2012 Race Schedule Part 1: Scheduling How To's

You've waited with baited breath to see exactly what races are on my 2012 calendar.  The wait is over. 

Before I unveil though, I have to say, it was really time consuming to put this together.  Two years ago, when I did this, I flew right through.  I just jotted them down and started planning my training plan.  This year, with a family and school and already  known engagements, I had to reference and cross-reference every calendar I could find to see what Absolutely wouldn't fit.  I haven't showed this to S yet.  I figure he will want to know the training schedule as much as the race plan so that we can plan babysitting duties accordingly.  More to come on balancing the training plan. 

The way I plan for a race season starts by asking:

1. What known events do I have to work around?
• For me, this year, it's weekend classes, birthdays, weddings and other currently known events.
• Then I mark off all races that conflict.
2. Then, it's determining what my goals are going to be and aligning the races to those.
• For me, my goals are very simple...stay active.  Again, with school and homework and family, this year just participating will be enough to make me happy.  I set my goals optimistically first then I layer on some reality. 
3. After I've identified the races that align to my goals, I look at the things I just want to do.  usually for me it's the shorter races/events that are sprinkled in along the way. 
4. Then I prioritize.  Sometimes the races conflict with each other or lay out in such a way that makes you have to choose.  That's where the A,B and C come in.  A's are the ones I'll try my HARDEST to get to.  If I do nothing else, I hope to come back to you next year and report that I completed my A races.
5. I also look at the entry fees and note the races that have early registration discounts and put a reminder on my calendar to make a decision by then.
6. Once I've figured out what I want to do, I share with the support team (family and friends) and get their buy in.  With a child this is a CRITICAL step.  I can't take E with me swimming and biking so someone has to watch him.
7. Last but not least, plan to train.  Now that I know what I'm doing, it's time to lay out how I'm going to get there.  How much training and when.  I have a library of books at home I use to help me.  I've never hired a trainer (I'm too cheap).  I just lay it out and do everything possible to get there. 

All of this is laid out nice and neat in a spreadsheet (imagine that).  If you'd like to see the details, leave me a comment with your email and I'll pass it along.

Some of my favorite books and resources are:
Triathlete's Training Bible, by Joe Fiel
Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide: Advice, Plans, and Programs for Half and Full Marathons, By Hal Higdon

I also follow a lot of other athletes and coaches through the Blogiverse and twitter.  They also have great tips and tricks.

Ok, that's it.  What do you think?  What's your plan look like? What are your favorite resources?