On Sunday, several people I know and am close to are running the LA Marathon. There are 11 people from the Lopers' 11-minute-per-mile pace group running, plus several other Lopers who are in other pace groups, plus my uncle Jorge and a few other non-Loper running friends.
Needless to say, I could have been surrounded by friends all the way from Dodger Stadium to the Santa Monica Pier.
But I'm not going. I will be running 10 miles, maybe more, in the sleepy streets of Loma Linda.
So now that the day is so close, do I regret not signing up?
No. I don't.
I'm happy with what I did at Surf City, and am happy with what I've done since then. Not just last week's 5K PR, but with my runs and the quality of my runs, and how I've been feeling. Lately, I've just been feeling really strong, feeling like I can run all day. I like that feeling.
Maybe it's just being relaxed. I don't really have a big race to train for. I plan on signing up for the Run Through Redlands half marathon, and hope to do so soon. I do have that free 5K next weekend, and of course the Mud Run. But none of those races require the kind of commitment a marathon does. Now, that's not to say I'm slacking at all or not taking my training as serious. I feel I am as focused now on my running as ever, so not having a marathon hasn't affected that.
But I still think that LA would have been too soon for me. I still have pleasant memories of Surf City and had I signed up for LA, I would have pushed those out of my mind and would have had to have re-focused on another marathon.
What's best for me is to continue along the way I've been, with strong training runs and my weekly Sunday long run, and pick the right marathon, not the next marathon.
I'm still thinking about the Las Vegas RnR Marathon in December, but lately I've been more and more intrigued by the San Francisco Marathon. July would be a good time for me, in terms of having enough time to get properly pumped and prepared for it, and would allow me the chance to recover in time for my fall racing schedule. I don't have any races planned for August or September, but I plan on Ragnar and the Mission Inn Half Marathon in October and November.
Anyway, while those races are still far off, I don't feel like I'm missing out on LA. After all, next year my first marathon will probably be the LA Marathon, so I only have to wait one year to enjoy that one.
6 comments:
You are smart - you chose wisely. Running a marathon that soon after your first could have put you at risk for injury and a whole mess of other things. Glad you are at peace with that.
And you know my vote - SF would be great :) I'll be there!
I think you made the right decision too. Since I ran the half at Surf City and it wasn't my first I thought LA would be a good first marathon. I saw the medals last night at the expo, and they are nice!
Enjoy the LR tomorrow in Loma Linda.
Come to SF! It's a beautiful city and if your family came along there would be so much for you all to do together.
I think if you started feeling regret about every race you didn't enter, it would soon take the fun out of running.
Sounds like you made the right decision for you...have fun rooting for your friends :)
Regret is a waste of time anyway! Glad you are feeling good about your decision, there's always next year.
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