Just 5 days earlier I had gotten new running shoes. Without going into all the details, if you buy the wrong running shoes - shoes that don't fit your feet or work with your stride or gate properly - they can mess you up! Your back, your hips, your knees. PAIN! So I took them back and got some shoes that I knew were tried and true for me. But I also decided to finish out my training (and the race) in my old shoes. (They still have plenty of life in them!) At that point I figured I would rest my legs and back for a few days, work my way back into training, and be good-to-go. Then 2 weeks ago I went out for my 18-miler. I only made it 9 miles. My lower back got tighter than Joan Rivers face. More PAIN! More frustration! More therapy at the chiropractor. And along with it, a decision to make. Can I seriously run this race?
I made a decision a couple of days later that I probably needed to run the 1/2 Marathon instead. I knew I could run that race, possibly post a good time, and avoid the frustration of more back pain. I would go to the Solutions Desk at the Packet Pickup Event and just change my registration. Decision made. And then a friend of mine screwed it all up. He said, "Why don't you just run the full? You've paid for it. If you get 16-18 miles and have to stop, you can call someone to come get you. Why not just try it?" WHY NOT JUST TRY IT? Why not give it a shot? WHY?! The last time I ran the Cowtown - and had to run the 1/2 - I finished and immediately thought, "Man! I should have run the whole thing!" WHY NOT JUST TRY IT? And this is my dilemma.
Here are the reasons why I would NOT run the full Marathon:
- PRIDE - If I have to quit, I'll be really hacked off!
- MORE PRIDE - What if my time isn't as good as my other races?
- UNCERTAINTY - I really don't know what the heck is going on with my back.
- Did I mention PRIDE?
Here are some reasons why I SHOULD run the full Marathon:
- I already paid for it (AND) it would cost $20 to switch to run the 1/2
- There's a GREAT possibility that I can actually finish this race. I've run 3 marathons already!
- I've had a LOT of therapy, rest & massage in the last 2 weeks.
- If I have to stop - if I have to quit - that's OK. This is no longer a bucket list issue for me.
- Failure sucks, but REGRET is much worse than failure!
HELP! This decision has not been made. Quite frankly, I don't have to decide until Saturday. What do you think? What should I do? Love to hear your thoughts, objective opinions, and words of encouragement.
1/2 or Full? That is the question!