January...

January. Oh, January. It's that weird first month of the year, when you're coming off the high of the holidays, but excited for the promise of the new year to come. It's the month when most race lotteries happen, and you start putting together some ideas of what craziness you're going to attempt THIS time. 

So you stare at the computer for the exact second that registration opens and give the race your money. You scramble around trying to find accommodations for whatever crazy you just signed up for.

And then, the training begins. The weather usually doesn't cooperate, so on the trainer you go...