Monday, August 16, 2010

Rejection - Don't get mad, get traveling...

So here it is once again.  I didn't get into the Chevron Houston Half because I chose to play by the rules and not register for the full with the intention of switching to the half like so many did, but I understand that though the odds were better, it wasn't by much.  C'est le vie!  So what do we do with our new found rejection?  Boycott, as some of my despondent co-runners are suggesting? 

For me the answer is to hit the road.  If Houston doesn't want us (see numbers three and four below,) then there are several others that do.  Austin and Dallas would love to have us and have a if you want to run for a cause there is one in Waco as well.  I think the Houston Race committee has forgotten themselves with the lottery draw.  Here is a couple of questions I would like the directors to ask themselves:
1)  If the participant is not willing to get up and get online at five am to register, how dedicated are they?
2)  Check your ego.  Is Houston doing the lottery because it's a Major, e.g. Chicago, New York, Berlin, London, and Boston. 
3)  Or is it that they are able to do this because there are 5.7 million people in the greater Houston area.  If you take a 10% estimate of active people gets you 570,000 with 10% being endurance athletes you get 57,000 interested in doing the event.  With a race cap of 22,000 you have one entry per 2.59 people.  Not including those from other areas.
4)  Why didn't they raise the participant cap more?  Money, logistics, or are they planning on creating such a demand that they can raise the fee's? 

I wish those that got in the best of PR's but I have a feeling the Club tents are going to be a little empty this year as there are several races within a four hour drive that knowing the bitterness of our rejection  are willing to throw open their cities hotels at discounted prices and the promise of a better race.  Though we would love to run in our own back yard it is not to be.  Houston in a long line of half-assed attempts has made their choice (see professional sports teams.)  Now we must make ours.  So get online and pull out those credit card/ reward cards and find some running love.

Texas Half Marathon Dallas, TX, Saturday 1/28/11 - $50
Miracle Match, Waco, Sunday 1/30/11 - $75
3M Austin Half Marathon, Sunday 1/30/11 - $65

1 comment:

  1. Good talking to you tonight. Another option is Mardi Gras in New Orleans. I know Dana-Sue and I will probably do that event

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