It is race season in sunny south Florida right now. You could run something every weekend if you wanted. You have your choice of several really. I have my favorites that I run every year and try to add in some new ones to keep things fresh. I mostly run 5 and 10K's with 1 HM a year. I just found out that I will be traveling on a day of a race that I have already registered for so that one will be a DNS for me. Oops. It would not have changed my dates of travel (Moms birthday) and I had to register early to get "early bird" prices.
How many times do you loose your registration fees due to bad planning or, I hate to say it, injury?
Former Bad Ass
1-3 times a year. Things like what you describe has made me DNS.
Damaris
delicate flower
It's only happened to me once on account of an ITB injury.
<3
sugnim
There was only 1 race that I did not get to do. It was a New Year's Day 10k and I was supposed to help register people before the race in exchange for a race entry. Unfortunately, I got sick and was unable to volunteer or run. That sucked. Otherwise, so far I've been fortunate enough to be able to run everything I've signed up for.
Mmmmm...beer
Hasn't happened yet (altho I haven't run that many races so far), but I'm already registered for two HMs next year, so there's a chance. I travel for work sometimes, and that travel is going to pick up a lot next year, only problem is, I only get a month or two notice (if that sometimes), so I'll just keep my fingers crossed that I can work my schedule around the races.
-Dave
My running blog
Goals | sub-18 5k | sub-3 marathon 2:56:46!!
I ran 16 races this year and paid for 3 more that I did not run. In each case, I skipped the race because of a family conflict. I often need to register for races well in advance to make sure I get in. Family plans often get made just a couple weeks in advance. Unless I have a goal half marathon or something, I will ignore my existing race calendar when making family plans. If my mom wants to come visit us next weekend, I'll skip a race. If my wife wants to go the the mountains for a weekend, I'll skip another race. Between the three races, I probably forfeited about $80 in race fees this year. If that is the cost of family harmony, it is well worth it.
2013 goals: 800m: 2:20 | mile: 4:59 | 5k: 18:59 | 10k: 39:59 | HM: 1:32 | Marathon: 3:20
I race about 7-8 times a year and lose 1 or 2 race registrations because I change my mind about doing those races. I usually lose about $150 for two races. It's bad to lose money, but early registration keeps me motivated (though I always give myself the right to change my mind later. It's a hobby, not a job or a duty...). I'd rather lose the $150 that way, than waste it in many other stupid ways I could think of.
PRs: Boston Marathon, 3:27, April 15th 2013
Cornwall Half-Marathon, 1:35, April 27th 2013
18 marathons, 18 BQs since 2010
running is bad for you
I have a collection of t shirts from events in which I was unable to participate in for one reason or another.
None so far, I am slow signing up for almost every race I do usually right until the day before late registration begins. There is only one race I am regretting not doing a super early sign up for the Kokopelli Olympic triathlon next September, if you signed up in early October nearly a year out the fee was only $55 and now its $90. And I am sure I will be doing it again this year.
Looks like tomorrow will be my first. :-( It would also be my first race back from time off due to 3 deaths.
never runs the tangents
Just a couple of times. Once I remember distinctly, it was a HM. Both DH and I had been sick all week. It was cold and raining all night. I actually slept on the couch because I was coughing and afraid I was keeping him awake. The alarm went off, DH got up, opened the curtain, saw a flash of lightening, turned the alarm off, and went back to bed.
it was wise really
I would have thought the lightening thing would have canceled the race but apparently it had stopped by the time the race started. I read a few reports though and it rained the entire time. It actually sounded pretty awful. I felt guilty for a while but got over it.
“Do what I do. Hold tight and pretend it’s a plan!” Doctor Who
I don't sign up for many races, so never for me, yet. I'm sure it will happen at some point that I get injured while training, and end up missing a race that I signed up for far away from the actual date.
My wildly inconsistent PRs:
5k: 24:36 (10/20/12)
10k: 52:01 (4/28/12)
HM: 1:50:09 (10/27/12)
Marathon: 4:19:11 (10/2/2011)
Singer who runs a smidge
I have a race that I sign up for every year, six years in a row now. I've run it twice. I've missed twice due to injury, once for a family member's funeral, once because I was so badly undertrained that I knew it wasn't going to be a fun experience. I've decided not to sign up for it this year unless I'm just rocking the miles at sign-up time.
ETA: Each year I've been able to contact the RD and get my name taken off the list and given to someone on the waiting list. So I guess it's not a total loss for the RD, who happens to be a friend of mine, and the charity the race supports.
When it's all said and done, no one remembers how far we have run. The only thing that matters is how we have loved.
levitation specialist
So far, there was nearly just one and I know better next time and just DNS. I had the flu, it was Aunt Flo time(not the Progressive lady either), and the weather was sucky, on a hill only course non the less. I didn't even make the packet pickup the day before(that should have clued me in, right??!!) because I felt so awful. Well, I made myself go to get my shorts(most races don't have Mizuno running shorts in the entry cost) and since I drove a half hour all the way across town, I convinced myself that I could just jog it since I was out there anyways.
Well I finished but I made myself worse and spent the rest of the day curled up in a ball under a heated blanket in my bedroom. And then it made Sunday suck too.
Not again, not worth it.
I have never lost a registration fee for two reasons.
1. I don't register for many races far in advance. When I do, those tend to be goal type races and I have checked, double checked, and triple checked my calendar before I register.
2. No races in my local area ever sell out. Ever. You can register for most on race day. Even the races that don't have race day registration have day before registration. So, I wait until the last minute to register. That has saved me more than one registration fee as I have had a few races I thought I would run but had to back out due to injury or family obligations.
Short term goal: 17:59 5K
Mid term goal: 2:54:59 marathon
Long term goal: To say I've been a runner half my life. (I started running at age 45).