The Indecisiveness of Maggie

It is hard work. Just when I think I have it figured out, something else occurs or comes up or happens that makes me rethink it all.

I'm talking about my fall race schedule.

I was planning on Rothman 8K in November and Memphis Half in December. I was looking forward to them, and excited. Our plans are this--Ted and I will be flying in to Memphis on a Thursday night, coming back from a work event I will be traveling to (with Ted accompanying me). We were going to hang out with family, and I would run the half on Saturday, and we would head back east on Monday. We rented a car, and then I realized Nashville was only 3 hours from Memphis.

As a huge country music fan, the chance of getting to Nashville triggered a NOW NOW NOW mechanism in my brain. "We have the car anyway..." Ted rationalized. YES! We're going to Nashville!!!! That led to the other question...when? The options would be Friday or Sunday. Due to work and school plans of our family, Friday made the most sense.

This is where it gets tricky. Race packet pick-up for Memphis is Thursday and Friday. If we go to Nashville, I won't be able to get my packet. The organizers won't ship the packet (even if I pay for it) and I'm hesitant of riding a total of 6 hours in a car and spending a day walking to get up and get my packet on race day between 6:00 and 7:30, then run 13 miles. I'm afraid I'll be pushing it, and I won't enjoy it and then I'll be sore the rest of the weekend.

The solution? Don't run Memphis. I'm so sad at that thought. I was really looking forward to it! However...a few posts back I mentioned that Philly has added a half marathon to the full marathon. That is the same day as the Rothman 8K I was planning on running anyway. So as a fall-back, I could keep training, complete my half marathon goal for 2006, and have the full weekend in Memphis.

There is a 5K in Memphis that same Saturday--I wonder if Ted would be up for that??? Then we run into the same packet pick-up issues and I doubt he'd go through all that trouble for 3 miles.

I'll let you know when I figure out what I'm doing. Any advice would be very greatly appreciated...I'm truly not certain on what the best option would be.