Today, I ran the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run in Washington, D.C. Definitely a worthwhile way to spend $30 and a few hundred calories. I’m not a fast runner by any means, and running in the cold rain was probably not the ideal setting, but it was so worthwhile. I can’t explain how much fun the run was, and how great it was to see all the spectators cheering the runners on, especially those in the 11-12 minute mile pack. Thanks to all of them for staying out in the rain to cheer on their friends and family.
That said, I’ve been re-bitten by the racing bug and am scouring for an enjoyable, inexpensive half marathon in the area. Running is definitely not a cheap hobby. While you don’t need a whole lot of special gear, for long runs, technical t-shirts are much more comfortable than cotton t-shirts, and I am happy to pay a premium for good running shoes that keep me from injury. Some people can run in whatever shoes they happen to pick up at a discount store, others of us are the types of runners who do better with shoes designed for specific running forms. My shoes are typically in the $80-$100 range, and I buy 3-4 pair a year. Still cheaper than doctor bills though!
And now I am going to sit on my couch and rest. And enjoy the fact that I don’t have to do a training run tomorrow.
Megan is a 40-something government employee in the Washington, DC area. She got interested in Personal Finance when she got out of college and realized that her paycheck wasn’t going to go as far as she had hoped. Since starting this blog, she has managed to buy a house and make a solid start on her retirement goals, and hopes to help others do the same. Here is her story:
In 2007, I was a gainfully employed 20-something with no debt but not a lot of knowledge about personal finance. It was a co-worker’s comment about Roth IRAs that sent me to the internet, searching for information. It was then that I realized that I really didn’t know a whole lot about personal finance and that my current financial situation was due a lot to inherent frugal tendencies, generous family members, a fear of debt, and good luck. While that was working for me, clearly I needed a better plan.
While I had no debt, I was also pretty much living paycheck to paycheck and not worrying about going over budget (I say this as if I had a real budget) because I had an emergency fund set aside to cover any overages.
Except that’s not what an emergency fund is for.
So I did a lot of research, read a lot of blogs, and decided that I needed a plan. I needed to budget. I needed to know what I was spending my money on. I needed to prepare for the future.
I decided to create a blog not only to make myself accountable to others but also to share the knowledge that I gained along the way. I’ve learned so much from my fellow bloggers, and I hope that my readers can find something useful in what I have to share as well.
Congrats on finishing the marathon.
It’s also probably cheaper then joining a gym. Espeically in the DC area!