Rocktober

The descending temperatures. The enshrouding darkness. The increasing in mileage. The threat of October 2011 looms over the Zook/Petty household. The month begins and ends with two climactic races.

The first, Steph's and my third go round in the neighborhood's Urban Cow half marathon on October 2, presents an opportunity not only to set personal records, but a chance to gauge the effectiveness of my first year of training with Fleet Feet Sacramento. Back on September 11, in a bit of a ramp-up for Urban Cow, I ran a dynamite 10 miler in the Buffalo Stampede (1:02:45). If I can hold form, Sunday's half should bring with it a chance to finally break the PR I recklessly set back in 2009.

We're far less familiar with the second race, both in location and in distance. Our second attempt at marathon running comes on October 30, less than a year after finishing our first run in the California International Marathon. This year our goals lead us to Washington D.C. for the 36th annual Marine Corps Marathon through Northern Virginia.

With both races and increased training on the calendar, we've taken to early bedtimes (usually 9ish), ungodly alarm times (typically 4:15-5:00, depending on the day), and frequent refueling. On that front, I've expanded some of the menu creativity and built in side dishes that vary our intake and allow us to experience some of the more enjoyable flavors of the region. I return this extra work by ensuring that my increased laundry needs are addressed, since running and working mean the family's wearing four outfits a day. Stephanie keeps up, but it's amazing how much of what we fold and dry is made by Nike, Asics, or Champion.

In the blog world, my goal for now is to keep adding small updates on racing, training, and reacting to all things running. As we approach the big event on the 30th, I'll work to communicate the sights and sounds of our travels, as well as provide links to the race day festivities, racing times, and mileage splits.

Stephanie and I hope to see you out there as we continue training. We wish you the best that Rocktober has to offer (even if it's just a pumpkin latte and a day or two with temperatures in the low 70s).