Why I Might Not Run RnR San Diego

So, my spring goal race is this Sunday. And I'm not sure I'll be running it.

Let's back up. For the past four weeks, my legs have felt like lead. At some point I'll post my training logs, I suppose, but they won't show anything crazy. Training was fine, if not ideal. However, every run has been a slog and my paces have slowed substantially. Unfortunately with work being so busy, strength and stretching fell by the wayside a bit, which was stupid on my part, and I'm sure didn't help.

I think the stress of both work and personal stuff have contributed to whatever is going on, in addition to traveling to New Jersey for Sourabh's law school graduation in NYC. Plus, it took two hours each way to get from his parents' house into the city, and we made that trip three times.

GRADUATED!!

I would have written it all off as the end of a training cycle, since who feels good at the end of a training cycle? I went into Finish Line Physical Therapy on Friday while we were in NYC, and I got a 90 minute deep tissue massage Monday night that I hope helped.

I got to wear these incredible compression sleeves, so that was a highlight of my day. (I'd say the highlight, but I also got to grab lunch with Coach Jess, which was clearly the other highlight!)

However, I haven't run since Monday morning because I've also been feeling nauseous and ill all week (no, not pregnant, let's not go there). Additionally, I might have to work a lot this weekend (I won't know until Friday evening, which is how corporate life goes unfortunately).

The reason I am strongly questioning running the race is that these are the scenarios I envision:

Scenario A: I have to work a lot this weekend. A massive deal I'm working on was supposed to sign on May 28, meaning the weekend would have been free. However, that didn't happen. (Pro tip: you never sign on the day you think you'll sign.) In this scenario, Sourabh and I drive down to San Diego at the latest time that we possibly can so that I can still pick up my bib before the expo closes at 5:00 p.m. (thanks so much, RNR, for making it impossible to have someone else pick up your bib. Really appreciate that.). I work from the car and the hotel, and we order room service for dinner. I run the race Sunday morning then we immediately head back to Orange County so I can head into the office. [This assumes that it is not essential for me to be in the office all weekend, in which case I have no choice about running the race.]

Scenario B: I miraculously don't have to work this weekend. Sourabh and I can spend the weekend exploring San Diego (I haven't been there since I was 6). I run the race and it takes roughly 3 hours out of our day, and otherwise we're having fun in San Diego, so the outcome doesn't matter. It's just an extra excuse to eat ALL the food.

In Scenario B, regardless of how the race went, we would have a fun weekend and the cost of a hotel and meals out would (probably) be worth it.

However, Scenario A is a lot more likely, and in that scenario, if I run a shit race and feel awful the entire time, then we've just spent probably $300+ (not counting the race fee, which is a sunk cost at this point) for me to zoom down to San Diego and work out of a hotel room and then feel like shit for 13 miles before sitting in the car again and then at a desk, possibly causing some injury with all the sitting post-race.

Mason is ready to hit the road, so we know which way he's leaning.

All of that is why I'm not sure if I will be running the RnR San Diego Half this Sunday. If by some miracle the deal dies for a while (again, pro tip: deals almost never really die! They are like zombies and come back to life again and again), then I think it would be a fun weekend.

If whatever bug I'm fighting miraculously disappears and I run some amazing miles tonight or tomorrow, then I will want to run the race. But I've trained for a PR and to just run a race where I feel awful and come up short seems like a huge waste of both time and money.

[Sidebar: one of my favorite running bloggers, Angela of SF Road Warrior, recently wrote a fantastic post about how there are a lot of good reasons to DNS (Did Not Start) a race. You should go read it, and her blog in general, because she has an incredible wealth of good running info there.]


So here's hoping I can either have a fun weekend or a great race. But if not, hey, I live in SoCal. There are half marathons here all year round! I can find another one in a few weeks, or just wait until marathon training kicks in and run one in the fall.

Or I'll just console myself with beach views and Mexican food in Laguna. One or the other.