Last Monday, I got a very ominous email in my inbox:
This should be exciting, right? Not ominous!
And yet... I'm about 90% certain that I am NOT going to register for the NYCM this year.
That, after running 9 local qualifying races last year. Just not doing it. I've already invested enough time and money into a race that I'm not excited about. (Which is also why I won't be paying to defer my entry, either. Deferral means that you have to pay this year to hold your spot... and also pay next year.)
It's not simply because entry fees have gone up (which they have - it would cost me $227 to register for the race). It's not just because I actually feel okay with the race I ran last year (and I do). It's just... my heart isn't in it. I've done the race two years in a row now, and it's a great race. But it would be a great race to watch, too. And I could instead do another fall marathon or, what sacrilege! not do a fall marathon.
Speaking of not doing marathons, I also made the sad decision that I will not be running RnR New Orleans. Well, the decision kind of made itself when I realized I was only 8 weeks out from the race and haven't done a training run longer than 11m... yet. I really can't justify the cost of traveling to NOLA to run a half, even if I do want to see some friends who are also going to be there. And then I dropped out of Ragnar Cape Cod, ostensibly to run a marathon in Chattanooga - but I'm guessing that won't happen, either.
No motivation. And that's okay.
I do have a few races coming up, though. I'm doing a trail half in a couple of weeks, and then a 10m race shortly after that. And then... who knows? Maybe an early fall marathon abroad? Or maybe nothing.
This should be exciting, right? Not ominous!
And yet... I'm about 90% certain that I am NOT going to register for the NYCM this year.
That, after running 9 local qualifying races last year. Just not doing it. I've already invested enough time and money into a race that I'm not excited about. (Which is also why I won't be paying to defer my entry, either. Deferral means that you have to pay this year to hold your spot... and also pay next year.)
It's not simply because entry fees have gone up (which they have - it would cost me $227 to register for the race). It's not just because I actually feel okay with the race I ran last year (and I do). It's just... my heart isn't in it. I've done the race two years in a row now, and it's a great race. But it would be a great race to watch, too. And I could instead do another fall marathon or, what sacrilege! not do a fall marathon.
Speaking of not doing marathons, I also made the sad decision that I will not be running RnR New Orleans. Well, the decision kind of made itself when I realized I was only 8 weeks out from the race and haven't done a training run longer than 11m... yet. I really can't justify the cost of traveling to NOLA to run a half, even if I do want to see some friends who are also going to be there. And then I dropped out of Ragnar Cape Cod, ostensibly to run a marathon in Chattanooga - but I'm guessing that won't happen, either.
No motivation. And that's okay.
I do have a few races coming up, though. I'm doing a trail half in a couple of weeks, and then a 10m race shortly after that. And then... who knows? Maybe an early fall marathon abroad? Or maybe nothing.
It would cost me - being a 'foreigner' - an astonishing $385 just to register. That is correct: $385. It would cost me 'only' $100 to run Mountain Masochist. Hmmm...tough call.
ReplyDeleteI'm pulling out of RNRNO too, not trained enough. Only $40 gone though, luckily I didn't get a hotel or plane tickets. Oh well.
ReplyDeleteAck! I'm bummed to hear you're not going to run NOLA (though I do understand). I was hoping to whip up a blogger meetup there!
ReplyDeleteOh, hell. Take a break. Stop signing up for things. Wait until a race passes and you find yourself REALLY wishing you'd done it. That's how you know you're ready to get back into it.
ReplyDeleteOh hm, that 10-miler looks interesting. Plus, $21? I might be signing up for that.
ReplyDeleteI kind of refuse to run NYCM on the basis of how expensive it is. Also because I'm not sure I want two years of my life (the year I do all my qualifying races plus the year I actually run it) devoted to it. Maybe I'm the only person in the world who just feels sort of meh about NYCM.
I like this shift toward trail running. Finding some nice trails always makes me more psyched up to run than I was before. And I agree with Dawn too - stop signing up for marathons already!
ReplyDeleteI am also kinda burned out, and I have done far less marathons. Not going to do the lottery. Maybe I'll do the Sleepy Hollow half, but I am not really psyched about it or any other race.
ReplyDeleteGOOD. F NYCM!!! Crowds! Expenses! Hype! It makes me want to kick people in the throat!
ReplyDeleteBy contrast, I opened up that trail half link, and "The goal of the NJ trail series is to make running fun again." - seems like that's what you want to be looking for, anyway. That sounds really fun!
There are so many amazing races to run - for now I'm boycotting NYCM, RnR, Disney and ilk. Instead of a fall marathon abroad, maybe one north?
ReplyDeleteYes! Boycotting NYCM, RnR, and Disney - all great ideas.
ReplyDeleteI am doing a spring race up north, in fact... I'm doing Around the Bay!