Today's Dilemma

This morning I received a text asking if I'd like to run the New York City Marathon.

Would I?  Absolutely.

Will I?  The jury's still out.

For many people (myself included), the NYC Marathon is a "bucket list" race.  It's well-organized with a great course and amazing spectator support.  I've submitted my name to the lottery multiple years and gotten rejected each time.  I've wanted to run this race for quite some time, but wasn't sure I'd ever be able to gain entry.

So why wouldn't I take advantage of this opportunity?

There are a few reasons.

1. Marine Corps Marathon is the weekend before.  Normal people do not run marathons on back-to-back weekends; however, I think I've established that I'm not normal.  Running both marathons would qualify me to be a Marathon Maniac, which has been a goal of mine for a while now, but would probably trash my legs in the process.
2. Training has not gone as well as planned this summer/fall.  Between the time I took to recover after 20in24, being sick, and various injuries I've sustained, I'm not as far along in my training as I would like.  It's one thing to underperform in one marathon - it's another to underperform in two in a row.
3. I'd need to raise $500 for charity.  While $500 isn't a lot of money, it's too much for me to pay myself and I'm not sure I'm comfortable asking my friends for the funds.
4. I'm supposed to work that weekend.  This is the most important factor - it'll be interesting to see if they'll let me out of the office for the race.

I'm giving myself until Tuesday morning to sort out items 1-3.  If I decide to go forward with running the race, I'll sort out item 4 with my office that afternoon.  I'll post my decision by Wednesday.