Why June 2010?

A few people have asked me why I'm training for a marathon being held so far out in the future, in June 2010. Well, I'll you.

1. Scheduling. I don't (and won't) run on Sundays. It's just not something I'm going to do. I last time I missed a week of church was when I was in the emergency room on a Sunday during my freshman year of college. There's a couple of things in my life that I'm fiercly proud of and this is one of them. More than just the streak though, it's not something I feel right about. That said, I realize that many, many people, even some within my own faith I'm sure, have no problem with it. That's fine. No judgements passed. It's just not for me.

The problem I encounter is that all of the big races are held on Sunday. I would absolutely love to run the Rock n' Roll Las Vegas marathon on December 6th. That would be right in my target zone calendar-wise. And how cool would it be to run up and down the strip with thousands of people watching, bands playing, and zero traffic? Awesome. My in-laws have lived in Vegas for 20 years and my wife's birthday is December 5th, so it would be an easy excuse to be in Vegas that weekend already. I think running the Chicago marathon with 45,000 other people (not to mention 1.5 million people watching) would be incredible also. I've been to Chicago a few times and would love to go back there and do this. Other marathons held on Sunday: Seattle (2009), Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix and New York to name a few. Marathons on Saturday: Salt Lake City. No thank you. Running 26 miles through the Wasatch mountains after living and training at elevation 150 ft is not going to be my first marathon attempt.

Newport is the first race within 4 hours of me being held on a Saturday. If someone knows of another one within about 200 miles of Portland, OR, please let me know. Which brings me to the next reason...

2. Budget. Unlike the government (sorry, not a political blog but some things just need to be said), I actually live on a budget, both out of necessity and desire. The entry fee alone to one of these races is a little bit steep already, so the idea of airfare, hotel room and other expenses isn't feasible right now. Would I make an exception for something like Chicago or Las Vegas? Probably. Nashville, TN (Saturday race)? No.

3. Newport is the coast. It's flat. It's at sea level (it's the coast if you missed that). A decent way to tackle number 1.