That Time I Was (Sort-of) Invited to a World Championship Race

Remember that?  That one time?  The time I kind of had a chance to hang with some world class runners and be on a (sort-of) televised event?

Last Monday I received an email congratulating me on my acceptance to Flotrack's World Championship Beer Mile, set to run just 9 days from then.  I was thrilled and shocked and utterly confused all at once.  I hadn't actually applied.  Sure I had thought about it a ton, but I didn't have a qualifying time.  And it's true that I had Twitter-stalked the event organizers with tweets like: 

But I never got a reply so I moved on.  THEN the email comes, and suddenly I realize that they must have found me!  They found me!  And I'm in??!!!?!

My wheels begin spinning as I sort through all of the details that must be attended to.  The race is on a Wednesday so childcare is an issue, and of course all of the travel logistics- plane, hotel, car, etc.  I have my training to worry about, as in what workouts should I do now? Are there any last minute tuneup runs that I should do? Should I practice chugging, and will seltzer be an acceptable alternative for now?  What are my other running goals and how does this affect them? Would Brooks send me some demo 2015 spikes for the event?  What about the race I was already scheduled to run on Thursday?  And who will coach the Betties' workouts while I am away?

In just a few hours time I get through the details and am waiting on the childcare question to be finalized, but I am ready to buy those plane tickets and head outta town.  It's only then that I think to confirm that I am indeed registered for the elite heat.  I shoot an email off to the organizers and after a few back and forths, I find myself in the sub-elite heat.  Cool.

But not cool enough to drop everything and spend a grand to go run a race that I remember with mixed emotion (actually, that is not true- I think of the beer mile fondly.  But like childbirth, you also remember that there was something just awful about it, even if you can't quite recall the feeling at the moment).  So I politely decline and don't think twice about it.  

Until tonight.  I saw the girls lining up and know I could hang with them.  I could be on Flotrack!  I could ride Nick Symmonds coattails in the Idaho media to gain a moderate following.  And it sounds absolutely wonderful to be running, racing and feeling like an elite athlete, which is a feeling nearly 3 years removed at this point in time.  

But here is what I also realize.  I have been sick for the last 4 days.  Laid out, sleep every chance I get, bags under my eyes, chills, skin crawling, no appetite SICK.  I would not have wanted to board a plane yesterday to go race or drink beer, and especially not together in massively fast quantities.  I also had a friend traveling to Austin yesterday (unrelated business) and she spent 12 hours at the airport only to be sent home to try again today.  That totally would have been me.  Which means I would have inconvenienced my family, spent the day stressed out and sick in a boring airport, only to be sent home?  ugh.  no thanks.  

I guess it was just not meant to be.  There is next year, but I feel like it won't be as cool.  Nothing like the inaugural event.  Of course, I am saying that now and I do not expect to be held to it.  I just may get a bee in my bonnet again next year…  never say never.  ;)