13.1, that'll do...

So, now that 1,100 miles and the lack of funds for a plane ticket separate myself and the Savannah Rock 'n' Roll Marathon I was registered for, I knew there was no shot of me running this race in two weeks.   I *thought* that race season was over up here in the North East, but a quick tweet from dailymile pal Pete over at RunBlogger revealed one last big race on the horizon:  Manchester City Marathon.  The same weekend as Savannah.  Just over an hour drive from where I am here in NH. Sold, I was in.

But the internal debate was this: be smart and run the half marathon? Or take out the frustration, hurt, and anger of the last month on 26.2 miles of hills and pavement, in a "it hurts so good" therapy session?  Hey, everyone has their coping mechanisms. Some people drink. Some people eat. Some people shop.  Some people take drugs.  I need to sweat, and feel my lungs burn and muscles ache (and some hard earned bling at the end always puts a smile on my face).  Like my favorite shirt says "As long as you're sweating you're still alive".  I've heard it is a HARD course, but, hills don't scare me.  Sure, maybe I cry a little on the inside, but what goes up, must come down, right?

Manchester Marathon Elevation - c/o Pete @ www.runblogger.com 

Since you are probably wondering, NO I am not in marathon shape per-se.  I ran a half two weeks ago, but that's about the extent of my recent long runs. Still, I guess I should be ashamed to say (ashamed because I should know better, and would NEVER let one of my clients do the same)...this wouldn't be my first marathon I showed up for with less than stellar training. In fact, I'm pretty sure I've yet to show up at a marathon in peak shape for the distance (unless we count Umstead...but that's sort of a backwards messed up approach...a marathon and a half marathon in the two weeks before the race? Apparently I ignore the "taper" deal as well.)  I'm lucky the only serious injury I've sustained was thanks to that Warrior Dash log. 


Back and forth, back and forth went the marathon wheels in my mind.   I asked friends, I asked strangers.  I was just about to hit the confirm button on the marathon registration, when like a movie in my mind there was a flash of me, injured.


Heaven help my children and my family if I were to lose my coping mechanism, just in time for the snow to fall.  I'd be one hot mess, no doubt about it.   Alas, I am registered for 13.1. Best to not add injury to the chaos list, wouldn't you say?


(does this mean I'm growing up? Is this a sign of the impending 30?  Rational decisions? Eeegad!)


So....who is joining me? I'd love to meet up & say hi to any of you who will be there!  I'm excited to do my very FIRST New Hampshire race.  I find it somewhat ironic, that I spent the first 20 years of my life in New England, and out of my 50+ races I've run, not a single one of them has been in the North East.  It will be an occasion to celebrate no doubt about it. Hope to see some of you there!!