No running today as I recover from 26.2 eight days ago and 6.14 one day ago. But I've pretty much decided where to make my BQ try. I started a where-to-go-for-BQ thread on RWOL, and got a lot of good suggestions, including Newport, OR. So I look at the Newport race website and see the 2008 race winner is a fellow FRB blogger. So, because Newport works for me on several levels, I'm pretty sure at this point that's where I'm gonna go for BQ next:
* Scheduling. My son graduates from high school May 19 and has been wanting to take a graduation trip. He wanted to go to Canada, but that's gonna be hard to do, in part because none of us have passports right now. But he's OK with Oregon. And a May 30 date fits in well with his graduation.
* Course. Fast, and flat. Sean confirmed that to me; so did the guy who suggested it.
* Weather. As much as I hate running in the heat, that's a worry for a late May race, but if there's anywhere I can depend on for cool weather at that time of year, it's the Pacific Northwest.
* Accommodations. My wife's cousin owns a cottage or condo or something on the Oregon coast, about 70 miles from Newport, that will make a great base for a week of tapering/vacation before we move down to Newport for the race. And I've already found a great flight deal on Orbitz for that week (thank goodness that the price of jet fuel keeps going down).
If for some reason Newport doesn't work out (maybe we can't get the cottage), option #2 is Traverse City, MI. Northern Michigan is beautiful, the course at Traverse meets my criteria for terrain and weather, and it's not too far from the Canadian border so my son could get his Canadian trip. Either one would be OK with me. | 