Monday morning, I ran without traction devices on soft snow that covered Telluride’s bike path. My lower body naturally shifted to a lighter, quicker foot strike, a sort of pitter-patter step.

If you run too slowly and thud in the snow, your feet will sink. If you run too fast with a heel-striking hammering effort, you’re also more likely to sink as well as slip. But if you try to move your legs smoothly as if pedaling a bike, with your feet landing more underneath than in front of you, and if you barely touch your foot to the ground while cycling through the stride, then you’re more likely to run efficiently and to feel like you’re floating over the snow.

And, guess what: This works with sand, too. Running on fresh snow (not too deep to post-hole) is great practice for running on sand. And this matters to me because … well, read on to find out why! It has to do with my decision for an “A” race goal in 2024.

How to plan your calendar for races and adventures

Last Saturday was lottery day for the Hardrock 100 and Western States Endurance Run, and consequently many of us skipped running to stay glued to laptops and toggle between the two events’ live-streaming results. The best part of the morning for me involved texting and congratulating friends who got chosen.

Now that I know I did not get in to Hardrock (which I’ve been trying unsuccessfully to get into for nine years) or Western States (where I’ve been applying to the lottery for just two years, and I already had the good fortune to run it in 2016), I’m choosing to look ahead with excitement at other opportunities.

How do you decide whether, where, and how frequently to race? Since many of us are grappling with that question now, I’ll share how I do it and how my 2024 is taking shape.

It’s important to plan ahead because many sought-after races fill up quickly or have lotteries with qualifiers required to enter. If the race you want to do is on Ultrasignup, then use their “watch” tab to sign up for alerts about when registration opens and when it’s almost full.

To plan my 2024, I asked the following questions. These questions may help you, too, figure out your calendar and choose whether and what to race.

• Do I need any qualifiers?

• What’s my “A” race—what makes me most excited, and where is my heart pulling me to go?

• What races might I do as a buildup to that main race or after I’ve recovered from it?

• Where do I want to go that’s new to explore?

• Do I want to repeat any past race to enjoy it again, to try to improve, or to rectify a DNF?

• What’s the travel and cost involved, and would my husband want to go?

• Which race directors do I want to support (or boycott)?

• Where/when am I going to volunteer?

• What other adventures or trips do I want to schedule, and how do they fit with family and work plans?

Do I need a qualifier? For Western States, yes. For Hardrock, no (the 100-miler I did last September acts as a qualifier for two years). Western States allows some sub-100-miler races as qualifiers. Looking at their list, the Leona Divide 100K in the mountains skirting Los Angeles in April appeals to me because I haven’t run there; it’s a chance to visit my daughter, who lives nearby; I like a spring race to motivate my training in late winter and to develop a strong base for summer ultras; and, a 100K is a lot more manageable to train for early in the year than a 100M. The RD Keira Henninger also is a longtime cool person in the sport. So I put that on my list.

What’s my “A” race? This is a BIG question that takes listening to your heart to answer. Hardrock or Western States would’ve been that race, if I got into either. For a Plan B, I flirted with FOMO. So many of my peers are crossing over to 200-milers. Should I, too? No, my heart isn’t into a 200. I struggle so much to stay awake overnight in a 100, I don’t want to battle sleep deprivation for three to four days. I also want to run the distance as much and as well as I can, and most 200-mile participants devolve into painful hiking with little to no running in the second half. So, I’m not doing a 200 (but won’t say never).

I feel myself drawn to return to an event and its route that have had a profound influence on me. I’m excited to share that in September, I’ll be racing the Grand to Grand Ultra, a 170-mile weeklong self-supported stage race, which I did in 2012, ‘14, and ‘19 (I also did its sister race, the Mauna to Mauna on Hawaii, in 2017). I love and excel at this format, which combines racing a marathon-to-50-mile stage each day and camping in a group camp overnight, totally off the grid for the week. “Self-supported” means we carry everything we need, other than the water that’s provided, on our backs. Yes, that’s a week’s worth of food, plus clothing, sleeping gear, and safety items, while running through hot, sandy desert terrain. I want to see how my 55-year-old self compares with my performance at 50 in 2019, when I won it. I’ve written a lot about this event in the past and will more in the coming months, so stay tuned. Suffice to say, this choice feels right, and I’m stoked!

A shot from the 2014 edition of the Grand to Grand Ultra.

What races might I do as a buildup to it or after I recover from it? I haven’t fully decided on my summer calendar and which races I might do as supported training runs in prep for the Grand to Grand, but I will need rugged, hot, high-volume training in July and August. As for post-Grand to Grand, I’d like to do one of Mad Moose Events’ late-fall races as a season-closer.

Where do I want to go that’s new to explore? Most years, this question would drive my plans. But since I chose as my “A” race an event that will take me away from home for nine or ten days, I need to limit my travel to other races or adventures. Therefore, most of my training runs and races will be closer to home next summer.

Do I want to repeat any past race to enjoy it again, to try to improve, or to rectify a DNF? Yes, I want to repeat the Grand to Grand Ultra, and also the 12-hour Running Up for Air race near Salt Lake City in February that I did in 2020. No, I do not want to go back to the Ouray 100 to redeem my 2018 DNF there (although I am considering it).

What’s the travel and cost involved, and would my husband want to go? Ask yourself honestly whether you should involve your family in your racing plans, and talk to your partner about it. Trying to combine a vacation with a race can backfire big time; you may be preoccupied with your running rather than fully enjoying the downtime with your loved ones, and you may sabotage your performance if you’re exploring an area as part of your vacation pre-race. Morgan and I had an honest discussion about whether to go to Ireland together so I could run the Kerry Way 200K race, and we could explore the area afterward. He told me he really doesn’t want a special trip abroad like that to be consumed by my running. We’ve decided to spend that travel budget on a trip with our kids during my son’s spring break instead. Morgan is on board with going to Moab with me in early March, however, to enjoy the area while I race the Moab Run the Rocks three-day stage race.

Which race directors do I want to support (or boycott)? I believe in supporting races by independent race directors with a good reputation, and avoiding those that don’t set a good example or that create negative consequences. I wrote earlier about why I’m boycotting UTMB races. I also made a personal decision not to run races by a certain race director because I don’t like what this person says and role models on social media. The point is, check out the people behind the events you run—and also their track record for stewarding the environment and lessening their impact on the landscape—and try to support the good guys and gals!

Where/when am I going to volunteer? Work volunteering into your calendar! Races wouldn’t exist without volunteers. I try to volunteer at least a couple of times a year, ideally quarterly. This summer, I will not do the Telluride Mountain Run again because it would require too much recovery too close to the Grand to Grand Ultra, so I’ll likely give back to the event by volunteering. I’ll also volunteer at Hardrock again, of course.

What other adventures or trips do I want to schedule, and how do they fit with family and work plans? Last summer, my long-weekend adventure getaway was a Grand Canyon rim-to-rim-to-rim with friends. Next summer, I’ll try to join friends on a “soft rock” (running the Hardrock course, broken into a few days). I need to plan around my son’s college graduation in May and a friend’s wedding in June. If you’re a parent with school-age kids, think about how to plan around your kids’ back-to-school transition, and don’t spread yourself too thin.

I hope this Q & A exercise helps you plan! Here’s one more thing to consider:

Give yourself a get-away for self-growth

While dreaming big and planning for the new year’s races and travels, consider giving yourself the gift of a retreat. Last winter, I wrote about participating in a three-day women’s ski camp, to improve my mediocre downhill skiing, which I’ll do again this February. I’ve also signed up for a writer’s retreat in early May with

Jennifer Louden

. Check out this post for ideas on retreats:

What It Took to Make Me Slay Headwalls

Yes, retreats are expensive and time consuming. But I justify it with tradeoffs, saying “no” to other tempting things. For example, I’d like to join friends at the Western States training camp in late May, but I won’t do that because of the time and travel devoted to the writing retreat. I also spend hardly any money on new clothing or spa services. I’ve been tempted by Botox, for example, because I don’t like the harsh vertical lines between my brows, but it costs at least $300 approximately every three months, and I’d rather age naturally. Over a year ago, I also made a money-saving change by giving up a half-bottle-of-wine-nightly habit, which freed up about $70 per week. Ask yourself what nonessential things you could cut out of your life to save a chunk of money to spend on experiences like travel and retreats.

You also can design a low-budget, do-it-yourself three-day training camp, as described in this post below. I plan to do that in August, about five weeks prior to the Grand to Grand Ultra. I’ll go to a hot location, such as the high desert two hours from my home or perhaps even to California, and run high mileage for several days straight while acclimating to the heat.

One Way to Gain Big Vert & Volume In Training

My 2023 book roundup and recommendations

This year, I read more than in any year I can recall in the past decade or more. I set a goal to finish at least two books per month—which felt aspirational but achievable—and I slightly surpassed that. I know that’s not very impressive compared to some of my friends who read 50 to 100 books annually, but it was a lot for me and for many adults who say they can’t find any time to read.

These books expanded my world, sparked my imagination, fed my curiosity, calmed my anxiety, lengthened my attention span, inspired me as a writer, and generally made me feel better. I definitely believe reading for pleasure is linked to wellness.

As described in this post about making habits, I developed a habit of reading first thing in the morning, before getting on my phone or laptop. I also listened to audiobooks on runs and drives (audiobooks count, in my view!).

Below are the books I read, by category. If it’s hyperlinked, that means I recommend it and would give it four or five stars. If it has an (a) after it, that means I listened to the audiobook version. If you want to see a short review I wrote of the book, you can find it on my Goodreads.

(Note: I get no affiliate commission from these links, and they’re linked to Bookshop.org to support indie bookstores.)

Fiction:

• Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

• Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (a)

• Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson (a)

• Fight Night by Miriam Towes

• Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

• Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

• Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

• The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Historical Fiction:

• Trust by Hernan Diaz

• Go As A River by Shelley Read

• Horse by Geraldine Brooks

• Terra Nova by

  Henriette Lazaridis

Mystery/Thriller:

• The Club by Ellery Lloyd

• I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai

• Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister (a)

• The It Girl by Ruth Ware (a)

Nonfiction:

• The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama (a)

• Second Sunrise: Five Decades of History at the Western States Endurance Run by John Trent (I wrote about it in this post.)

• Up to Speed: The Groundbreaking Science of Women Athletes by

  Christine Yu
  (I wrote about it in this post)

• Merle’s Door: Lessons From a Freethinking Dog by Ted Kerasote (a)

• Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzales (I wrote about it in this post)

• On Trails by Robert Moore

Memoir/Poetry:

• Windfall by

  Erika Bolstad

• All the Honey collection of poems by

  Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer

• What Looks Like Bravery by Laurel Braitman (a)

• Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry (a)

Currently reading, so I can’t recommend yet but I’m enjoying so far:

• Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

• Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult (a)

Mixed in with some serious, deep works of fiction and nonfiction on that list is a lot of “light” reading and “chick lit,” and that’s OK! I am not a literary snob, and you shouldn’t be, either. Find what you like—the page-turners that you make time to read. I know I like a book when I choose to read a few more pages rather than scroll my phone during a short break, such as over lunch, and that’s a great feeling.

I hope you’ll tell me your favorite book from the year in the comments below, and also share what your “A” race goal is, if you have one.

It's been a multi-sport week, for which I'm very grateful! This is my "off" season for running, with much lower mileage, making time for other activities.

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