Running races has become very popular. So popular in fact that many sell out in mere minutes. Unfortunately, this can become very frustrating. Yesterday, I got shut out of the 17.75km. Upon completion this would of guaranteed my entry into the Marine Corps Marathon (MCM). The race filled in 9 minutes!! That’s right 9 minutes! It opened at noon, while I was in a meeting not near a computer. By the time I pulled away it was 12:10 and the race was SOLD OUT. Since, this guaranteed your entry into MCM, I had a feeling it would be popular, therefore I had a friend signing me up at noon and even that didn’t happen.

BOOOOO!

What to do next… re-evaluate my race calendar. I will not be running the 17.75km, even though it was included as part of my larger training plan (leading to MCM). Since I am no longer sure I’ll be running MCM, it’s time to make back up plans.

Here’s what I came up with:

Run George Washington Parkway Classic on April 13. This would of conflicted with 17.75km. Now I can do this great race, that’s right by where I live. These will get me the miles I need without going too crazy. Additionally, I enjoy peppering racing into my training to keep it from getting too stale.

Look how pretty that is!

Now for which marathon do I run this year? I will still enter the MCM lottery opening February 23rd. However, I work with statistics everyday and I know those odds are not in my favor. Therefore, I’m going to up my odds. Last night I entered the raffle for the New York City Marathon. Which also does not have the best odds. If I do not get into either of those, I will be running the RNR Las Vegas Marathon. I’ve already made my bestie swear to travel out there and run it with me.

But here’s the glass half full issue. I’m doing the Baltimore Half Marathon already on October 20th. What do I do if I get into both MCM and NYCM? They are one week apart. To add a little extra stress to the situation, the hubby and myself are planning to do the Wine and Dine Disney Half Marathon on November 8th (fingers crossed we get in)! That would be 4 races in a row. The most I have done is 2 halves and a 10K back-to-back.

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I have a lot to think about. Likelihood of getting into one of these races is slim at best. I’ve decided to revisit the situation if it ever becomes an issue.

Have you ever been shut out of a race that you really wanted to get into? Do you run back-to-back race weeks or days? Do you hate lotteries as much as I do?