St. Paddy’s Day is quickly approaching and I am willing to bet that many of you Salty readers are toying with the idea of running a Shamrock Shuffle or Irish Run this weekend. We know it is hard to get out for early spring races and what may – for many of us – be the first race of the season. But debate no more and get thy wee merry self registered to run!
Today, we present the 5 reasons it is time to dust off those racing flats, channel your inner leprechaun and have a little bit of racing fun this weekend.
Photo Credit: Mint’s favorite sports photographers Clint Thayer / Focal Flame Photography Copyright 2012.
5. It’s time to kick start racing season! Unless you live in a warm climate – and if you do, color me green with envy (pun intended) – you’ve been training through cold, snow and darkness for months. There haven’t been many (if any) races on the calendar. Until now! For many of us, St. Patrick’s Day marks the start of spring and spring racing season. So it is the perfect opportunity to get out there and set your baseline for the spring season. So what if training hasn’t been perfect? So what if you are up a couple of pounds? So what if you think you’ll be slow? We all start somewhere each season and the key is that we start. So get out there!
4. Get your fun on! Wear green! Wear shamrocks! Wear a kilt commando! Wear fun socks! Wear a green wig and sunglasses! The Irish have fun and St. Paddy’s Day races are full of fun. So get decked out, bring your friends, and enjoy the day.
3. Ask for some kisses – Enough said!
May the good saints protect you, And bless you today. And may troubles ignore you, Each step of the way.
2. Enjoy the blessings! It’s not all too often that pre-race someone prays for the sun to shine on your face, for the wind to be at your back, and to have greyhounds in your shoes. But on St. Patrick’s Day, it happens! At my local Shamrock Shuffle, St. Patrick himself shows up to bless us merry runners. Embrace it and go get ‘em out there on the race course!
1. Green Beer. What would St. Patrick’s Day be without green beer and some good ‘ol corned beef and cabbage (yes, we know it isn’t traditional Irish, but it’s what peeps in the US do, so get over it and have some fun). Race hard, enjoy your post-race green beer and feel guilt free when you imbibe on potatoes and such later in the day.
Slainte!
Credit: Clint Thayer / Focal Flame Photography – event photography provider for Madison Shamrock Shuffle. (c) 2012 Clint Thayer/Focal Flame Photography
Are you racing this weekend? What are your St. Pat’s traditions?
I love our local St Patrick’s day race! It’s a great spring rust-buster. I’m not doing it this year, but I’ve done it several times and love it. Good luck to everyone racing this weekend. Enjoy a post-race green beer for me :)
Why not?! Get on out there Salty! :) I just looked back at my log and I have done the local Shamrock Shuffle every year since 2007. Clearly it is one of my favorite races!
Daughter #1 has gym and swim on Saturday mornings so the family inconvenience just isn’t worth it to me this year. Next year! This year I’ll just have to live vicariously through you :)
Ah, those darn kiddos! :) I know how that goes…..
I thought about racing this weekend, but I have a half marathon next weekend and I know if I ran a 5k I would want to race. So I made the smart decision and will be taking a rest day instead
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Good call and best of luck next weekend with your half! Let us know how it goes.
I love all the festive socks! I have only done one St. Patrick’s Day race – actually it was my first 5K back in this phase of my running life, when I started doing longer distances. I’ve never run the big local one since it’s a 3K and doesn’t exactly fit with marathon training, but I’m always jealous of how much fun they seem to be! Hope yours was a blast!