To Become a Road Runner…

Today has been mostly — OK, totally — awesome.

Why, you ask?

I’ll tell you. In list form, of course. Because that’s how I roll.

  1. I slept in! I didn’t get out of bed until 6:30 am (ahem, that’s a full hour beyond when I normally get up) because I didn’t have to run today. ‘Twas glorious!
  2. Since I had extra time this morning, I did some stretching, some abs and played around with my new boyfriend. Don’t worry, ABS isn’t jealous…yet.
  3. My work day sped by. I was so, so busy all day long. Never even stepped outside, but got almost everything checked off my to-do list.
  4. I went to the gym after work. I took Chisel (too many squats; my knees were begging for mercy) and Spinning (the instructor is my favorite and she kicked my butt) and was drenched in sweat by the end of the night.
  5. I actually did my laundry. Well, it’s still in the dryer (should probably check on that), but at least I started it. I’ve been procrastinating that project for quite a while now, and my workout clothes were smelllllly.
  6. I had an awesome dinner — a repeat of last night’s — of grilled cheese and soup. Also, a cupcake for dessert. All together now: yummmmm.
  7. I got to meet Jess! Ashley and Jess were the two winners of the Billy Elliot ticket giveaway, and I met Jess tonight — in person, finally — when we did the ticket handoff. We met on a dark corner on the Upper East Side. It was like a fancy drug deal. Kind of.
  8. Ashley and I booked our hotel and 1/2 of our transportation for the National 1/2 Marathon in March. I haven’t run a race in so long and I’m already so excited for this one.

Speaking of races…

I’m debating becoming a member of New York Road Runners in order to do the 9+1 guaranteed entry program for the 2012 NYC Marathon.

Here are my concerns:

  • It’s expensive. The cost of an annual membership is only $40 (I think) but the cost of doing those nine races would add up.
  • I don’t know where the heck I’m going to be in my life in November 2012. What if I hate running by then? What if I get some debilitating injury? It’s scary to plan so far in advance.
  • Committing to ten events over the course of the year scares me. I have a lot of weddings to attend this year, and I worry I won’t be around for enough events to get the 9+1 completed.

But obviously there are pros to the equation, the main one being that I really want to run the New York City Marathon at some point in my life, and being in the lottery for the 2011 race doesn’t give me a ton of hope. Lotteries have never really been kind to me.

TELL ME: Are you a NYRR member? Why or why not? Tell me more. Especially if you’ve done the 9+1 program.

Ali

Ali

0 Responses

  1. I don’t really have the option to become a Road Runner, but if I did, I would! It sounds like a great option if you’re in NYC. I’m also super excited about DC in March!

  2. Even if you don’t do the 9+1, the price of the membership pays itself back after you do a few races at the member price anyway. Also, if you do the 9+1 and aren’t able to run the marathon in 2012, you can defer it to 2013. Worth it to have the security of guaranteed entry and some fun races in the meantime!

  3. Do it! I first ran my 9 in 2009 to do the marathon last November and I’m so glad I did– by the time the marathon finallyyyyy rolled around I was in better shape than ever and truly felt like I’d earned my spot. Plus, I knew I for sure wanted to run last year and knew the lottery was a long shot. I ended up doing a bunch as part of my marathon training and registered today via guaranteed entry again for 2011. Planning to do 9 again this year…I most likely won’t still be living here in 2012, so this will be a good excuse to come back to visit. 🙂

  4. So great meeting you! I’ve gotten in via the lottery and I’ve completed the 9 (when it didn’t include a +1) and now I’ve done the 9+1. The first time I ran the 9, I burned out and didn’t run the marathon the next year. Although I ran the 9 races the same year I got in via the lottery so maybe that had something to do with it.

    If you aren’t in a hurry to run it you can enter through the lotter and gain automatic entry after not getting in via the lottery three years in a row. There’s also Team For Kids that raises money for the NYRR foundation. It’s an amazing charity and I’ve always contemplated raising money on their behalf.

    If you become a NYRR member, you do get to pay a little less for races if you plan on doing a few it’s worth becoming a member.

    Okay, that was the longest blog comment ever. I should have just met you on the cormer to discuss. =)

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about ali

I’m the creator of the Ali on the Run blog and the host of the Ali on the Run Show podcast. I’m also a freelance writer and editor, a race announcer, a runner and marathoner, a mom, and a huge fan of Peanut M&Ms, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (way better than the first one!), and reliving my glory days as a competition dancer in the early 2000s. I’m really happy you’re here.
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