I guess I’ll have to stop apologizing for making late blog posts; I’m afraid it is just going to happen. Anyways, I thought I would take this morning’s 200 or so words to dither about the Falling Leaves 14K in Utica two weeks from today.
I have long wanted to run that. I understand it is a beautiful and challenging course. I need to challenge myself. In fact, sometimes I even need to Double Dog Dare myself. So why the hesitation?
Well, for one reason, the race is only 1K less than the Boilermaker. That is not a distance to be undertaken lightly. And I would not be undertaking it lightly. I have been running all summer, slowly building myself up. I feel that I am in pretty damn good shape (from some angles my actual shape could stand improvement, but I digress).
Basically what happens is all week I feel tired and discouraged. I think of keeping up my running three to five days a week while working. I think about driving to Utica and looking for a parking space after luckily finding where the race starts (I know these considerations do not bother some people, but I seem to be more easily intimidated in some respects), and I say, “I just can’t take the pressure.”
Then I go for a long run on the weekend, get all endorphinned up, and say, “This is AWESOME! I am SO doing the Falling Leaves 14K!” Yesterday on my cool down walk, I met a neighbor who runs and asked was he doing the race. He has not signed up yet but has done it in the past and recommends it. He is a younger guy in great shape. I daresay he does not need to constantly consider the calendar and calculate how fast 10 percent per week will add up, as I do.
Right now I am in the discouraged portion of my dithering (although I do feel challenged to refute that parenthetical comment about being easily intimidated. Me? Intimidated? SAY IT AIN’T SO! ). However, I have not gone on this morning’s run yet. I expect I will feel differently then. In any case, I am now over 300 words. Quite respectable for a late post. I shall now get on with my Sunday.
Mohawk Valley Girl 
You should just do it. (I think I have heard that somewhere before 🙂 ). I also feel stressed about trying to find someplace I have never been to before, how long will it take to get there, where to park etc. I try to remember all the times I have already successfully navigated these “huge problems” before! As for the run itself, worse case scenario you walk for a bit, so what? Easier to enjoy the scenery that way! Wow, I am quite wordy this morning. I’ll stop talking now.
Be as wordy as you like; you’re saying good stuff! I’m glad I’m not the only one stressing about unfamiliar situations, I’m thinking I will probably do the run, but I have a few more days to dither about it!