I don't know how to thank you, my friends, for the wonderful comments that were left on my previous post, Canberra v Boston. I was totally overwhelmed not just by the number of responses but also by their substantive and thoughtful nature. Many of you wrote things which have left me pondering much about my running, my family, and about life.
I know that all of us have to balance the demands of our love for running with our love for family and other things. It is so easy to lose sight of what is, deep down, important to us. I am not a perfect father, nor a perfect husband, or a perfect runner. Yet I try to be all three and then suffer the inevitabe tensions and conflicts that emerge when the train tracks all don't go in the same direction.
I remain undecided whether I will run Boston or not. There is a compelling logic in favour of Boston which many of you have pointed out. But I just feel I am not ready to make the final plunge yet. Meanwhile I will continue with my training. I am also under pressure at work and am just about to leave on another overseas work trip and several more are in the pipeline between now and Boston. Maybe in my travels I will also seek guidance from the Delphic Oracle, or Paris Hilton, or the Pope or someone. Don't think any of them, though, have any where near the levels of wisdom that you, my incredible friends in Blogland, have in spades.
My entrance application for Boston as been accepted and time is running out. I am yet to make my flight bookings and will need to make a decision soon....
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- TD
- Phew...glad that's over! That's me finishing the Hands-on-House half marathon in Pennsylvania, USA, in October 2005. I work full-time, I write, and I run.
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9 comments:
Don, I think that the busy travel schedule is a very real and practical consideration to throw into the grist of the logic stew. Most logic points twards doing Boston. To me, the disrupted routine would be the only thing agin it. So it just raises a bunch of other questions. Do you want to record a strong time at Boston or just be part of the event and finish in (relative) comfort? If the former, a heavy travel schedule is going to compromise your ambitions. If the latter, and you are going to travel to places that you can run in, or have access to gym treadmills, then the travel shouldn't present any huge obstacle. Just make sure you get in a long run and two or three other runs per week. Not sure if that helps.
Steve
YEAH everything Steve said!
BTW if you travel a lot at the moment can you not use your FF points to get you to Boston? If so why not book it now - if you end up not going you haven't actually lost cash.
Hope you make a decision soon - not being sure of what to do would kill me and detract from my motivatino to train!
It's a tough one Don but from my POV I'd be thinking along the lines of how many chances will you get to run Boston? I think you can do it and you will have a blast. I'd hate to think that you passed up a great opportunity and live to regret it...
But you know me, I'm a bit of an impulsive "seize the moment" gal. Having said that, look where it got me ;-)
Hmmmm, or maybe use the FF points (if you have them) to take your wife! Or would that raise another problem with who'd take care of the kids.
Well mate, if you decide against it you'll just have to run another blinder in Canberra and qualify for Boston 2008. Simple as that.
Return to Duty
I had wanted to talk to you about this in person, but time is of the essence.
Bob did Boston 1986 (the year Deek won) and we were both keen to be back for the hundredth anniversary in 1996. Unfortunately, I was a bit of a basket-case that year but Bob went, combining a return to duty in DC first for a week before heading up to Boston.
My caution of suggesting this is that with the huge variables in our weather here in the ACT at that time of year and that of the East Coast of the US, Bob developed a terrible cold and had his worst marathon ever. If he had run Boston first, this probably wouldn't have happened.
Given your work, this could certainly be worth considering to see if it is possible ~ Thus alleviating some of the family guilt in the process.
On Tesso's comment, I'd be happy to help with some Donnette helping out for Mrs Don while you are away!
Happy trails!
Don, the decision is tough because you are a sensitve, caring person. I suspect we will see you in Canberra and that you will be very happy to be there.
It's not an easy decision Don. One of those 'sliding doors' ones. You'd like to do both.
Good luck. Whatever you decide, it will be right.
Its a hard one - but I'm sure once you've made the decision it will be the right one for you. Trust in yourself.
Now on to something comepletely different, I managed to fall the other day and it was nothing like your graceful fall and recovery that I witnessed last year. Mine was a splat which hurt and still hurts. I must learn the roll technique because i seem to be making a habit of tripping lately.
As the old African proverb goes:
"Indecision is like a stepchild: if he does not wash his hands, he is called dirty, if he does, he is wasting water."
So what are you going to be TD, Dirty or wasteful. No need to thank me for the help ;)
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