Tuesday, May 7, 2013

To Marathon or Not to Marathon

Now that everyone knows Mrs. Viper is pregnant, they've started to ask me if I'm going to run the Akron Marathon this year.

My first concern is my wife. The race is Sept. 28, and our bundle of life change is due in the first half of October. Mrs. Viper usually watches me finish, and she will be set to pop. What if something happens while out there on the course?

My second concern is myself. I haven't run a marathon since 2011, when I set my personal worst married PR at 4:58:28. Since then, I haven't raced anything longer than a 10K. Last year, my wife and I joined three others in running the five-person relay at the Akron Marathon.

Right now, I should be laying down a good base for marathon training, but we all know that's not happening. While my running has picked up in recent weeks, it's nowhere near base training levels.

The thought of ramping up to 50 miles per week seems incredibly daunting. The fear of failure fills me with doubt.

There are a number of reasons why I want to run the Akron Marathon again:
  • Marking personal milestones
  • A sense of triumphant return
  • Because it's a great event
But I'll need to make running a priority if it's going to happen. I don't want to sacrifice the limited time my wife and I have left as non-parents. 

Taking on the marathon again may require me to do something I've never succeeded at doing: becoming a morning runner. Egads! Not that! It may be my only hope. 

4 comments:

misszippy said...

Lots of waffling going on here! What about a half marathon instead (do they have that option at Akron?)

Al's CL Reviews said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Al's CL Reviews said...

Sign up, then figure it out while drinking a beer.

Carolina John said...

Abandon! Jump ship! Our kids were born 4 & 2 weeks early (respectively), so you might be daddy to more than just a marathon baby by then. And when you take into account all of the extra hand-holding the mrs will need, you won't be able to get into training anyway. We planned a big 30th birthday party for me (july 7) and our first kid was born on June 24 that same year. baby was 4 weeks early, party cancelled.