Pick a race

I will never run (or at least will try to avoid running) the same marathon twice.

Come on. Twenty-six miles is a lot of work. I need as much distraction – and stimulus – to keep me inspired. I choose my marathons specifically for what they may offer by way of stimulation. New York and Marine Corps? That’s obvious. Racing though DC and NYC is more like a sightseeing trip. The others, Alaska, Montana, Atlanta and Chicago were chosen for purely aesthetic reasons. There are several marathons that bill themselves for what they have to offer as distraction, like Big Sur and Cape Cod, which strive to appeal to your sense of beauty. Others like Disney, San Diego, and Nashville hope to distract you like an A.D.D. patient at a whistles and bells convention with their productions and theatrics.

My criteria for race selection include:

• Place – city, scenic vistas
• Time of year – spring and fall are pleasant racing seasons
• Course – flat, scenery, distractions
• Scenery – cityscape, ocean view, mountainscape, etc.
• Temperature – 72 degrees or lower is good for running.

Races are easy to find by visiting Runner's World Race Finder or Active.com, among others. Running clubs, stores, and other running web sites are also great sites to explore.

Chicago Marathon

Yesterday was the Chicago Marathon, which I ran this time last year on 10.10.10. I love the big city races. There are many distractions and freaky people to take your mind off the grueling race itself. Last year's race was pretty warm as October races go. It was at least in the mid-70s, maybe hotter. I wilted like lettuce on mile 18, which I can assure you had nothing to do with my training and preparation.

Chicago was also my worst time by far. I have never cared about my finish time. My goal has always been to just finish... but that's when I finished around 4:00:00. One time I finished 3:45:00, but in Chicago, I ambled in after 5:00:00. I was humiliated, especially since my running partners finished 4:00:00 or sooner.

Actually, my finishes are pretty strong. No matter the race or distance, when I feel like I'm in a collapse-free position to sprint, I take off like the wind. My wife watched me finish Chicago and could have sworn my pace belonged to one of the top finishers until she saw the clock's disapproving 5:00:00, shaking its head like so many of my disappointed high school teachers.

Now I am four months away from the Houston Marathon, and my conditioning is slightly better than a bar fly's. I need to get my act together this year. I will NOT finish slower than 5 hours -- even though I still subscribe to the "just finish, don't place" philosophy.