That’s right, my legs, 13.1 miles, COMPLETE.

It was a hugely exciting accomplishment, though around mile 6, I wondered why in the world I was doing this and couldn’t believe that I actually [...]]]> Okay, so my net worth update is late.  I was out of town for the holiday weekend.  Why?  Because I ran a half marathon!

That’s right, my legs, 13.1 miles, COMPLETE.

It was a hugely exciting accomplishment, though around mile 6, I wondered why in the world I was doing this and couldn’t believe that I actually paid money to do it.  But then I crossed the finish line and someone put a medal around my neck and I realized it was all worth it.

Running has become a bit of an expensive addiction for me, with gear and race entry fees and traveling to races, but I love every minute of it.  Except for maybe a few of those mid-race miles.  But nothing worthwhile is ever easy.

This weekend, I ran a local 5K.  (Yes, I ran a ten mile race last weekend and am running another ten mile race next weekend. I realize I’m crazy.)  When I say local, I mean that it started a few blocks from [...]]]> I think that maybe I think about finances and value a little too much.

This weekend, I ran a local 5K.  (Yes, I ran a ten mile race last weekend and am running another ten mile race next weekend. I realize I’m crazy.)  When I say local, I mean that it started a few blocks from my apartment.  It seemed silly not to run!

After the race, I started to think about what I got for my money.  I paid $30 for the race, which benefitted an environmental organization (it was an Earth Day race).  For my money, I got to run a great race, complete with electronic chip timing and closed roads.  It’s nice to be able to run and not worry about cars.  But I also got some tangible things as well.  I got a t-shirt and post-race snacks.  Very nice post-race snacks, actually.

And I started thinking about the cost of those post-race snacks, had I purchased them.  It didn’t add up to much – probably $6 or $7.   And then I wondered why I was putting a price on my race experience.  I ran it for fun, not to get a “deal.”  And it was definitely fun.  And tasty afterwards too.

Sadly, the trip was a bit of a bust.  This was [...]]]> I guess I should have been more clear that I was on vacation over these past few days!  Whoops.  I was just so excited that I forgot to remind everyone to not worry, that I was just out of town and not worrying about blogging.

Sadly, the trip was a bit of a bust.  This was the weekend I was scheduled to run the half-marathon I’ve been planning for for over a year.  Because of all the snow, I’ve been slogging through many treadmill runs, sometimes spending almost two hours on the treadmill.  I overcame that and worked through a few injuries.  I was ready.

And then I caught a stomach virus.  It’s no fun to be sick on vacation.  It’s especially no fun to be sick when you’re supposed to be running a huge race.  I was so upset to not be able to run.  I could hear the fireworks from the start line and it made me so incredibly sad.  But sometimes things just don’t go as you plan.

Other than that, the trip was great, but there’s still kind of a dark cloud over it all.  Thankfully, no one else got sick.  I was so worried that someone in my traveling party would end up sick the day that we were all scheduled to fly home.  As my mom put it, they still might get sick, but at least now they’re all home.  Being sick on vacation is bad.  Being sick while traveling is much worse. 

Because the race was a no-go, I decided to take advantage of the “book now and save” offer that was in the hotel room.  There’s another race in October that I really want to run.  So I called and booked a hotel room.  I can cancel it later for a full refund, but the discount was pretty great, and it’s nice to take that first step towards committing.  My race partner did end up running the race and she did amazing, so I’m happy for her, and she’s willing to come back with me for the October race.   I just hope it all works out.  After all, what are the odds of getting sick again?

So now I’m looking for a local half-marathon to run so that the half-marathon distance doesn’t become my albatross.  I think there’s one in June that looks good.  Plenty of time to get healthy and train.

She’s always got something interesting and informative to say, even though a [...]]]> This weekend, while finally dealing with the giant pile of clothes that needed to be ironed, I caught up on my Suze Orman watching. I record the show every Saturday night, but don’t always get a chance to watch before the weekend’s out.

She’s always got something interesting and informative to say, even though a lot of the information is stuff I know. I still enjoy her show, and am often amused at the things people want to buy during the “Can I Afford It” segment. A $1000 sundae? Seriously?

One thing that came up in one of the episodes I watched was the idea of expensive hobbies. The caller wanted to buy an expensive digital SLR camera, and the caller commented that she had taken up and continued a number of hobbies that turned out to be fairly expensive hobbies. (But she was approved for the camera.)

So naturally, I started thinking about my own hobbies. I also realized that I’m not a huge hobby person. But the few that I came up with are:

• Blogging
• Reading
• Crochetting/Knitting
• Singing
• Running

Blogging is definitely time expensive, but not money expensive. And with the help of ads, I’m able to break even (almost) and also donate money to charity.

I’ve discussed my book addiction here before. I suppose it could be an expensive hobby, but I manage to not spend too much on books. I could spend less by going to the library, which is on the list of things to do once I get through my huge backlog of unread books acquired by friends and family passing them on as well as book swap sites. So all in all, not too expensive a hobby.

My yarnwork hobby has fallen off a bit in the past year or so. I’ve been very good about not buying any new yarn and just working from the stash I have. It helps that right now, I’m working on a giant afghan made with stripes of random colors in order to simply use up a bunch of yarn that I have. Over the past year, I have probably spent less than $80 on yarn, which isn’t exactly a small number, but knitters and crocheters know that amount is actually fairly low. Most of that money was spent on yarn purchased to make a wedding gift as well – without that, the purchases would have been very minimal and probably limited to a spur of the moment purchase at a craft fair that was ultimately turned into a very nice Christmas gift.

Singing could be an expensive hobby, but I have neither the time nor the money for voice lessons, so that helps. The yearly expenditures for this hobby are my choir membership fee and music for the four concerts. I suppose I should also add in the deposit for my choir robe, but that has been paid and will be returned to me when I leave the choir. I also drive to rehearsals every week, and while it’s a short trip, I’m still using some gas. And occasionally, I buy recordings of our concert music on iTunes. All in all, not a very expensive hobby. Probably still under $200 a year.

That leaves running, which is definitely my most expensive hobby. But wait, doesn’t running just require putting on some shoes and putting one foot in front of the other? Well, yes. However, I buy shoes specifically designed for running. I go to specialty running stores to be fitted for shoes and buy those designed for my gait. Think that sounds like a ridiculous marketing ploy? I did, at first. And then I read up on the subject and bought my first real pair of running shoes and felt all the pain in my knees disappear. I will never run in bad shoes again. I buy two or three pairs of shoes a year, though as I continue to up my mileage, I may be buying shoes more frequently. Running shoes cost, on average, between $70 and $100 a pair. Some are more expensive and you can find good running shoes for less. I also have found them on sale. Shoes are typically cheaper online, but unless I’m buying the same exact shoe, I like to try them on and take a little jog in them, something you can do at any good running store. I know some people test shoes in the stores and then buy them online, but this always feels wrong to me. If the salesperson takes the time to help me find the right pair of shoes, the least I can do is buy the shoes from them, even if it does cost me a bit more. I figure I’m paying a bit extra for the service.

I do try to wear clothing designed for running or at least for exercising. It doesn’t matter to me quite as much in the winter, but a shirt made of technical fabric is so much more comfortable than a cotton t-shirt while out running in the 90 degree heat. I don’t buy this type of clothing often – I have just enough to keep me properly attired between laundry days, and that’s all I need. As things wear out, I will likely replace them.

The other expense with running is race entry fees. I don’t race often. I’m not very fast, so I choose my races for the experience alone. Race entry fees range from $5 for small races to over $100 (or more) for big races, plus if you’re running a marathon in another city, there’s also travel and possibly lodging fees. I have yet to run one of these giant races, so for now, my race entry expense is low, but I expect it to increase over the next couple of years.

All in all, I can’t say that I have super expensive hobbies. My most expensive hobby is running, and I’m sure I don’t spend $500 a year on that, probably significantly less (especially in a year like this where I took 2 months off due to a sinus infection I couldn’t kick). Additionally, running is a hobby that’s good for my health, so it’s got that added benefit.

I admit that I’m often tempted by expensive hobbies, such as photography or picking up a new musical instrument and taking lessons. But thankfully, reason has won out and I’m just sticking with what I’ve got. Who has time for more hobbies?