Where I'll be in the days ahead

On Friday night, I'm making the 35-minute drive from our house in University City up to China Grove so I can run the 5K Main Street Challenge. Won't need my sunglasses for this one -- the starting gun goes off at 9 p.m. Registration remains open, so sign up if you're interested in what I expect will be a pretty unique race.

Then on Sunday morning, I'll set out on my first triathlon ever: Tri-Latta's novice race (the "open" -- i.e. more-competitive -- event is Saturday). It's sold out, but if you're among the 500 athletes signed up, say "hi" if you see me. I want to meet as many people as I can beforehand so I know who to yell for if I start drowning in the lake.

A week from tonight, I'm tentatively planning to check out the Trenton Guy Sr. Summer Track Series (at Myers Park High School) that I wrote about earlier this month. Determined to run a sub-6-minute mile...

Looking a little further ahead, I'm hoping to take Amy Peacock's ChiRunning workshop on Saturday, June 20. (Click here for details.) That's the same morning as the Summer Breeze 5K at Freedom Park, but I've promised my body I'd give it some time off from racing.

Need other race options for this weekend? Unfortunately, there are only a few, and they're somewhat far afield. One is Saturday's Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Raleigh, which is N.C.'s largest 5K (events begin at 7 a.m.; info here). If you missed out on Latta and are up for an overnight, there's the Enka Triathlon at Biltmore Lake in Asheville; it's also a sprint, and distances are about the same (8 a.m. start; info here). Finally, if you happen to have Thursday off and are free for a middle-distance race, head east to Fort Bragg for the Army Birthday 10-Miler, which is held on the base (5:30 p.m. start; info here).

And if none of that does it for you, you can always spend this weekend starting your training for the World Joggling Championships, which will be held in Winston-Salem on July 14. It takes balls to enter this one. I'm serious. Click here and you'll see what I mean.