What's a Little Snow?

Marathon running, like golf, is a game for players, not winners.  That is why Callaway sells golf clubs and Nike sells running shoes.  But running is unique in that the world's best racers are on the same course, at the same time, as amateurs, who would have as much chance of winning as your average weekend warrior would scoring a touchdown in the NFL. -- Hunter S. Thomson

OK - I get it - the quote and the title of this post have nothing to do with each other.  I love the quote.  And I am running a marathon in 8 days.  EIGHT FREAKIN' DAYS.  And I'm not ready for it...but it will be OK.

And if it was just a little snow, I'd be fine.  But it hasn't been a little snow.  It's been three weeks of utter stupidity here in central Virginia.  Usually our snow melts.  It hasn't.  Usually the snow is gone before we get more snow.  It didn't.  Usually my kids go to school in February and March.  They aren't.  Today we are on snow day # 10.  Yes, I said TEN.

Because of the snow and the snow days and everything else, I have done most of my long runs for next weekend's marathon on a treadmill.  And that is just suckitude.  On the other hand, you could say it is really good training for the mental drama involved in running a marathon.  And I would say PFFFT.  I'm so over the treadmill.  I want outside and I want it now.  It's actually supposed to be spring-like next week, so that should be good for the race and all, but it won't make up for all of those weekends on the treadmill...and how unprepared I feel because of it.

I like marathons - I do - but the real problem is when.  There's no such thing as a summer marathon in central Virginia.  But spring means you train in the snow.  And fall interferes with (or means less training because of) triathlons.  I'm signed up for OBX marathon in November, but that's mostly because I deferred it after the stress fracture at IMLOU.  I don't think I would normally sign up for one a month after an Ironman.  So when do I get to do a marathon that doesn't suck?  Maybe if I drop out of long course tris for a while, but I don't want to do that either.  Just can't win.