Relief and Disappointment

I mentioned a few months ago that I was considering signing up for the Las Vegas Half Marathon.

Since I was already training for Hood to Coast I decided that I would wait until September to decide whether or not I would sign up for the Vegas Half.

Well the time is almost here for me to make a decision and Michael and I had a heart to heart talk about it the other night.

Michael thinks I should skip the Vegas Half this year and do it next year. He thinks I should do a smaller, local, cheaper Half for my first long race. When he said that, my first reaction was relief. And then disappointment and sadness.

Why relief? I will admit that I was a bit overwhelmed with the idea of beginning my Half Marathon training. Mostly because for the last year my life has been preoccupied with all things “training for Hood to Coast.” That was my number one priority, the reason I did all the other races, and it has also cost a lot of money.

In order to properly train for the Half, I need like 12-13 weeks to train. That’s cutting it pretty close. While I think my fitness level is pretty good, and my running has improved, there’s no way I could run a Half tomorrow if I tried.

So I was asking myself….

Do I have enough time to train?

Do I have the money to spend $145 on just the entry fee?

Plus the inflated travel costs and costs of enjoying Vegas?

The answer to all three were a “No.”

That was a big disappointment for me. I am still mulling it over in my mind but I know the responsible, logical, right choice is to pick a local Half to test it out.

Then next year I can focus on the Vegas Half:

Some of the things that attracted me to the Vegas Half:

• It’s Vegas. I love Vegas!
• It sounds like a really cool event to be my FIRST Half!
• The weather would be perfect in December.
• Michael and I could make a fun vacation out of it.
• The Strip is relatively flat–which is a good thing for me with my recent injuries.
• Did I mention I love Vegas?

I’m feeling pretty deflated about the whole thing right now. I’m also reading that a lot of other bloggers have signed up for the Vegas Marathon. That means I’ll read about everyone else’s awesome experiences in Vegas this December. 🙁

Another PLUS for Vegas is the fact that immediately finishing Hood to Coast I would have started training and anticipating Vegas. That would solve the dreaded “post race blues” that I almost always suffer from.

Another CON for Vegas is the fact that I would hate to get to Vegas and have to be a “good girl” before the race…No drinking, no staying up late, NO FUN. At least not until after I run! That doesn’t sound like a good time to me. And who can go to Vegas and be “good”?? Not me!

Michael also asked me why I sign up for these events if they cause me anxiety and stress. I tried to explain that it’s a good kind of anxiety and stress–it’s anticipation, nervousness and excitement! Especially for events I’ve never done before–there’s that newness that’s exciting. I think he forgets the nervous anticipation HE had for Reach the Beach! 😉

So what do I do?

I’m at a loss.