Runs4Sanity
Some running groups in my area is really trying to get trail running up and going and popular here, and most of the races have been at Angel Mounds and is normally a 5k loop for either 5k, 10k, 15k and even 13.1 distances. It is flat, and there are more trails but for some reason they stick to this one loop, and John James Audubon is much, much, much more hillier with about 900 feet in the 3 mile back country loop but there is only one race there and it is a 5k.
Well, I was just invited to like a FB page called Full Moon Fever - Night Trail Race Series. It is going to be at Angel Mounds, the usual loop and it will be a 5k race on August 10, September 8, October 8, November 6, and December 6 - during the full moon. The downside (to me) is that is only a 5k distance, and I am kind of done with 5ks plus I am training for a marathon so I really don't want to take the chance of sabotaging my debut marathon experience and if I am going to do a race then I am going to race it with intentions of placing damn it.
BUT I really, really, really, REALLY want to support our local trail running/racing damn it.
What the hell should I do?
*Do It For Yourself, Do It Because They Said It Was Impossible, Do It Because They Said You Were Incapable*
PRs
5k - 24:15 (7:49 min/mile pace)
10k - 51:47 (8:16 min/mile pace)
15k -1:18:09 (8:24 min/mile pace)
13.1 - 1:53:12 (8:39 min/mile pace)
26:2 - 4:14:55 (9:44 min/mile)
Can you volunteer instead?
They don't have or use a lot of volunteers for these, I mean I run the course before the races and let them know how well marked it is and stuff, but other than that they don't really use a lot of volunteers. I am half tempted to just pay for it and not go, donating my money but damn it my competitive side would much rather race it and see where I place. Sadly, I wish they had at least a 10k distance.
Sounds like you really want to do it. I say go for it, but just enjoy them as group runs and enjoy the scenery. I personally wouldn't do one within a few weeks or even a month of my goal race though. I'd be so paranoid about turning an ankle or taking a face plant that my paranoia would probably cause me to have such an accident.
I voted don't risk it. If your marathon is really that important to you, you will hate yourself if something happens, like rolling an ankle.
I have until August 7 to decide....
Can you act as a pacer/encourager for a slower member or newbie of your trail group during the race?
“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” - T.S. Eliot
They don't really have that, so no.
Do you have any speedwork planned for your marathon? The nice thing about 5K races is that they're not all that long and as much as they suck during the race, don't seem to take that much recovery. So you could use it instead of any speedwork you might be doing without adding significant stress, I would think.
(That said, I don't plan on running any 5Ks during my marathon training, but I did sign up for a 10K because it was the Oatmeal.