Ever since I started my running journey I've been debating whether I'm dedicated (and crazy) enough to run a full marathon one day. I've decided that I'm going to go for it. I am going to run a marathon in October of 2014.
Now that I've decided to do a marathon, the question is: which one? A marathon is upping the ante. A marathon is not something that most of us can run very often, so it follows that a runner would be more discriminate in choosing which marathon to run - especially your FIRST ONE!
All the marathons I've heard about sound pretty awesome, but I've narrowed it down to the three choices that are most likely and most sensible.
1) Denver Rock n Roll Marathon, Denver, CO
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Running a marathon in Denver would be cool for so many reasons. I have a personal connection to the city, as I served my year of AmeriCorps NCCC out of Denver. Many of my NCCC friends still live there. I haven't been back since I graduated from NCCC in July of 2011. I've always wanted to visit again but haven't had the chance. What better way to come back with a bang - exactly four years after I started the program - than kicking a marathon's butt? It would be great to see my NCCC friends again and have them there to cheer me on, too.
However, running this marathon would be very impractical for many reasons. First and foremost, it would require more time off from my job to accommodate travel to and from the city, and that travel would also cost a lot of money and interfere with my ability to rest before and after the race. It doesn't make sense to use up so much vacation time and spend so much money when there are marathons here in my neck of the woods that I can run.
Another huge concern is the altitude adjustment. Running a race is hard enough at an altitude I'm comfortable with. Granted, I didn't have much trouble adjusting to the Denver altitude when I started NCCC - but I was living a normal life at that time, not running a marathon. It just doesn't make sense to run my first marathon in an altitude my body isn't used to without adequate time to prepare for it. That could be disastrous.
Denver would be a dream marathon - reliving NCCC memories, seeing old friends, running with beautiful scenery surrounded by mountains. But I just don't think it's realistic.
2) Lakefront Marathon, Milwaukee, WI
Sunday, October 5th, 2014
Logistically, financially and practically, this marathon makes the most sense: it is right here in the Milwaukee area, so I wouldn't need to do any traveling and I wouldn't need any time off work other than the Monday recovery day. It will be a great course, too. But all of my races are in Wisconsin and all but two are here in Milwaukee. Running in Wisconsin is great, but I keep thinking that it would be nice to branch out and go somewhere new for my big marathon. It would amp up the excitement and novelty of the marathon experience.
Clearly, a balance is needed between the urge to go somewhere new and the need to consider practical (and financial) concerns. Which brings me to my final choice:
3) Chicago Marathon, Chicago, IL
Sunday, October 12, 2014
This marathon would require minimal travel, as Chitown is only a stone's throw away from Milwaukee (well, relative to other parts of the country anyway). I have friends from college who live in the area, so hopefully one of them would be gracious enough to host me and I wouldn't have to stay in a hotel that weekend. This also means that I would hopefully get to see a lot of friends and celebrate with them. I've heard the course is really cool and relatively flat, and it would allow me to explore the city in a novel way.
This is a bigger marathon than the Lakefront, so the environment will be less intimate - but I'm not really sure if that is a downside or not. I don't really have enough racing experience to know if I would actually prefer a smaller marathon.
So, it looks like it's really down to the Lakefront Marathon or the Chicago Marathon. I want to make a decision soon, because registration will open for each one in January, and Lakefront's website says this year's marathon sold out by April. Also, I just like registering as early as possible for my races. Peace of mind and all.
Any input from friends would be appreciated, especially if you've run any of these marathons before and can tell me what they're like :-)
Happy running!
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