So, You Ran a Half Marathon...Now What? Part 3

How's it going, y'all?  I actually had a good, productive day today, despite the day off yesterday!  I knew it was going to be a good day when I saw this after pulling in to the parking lot.

#nofilter

I'm starting to love seeing the sunrises just as much as the sunsets :)

I'm excited for the post today, as I'm continuing to talk about what to do after running your first half marathon.  I'm probably my favorite topic of the series :)  Without further ado...

Today is Part 3 of this 4-part series.  If you missed the first two parts, here they are:
Part 1: Rest and Reflect
Part 2: Try a Triathlon or obstacle course race
And now....
Part 3: Sign up for another one!

When you were resting and reflecting on your first half experience, maybe you realized that you LOVED it and want to do another one!  Or, maybe you realized some things you could have done to make the experience better and you want to try those out.  Maybe you know you can do better and want to push yourself to meet that goal.  In any case, it looks like it's time to sign up for another half marathon!

A few things you want to consider when signing up for your next half marathon:

• Big or small race? Running different kinds of races is always a new experience.  My first two half marathons were large races, so when I ran a local half, it was exciting to try something different!
• Are you going for a PR? If so, you want to look in to the course of whatever race you are signing up for.  Flat courses in climates you are familiar with are great for PRs.  Lots of hills and really hot weather?  Not so much.
• Are you looking for an added challenge from your first race?  If so, sign up for a race that was different than your first race.  A hilly course with many elevation changes will be different, as well as running a race during a different season or even in a different place.
• Destination race or local? It is a lot of fun to see new places by running a half marathon there.  It can also be a little trying on the body, so consider if you are willing to run in a place unfamiliar to you.  Local races are also fun, as you get to see your area in a different way.

After you've thought about what you want your next race to be like, it's time to sign up for one!  There are a lot of different ways to find races around you, but here are some things that I use:

• I love to run larger races, so I often browse websites for popular race series.  I usually pick races from here based on convenience or any discounts I might be able to find.  Here are some race series you could try: runDisney, Rock 'n Roll Marathon Series, ZOOMA Women's Race Series, Divas Half Marathon Series, The Biggest Loser Run/Walk Race Series
• You can search for races in your area or anywhere in the country using Active.com or HalfMarathons.net.  
• A Google search of half marathons in your area is also a good way to find local races.  In fact, while researching for this post, I found a half marathon I just might sign up for in April!
• Look through some of your favorite running blogs to see what races they are running.  If the race is close by or reasonable for you try out this year, read their reviews and look in to registering for the race if it appeals to you.  Plus, you may be able to find out a discount code!
• Sign up for local race e-mail lists.  I've gotten on a few of these from signing up for local races online and have found some good races to sign up for.

Speaking from personal experience, it is a lot of fun to vary the types of half marathons I ran after my first.  I'm looking forward to another local, semi-large half marathon and repeating a race coming up in February!  The search has already begun for half marathons throughout the rest of the year :)

Question for you: For those of you who have run a half marathon, how long did it take you sign up for your second??