Decisions Decisions

When the New Year was approaching and everyone kept saying how ready they were for 2013 to end and 2014 to begin, I cringed because I knew that nothing would be changing in our crazy lives for quite some time. Three months in and I know how right I was. Worse yet, I do not see things easing up for us for quite some time. But I am trying to take over some aspects of my life. I am trying to remind myself that I am a runner, a marathoner and an Ironman and that those things make me happy. In that vein, I have decided to run a marathon in the fall. But there are decisions to be made. Yes which marathon to run, but it is more than which marathon. It is what kind of marathon am I looking for.

I am currently stuck between two marathons but would take suggestions for others.

My husband really believes I can qualify for Boston in the fall and would like me to do that so that we can run Boston at the same time next year. Aiming for this would mean running Steamtown, a great BQ race. But I am not sure. It will take a lot of focus to qualify for Boston and right now I do not have that focus. Right now I am distracted by my daughter and her fight against depression. I am not sure I can keep my focus on a Boston Qualifying time when I worry about her so often.

Which makes me lean toward the Marine Corps Marathon. My happy race. I can run that marathon with the bare minimum of training and finishing it will still prove to me that I am a marathoner.

On the other hand, maybe focusing on something bigger, like a Boston Qualifying time would be good for me. Maybe it would force me to let go of some of the worry that does me no good anyway. Maybe it would allow me to let go and trust the doctors, my daughter and God.

If you were me, if you were struggling with a long term crisis that seems to have no end, what would you do? Which race would you run, Steamtown, Marine Corps or something else (maybe earlier so I am guaranteed a spot)?