Happy November!  Did anyone watch the NYC Marathon on Sunday?  Wow, what a race!  For sure I thought Desi was going to win since she had a lead halfway through the race.  Joyciline Jepkosgei definitely surprised everyone!  Watching the race inspired me to enter the early drawing for the NYC Marathon.  🙂

This week’s Tuesday Topic: How do you budget for races?  You can write about this topic or feel free to post any running related blog post.  Remember to Link-up with Kim and Zenaida!  Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier!  Remember to come back for later linkers!

Signing up for races is expensive.  Add in travel and airline cost and it gets even more expensive.  You also need to pay for food and additional travel cost.  I’ve run a total of 167 races.  I would say maybe 10 or so have been free but the rest I have paid for on my own.  

Next year I am planning to run the Kona Half Marathon and 7 additional half marathons in different states.  I would also like to run the MCM or NYC Marathon.  I know those trips won’t be cheap.  For now I am saving money using the $5 Savings Challenge.  I save every $5 bill that I get.  I rarely carry cash but use cash when I buy tamales.  🙂  I began saving money using this method in March 2018.  At first I was saving it for lasik eye surgery.  Not that important anymore.  I can wear my glasses.  🙂  I don’t know how much money I have but I plan to find out when I start making hotel arrangements.  

I know I won’t have enough to pay for it.  Plan B is to use my credit card.  I know it isn’t really the best option but I don’t have any other choice.  I am very good about paying my bills on time.  Also, I like the credit card I have (from Chase) because I get cash back every month.  Then I use that money to make a payment on my card.  I just realized that I could have transferred that money to a savings account and used it towards my traveling/race costs.  🙂

Running is definitely not a cheap hobby but I still love it.  Let’s not forget that we still need to buy running shoes, clothes, socks, and additional gear.  

Also, I remember when I would sign up for almost every race.  Not no more.  Now I am picky about the races I run.  There are a few I like to run every year and those are the ones I sign up for in advance to get the early registration fee.

Have you run the Kona Half Marathon?  Have you traveled to Hawaii?  My race will be at the Waikoloa Beach Resort on the Kohala Coast so I am looking for a good and inexpensive place to stay.