What do you do when you’re not ready for a race? I’m not talking about getting injured or some other emergency. Obviously, when you pull a hamstring or you have to attend a loved one’s funeral, there isn’t much you can do; you have to forego the race. But what about when you sign up for a race and life gets in the way of your training?
Personally, I signed up for a marathon earlier at the beginning of the year. As with some of my other races this year, I find myself about to toe the line unprepared. However, this time isn’t like the others. I have been a runner for a while now and can mask some deficiencies in shorter races, and even maybe a half. But a full marathon is always a challenge, no matter how many you’ve done, and it tends to expose any lack of preparation. So, what do you do in a situation like this.
Skip It
One option is simply to skip the race. You didn’t prepare and now you don’t get the glory of finishing. You also get the financial sting of losing any non-refundable hotel deposits, plane flights, and entry fees (you wouldn’t sell your bib would you?!?!).
Obviously, this is an unpalatable solution, as it requires wasting two of my favorite things—money and an opportunity to race!
Take ‘er Easy
The other option is to run the race, but take it easy. I suppose running the race full out in spite of your lack of preparation is also an option as well, but that’s never a good idea. The goal here is to just get the race done, and try to enjoy yourself along the way. You won’t be setting any records (although, technically a personal worst marathon is still a record right?). So the best thing to do is just to try your best, enjoy the race, and live to run another day.
Reality
Having just been through this situation, I thought I’d share my actual experience. I ran the marathon and opted more toward the taking it easy approach. Admittedly, I went out faster than I should have and had to slow down substantially over the last few miles, but sometimes the race atmosphere takes over and you can’t help yourself! I ended up with a respectable time, although no where near what I know I’m capable of; I got the race time I deserved. Now I’m sore and tired, but no worse for the wear, plus I have another marathon under my belt! Your experience may differ depending on how many marathons you’ve done, precisely how unprepared you are, etc., but I think I made the right choice.
Endurants - we run because we must 