Indecisions, Indecisions...
So, about that marathon that I've been training for... The training has been going well. Very well. Fitness is right where I want it to be. I can feel a 4:30 marathon in my future...or at least, a personal record. But the marathon? That has yet to be determined. Like, which one I will be running.
On March 31st when I went to the website to register for the Sugarloaf Marathon, I was shocked to find that it was already sold out. I entered my name for the wait list, sure that I would get in. As the days turned into weeks, that certainty fizzled and I decided I had to look at other options. Eventually, I came to the decision that the Mainly Marathons New England Series' Maine marathon was going to be my best choice. It's close to home, an easy course, and within a week of Sugarloaf so it wouldn't throw off my training plan too much. Still, because of the hefty $130 registration fee, I wanted to wait a little to be sure I wasn't getting into Sugarloaf. On Monday, there was only one day left to register before that fee went up to a whopping $150, and I still had 56 people ahead of me on the Sugarloaf wait list so I pulled the trigger. I registered for the Mainly Marathons race.
I was pretty happy with this decision. The forecast looks good. I can run the course anytime. I love the atmosphere of the race and the amazing aid station. It might even be a better choice than Sugarloaf because it doesn't have any of those pesky hills. Now two days later, I'm second-guessing myself, as I usually do. See, in the past two days, the wait at Sugarloaf has plummeted to 36 people. The registration closes in only four days, but now it's looking like I might actually stand a chance of getting into Sugarloaf. And now I have to consider, if I do, do I take it?
Sugarloaf was my goal race. Sure, it has some legit hills in miles 5 through 10, but after that, it's 16 miles of freaking downhill running. One of my running idols, Joan Benoit, fellow Mainer and first female to ever win the Olympic marathon, will be running Sugarloaf. The weather is looking great, and my mom already reserved a hotel for us to spend the weekend up there. Plus, I already have that weekend off from work, and if I ran the Sanford marathon, would almost certainly have to work that night as it's the busiest day of the year at the restaurant where I work.
I actually sat down and wrote out a detailed list of pros and cons for each race. I won't bore you with all of the details, since I've already covered most of it anyway, but suffice to say, it's a close call. Deep down, my heart wants me to run Sugarloaf. So if I get in, I'm going to do it. And probably just stick to the 5K at the Mainly Marathons race. That's going to be the most expensive 5K I'll ever run. Holy mackerel.
On March 31st when I went to the website to register for the Sugarloaf Marathon, I was shocked to find that it was already sold out. I entered my name for the wait list, sure that I would get in. As the days turned into weeks, that certainty fizzled and I decided I had to look at other options. Eventually, I came to the decision that the Mainly Marathons New England Series' Maine marathon was going to be my best choice. It's close to home, an easy course, and within a week of Sugarloaf so it wouldn't throw off my training plan too much. Still, because of the hefty $130 registration fee, I wanted to wait a little to be sure I wasn't getting into Sugarloaf. On Monday, there was only one day left to register before that fee went up to a whopping $150, and I still had 56 people ahead of me on the Sugarloaf wait list so I pulled the trigger. I registered for the Mainly Marathons race.
I was pretty happy with this decision. The forecast looks good. I can run the course anytime. I love the atmosphere of the race and the amazing aid station. It might even be a better choice than Sugarloaf because it doesn't have any of those pesky hills. Now two days later, I'm second-guessing myself, as I usually do. See, in the past two days, the wait at Sugarloaf has plummeted to 36 people. The registration closes in only four days, but now it's looking like I might actually stand a chance of getting into Sugarloaf. And now I have to consider, if I do, do I take it?
Sugarloaf was my goal race. Sure, it has some legit hills in miles 5 through 10, but after that, it's 16 miles of freaking downhill running. One of my running idols, Joan Benoit, fellow Mainer and first female to ever win the Olympic marathon, will be running Sugarloaf. The weather is looking great, and my mom already reserved a hotel for us to spend the weekend up there. Plus, I already have that weekend off from work, and if I ran the Sanford marathon, would almost certainly have to work that night as it's the busiest day of the year at the restaurant where I work.
I actually sat down and wrote out a detailed list of pros and cons for each race. I won't bore you with all of the details, since I've already covered most of it anyway, but suffice to say, it's a close call. Deep down, my heart wants me to run Sugarloaf. So if I get in, I'm going to do it. And probably just stick to the 5K at the Mainly Marathons race. That's going to be the most expensive 5K I'll ever run. Holy mackerel.
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