David and I say we are running the San Diego Rock 'n Roll Marathon together on May 31, 2009. By "together" I don't mean that we'll be running the whole race together and crossing the finish line holding hands. We've never done that before, and I don't anticipate that we would do it in the marathon. That sounds great in theory, but our paces and strategies are very different when it comes to races. We are also both extremely competitive, so that makes it tough to run side-by-side for hours at a time. Running together for us means that we see each other at the start, run the same race, and see each other at the finish. It works for us.Sadly, however, I must admit that I am a little weary of running in a marathon with David. He trains hard, but he doesn't follow "the rules" of racing; for example, he doesn't really follow a program, he doesn't pay attention to what he's eating before and during the race, and he doesn't even wear a watch! I could go on and on, but you can see that we are very different people. In all honesty, I know that he will beat me. He always does. I want to get over that, but it is frustrating when I have been running and training for this race in particular for over a year and a half.
Despite all this, we have plane tickets to San Diego. That makes it sound like we've made the commitment, but that's not exactly true. We have some free flights on Southwest Airlines, so we actually only paid the $10 fee for each ticket. I can live with being out twenty bucks, but I am afraid to commit to a room, rent car, or the $95-per-person marathon entry fee. I found a really great deal on a 4-star hotel on hotwire.com today, and the hotel will be very near the race start, in the same area as the host hotel. The rate is well below that of any of the "discounted" rates of the host hotel. However, once I bite the bullet and purchase the room from Hotwire, I cannot get the money back. David isn't worried - if something happens and one or both of us cannot run, he says, we'll still go to San Diego for a short vacation. Initially, I thought I should be the one who wasn't worried, but the more I think about it, it makes sense. First, David really doesn't worry about much at all. Second, and more importantly, he has no idea what he's getting into! I have run one of these before, and it is tough. As great as a few days in San Diego sounds, the after-race pain of my last marathon is still vivid in my mind.
So here are the questions of the day: Do I bite the bullet and get the room? It will be a significant savings for a nice hotel, but once we commit, we cannot back out without losing about $500. What about sign up for the race? If we don't sign up by January 31st, the price increases by $15 per person. If it is not obvious to you by now, I over-think almost everything.
Despite all this, we have plane tickets to San Diego. That makes it sound like we've made the commitment, but that's not exactly true. We have some free flights on Southwest Airlines, so we actually only paid the $10 fee for each ticket. I can live with being out twenty bucks, but I am afraid to commit to a room, rent car, or the $95-per-person marathon entry fee. I found a really great deal on a 4-star hotel on hotwire.com today, and the hotel will be very near the race start, in the same area as the host hotel. The rate is well below that of any of the "discounted" rates of the host hotel. However, once I bite the bullet and purchase the room from Hotwire, I cannot get the money back. David isn't worried - if something happens and one or both of us cannot run, he says, we'll still go to San Diego for a short vacation. Initially, I thought I should be the one who wasn't worried, but the more I think about it, it makes sense. First, David really doesn't worry about much at all. Second, and more importantly, he has no idea what he's getting into! I have run one of these before, and it is tough. As great as a few days in San Diego sounds, the after-race pain of my last marathon is still vivid in my mind.
So here are the questions of the day: Do I bite the bullet and get the room? It will be a significant savings for a nice hotel, but once we commit, we cannot back out without losing about $500. What about sign up for the race? If we don't sign up by January 31st, the price increases by $15 per person. If it is not obvious to you by now, I over-think almost everything.
Yikes! I feel your turmoil. Wish I could tell you which way to go, but I know you'll make the best decision for you.
ReplyDeleteGo for it! Like David says, worst case is you spend a few days in San Diego. This, of course, from a guy who ran 5 miles on Sunday and still feels it.
ReplyDeleteBOOK IT! You know me...David and I have similar personalities. So, if you don't decide to run, you'll have a great time in San Diego. Instead of spending money on the race, you can buy a Frommer's book and explore the city...sounds like fun to me!! Of course, I'm pretty sure you'll end up running the race which will be AWESOME too!!!
ReplyDelete