When is it "Enough"?

When is enough enough? I was thinking the question to myself as my beautiful bride asked me almost the same exact question.

The quick and unrehearsed answer in my head is: “When I’m dead. Which will be a lot longer from now than it would have been because I running…”

The question was asked after I broached the subject of a half marathon four weeks after I finish the New York City Marathon. The half marathon happens to be in Las Vegas. (Obligatory “Vegas, Baby!!”) Before a friend had asked me if I had considered doing this, I thought perhaps I might go back to Arizona to run the Rock ‘N’ Roll Half Marathon there before the legislative session and as a tune-up race for Boston in April. It was appropriately pointed out to me that vacation plans of the recent past, present, and discussed future have all seemed to revolve around a marathon or half-marathon event – at least when I bring them up, anyway. That’s fair…and I’m quite sure we’ll find a compromise.

However, the question still remains – when is it enough? And why has running races become such an obsession? And when does self-challenge become pure selfishness?

Right now, the marathon list is short, and I wouldn’t do more than two in 2011, even if I could:

• New York – November 7, 2010
• Boston – April 8, 2011
• Indianapolis – November 5, 2011

But sneaking in half marathon here and there is good training. Race situations are good. The challenge is good. It keeps me sharp and gives me a purpose, as opposed to just slogging out the same miles alone on the same trails all the time. I just need to figure out balance, I suppose.

When is it enough? Only when this purpose on my life negatively impacts the other purposes in my life…and those of others. That’s the “balancing” part, and no doubt it will be subject to discussion and negotiation. But it isn’t going to end…at least not as long as I can keep doing it. I sat on my fat ass for far too long, and now I can make up for lost time by doing things that I could have been doing (much faster, no doubt) when my body was young.

Future marathons? An unedited list with the month of the year in which each marathon occurs might include:

• New Orleans – February
• Nashville – April
• Big Sur – May
• Vancouver - May
• Missoula - July
• Twin Cities – October
• Chicago - October
• Long Beach – October
• St. George - October
• San Antonio – November

I know I can’t do all these and others I might add to the list – or maybe I can. Well...at least I know I don’t have to do them all… :-)