How did you decide how many races to do?

I had painful knee's growing up, so I am trying to be real careful of them at this point. I don't want to make them to sore to run!

Yes, be careful!  I overdid it in the wrong shoes........or just wrong shoes..

I knew they needed replacing but didn't have $100.  Now I am kicking myself.............

I bought them last night but now I have to heal!

I know I have to go down and get the right shoes, but I've been running in a $20 pair from walmart. I think I located the local RoadRunner store, so I'm going to go check them out. I want to get them before to long so I don't hurt my knee's.
Hope your knee feels better soon!

Thanks, get those shoes don't wait, I had some middle ground New Balance and they either a. had too many miles or b. were inadequate for 5 mile runs.

Doesn't matter, not worth taking a chance!

If you are really running and starting to increase your mileage, get thee to a running store ASAP and get properly fitted for shoes.  You can really do some damage running in crap shoes from Walmart and then you might not to do all those wonderful races you have planned!  Best of luck to you! 

I don't think you are overplanning races especially since most are at the shorter distances.  I have decided to do a 1/2 in January, a 5K in March, a 4.2 mile in April, a 10K in May, I'm toying with a June marathon and then I am definitely doing the Disneyland 1/2 in September.  Just pick the races that sound like fun and go for it!  (In good shoes )

Rebecca

I shall heed your advice and pick some fun races...and get my behind down to the running store soon.

Thanks!

I love racing. But I try not to do more than 1 a month of what I consider to be a "real" race.

That means any race that I have to taper for and/or recover from. Which generally mean anything over the Sprint distance in a tri or over 10K in a running race or more than 50 miles on the bike. (Though none of my biking events are races.)

Of course, when I first started, every race was a "real" race. I remember how nervous I was before my first 5K wondering if I'd be able to run the whole thing. So it feels kind of weird to think of a 5K as a nice training run or a Sprint triathlon as practice. But I have a friend who decided to do the S****arathon the day before as a training run so I guess I still have a ways to go before I'm truly hard core.

I can't wait to be able to do some 5k's. and when they start being a training run, I'll be over the moon!

Now, the idea of doing a S****arathon as a training run...Don't think I'll ever be THAT hard core!