26.2: Where are you?

Spring or fall? I worry I won’t be able to put in the miles for a spring full, particularly if our winter is anything like last year’s. The conditions were supposedly not the same to set us up for another polar vortex but so far that assumption seems quite wrong. I don’t mind running in the cold, but I am wary of running in icy conditions. If I were to choose a spring full marathon, training would begin in January. If I choose a fall full marathon, training would start in May or June. I would be training in the hot summer months, which I happen to be particularly fond of. Plus I would be able to wake up earlier for the long runs and not have to run in the dark.

Big or little? I prefer small races. It’s fun to run with loud music and spectators cheering at every mile, but there’s something amazing about running a quiet course with very little spectators and a whole bunch of other runners, each in their own zone and meditation.

Location. Stay close to home or travel to an iconic race? (No, not a NYC or Chicago, or even an MCM. I’m ambitious but not that ambitious!) On the one hand, I’ve traveled twice for long races now and although the first time was a bit of a disaster, the second time went much smoother and I was much more confident in my apparel, food, and comfort selections. But on the other hand, traveling home from a marathon may be a bit more uncomfortable if I’m in for a 3+ hour post-race drive. Flying is out of the question because I’m not interested in traveling that far (yet).

The other issue with staying home is that the one race I would like to do is in the spring, and I’m not sure I can commit to a spring marathon (see above). There’s another one in the fall that perhaps I should consider.

Price. The bigger races are often pricier than the smaller ones. Of course cost shouldn’t be a factor but it is. With having to go through 2 or more pairs of shoes during a full marathon training cycle, money’s going to add up fast. And if I travel for a race, I’ll need to factor in gas, hotel, possibly food.

There are so many decisions to make, how do I choose just one? I feel like I might be torn because I’m only planning on doing one marathon and then be done. There’s a *small* possibility I would go on to do more, but I don’t want to plan on that initially, so I would rather pick the one race I would be happy with on my running resume.

Decisions, decisions! 

Have you run a full marathon? If so, how did you decide when and where? 

And if not, do you have any plans to do so in the future?