Game Plan

For the last few weeks, I've begun looking at various "Best Marathon" lists to get an idea of where I want to complete my 50. These are things I'll have to plan in advance, particularly the ones that require some sort of air travel. Also, the more races I come across, the more I see the potential for scheduling conflicts.

So, after many Top Ten lists and much research, I've got about half of my marathons planned out, though I'm very open to suggestions and advice from those who've been there before. Here are a few of the races I've got on the list.

Already Completed:
Ohio - Columbus

Signed up:
Texas - Austin

And the ones I'm planning on:
Massachusetts - Boston
Illinois - Chicago
New York - New York
Virginia - Marine Corps (technically it hits more than one state, but start/finish line is in VA)
California - Big Sur
Florida - Disney World
Alaska - Mayor's Midnight
Hawaii - Honolulu
Arizona - Rock 'N Roll (Phoenix)
Connecticut - Hartford
Indiana - Sunburst (South Bend)
Louisiana - Mardi Gras
Maryland - Baltimore
Montana - Bozeman
Nevada - Las Vegas
Oregon - Portland
Pennsylvania - Philadelphia
South Carolina - Kiawah Island
Utah - St. George
Washington - Seattle

Would be nice if I were strong enough:
Georgia - Make It By Midnight
Colorado - Pike's Peak

As it turns out, a lot of these happen in October, so I'm going to have to space them out. For the most part, I can get by with two a year, with a few more thrown in there. Of course, the sooner I'm done, the better. But for now I'm going to make it through this one before I register for the next one.

Registration for Chicago opened a couple nights ago, but I'm saving that one for next year. I hear it's a pretty fast course, and I want to save it for when I've got a real chance at qualifying for Boston. I assume I'll need the help. This October, I've got my sights set on the Marine Corps in Virginia. Conveniently enough, registration for that one opens three days after the Austin Marathon.

Which is now only 17 days away.