Choices, choices, choices

I don't know what you talk about with your hairdresser, but with mine, I talk about running.  My hairdresser started running a couple of years ago, and while getting my hair cut on Saturday, I was trying to convince her that it's time to run a race.  And then she turned the tables on me.  I didn't race at all in 2012, and I know that a race on the horizon would help give me an extra push out of bed when the alarm goes of in the morning.

One of the other hairdressers is also a runner and is planning to run the BMO Vancouver 1/2 Marathon.  We were both trying to convince my hairdresser to run it too, and then they tried to convince me to run it.

Hmm.

At 14 weeks away, training for the race is doable.

Double hmm.

Here's the thing:  I know I won't PR.  I know that's not the be all and end all, but with each half that I've run in the past, I've improved my time.  And I really, really, really want a sub-2 hour half marathon time.  I've been sooooooo close.  My best two times are both under 2:01:00.  I'm just not running as fast or as much now as when I started training for those races.  I could run this race as a warm up race to a PR later in the summer, but it's $109 to register (I've missed the early bird), which is kinda pricey!  It's also the weekend after what is going to be a very busy week at work.  Add to that the fact that I've had two, not so great experiences at previous BMO Vancouver events.  Aaaand, I live an 8 hour drive away from Vancouver (but I do have friends I can stay with).  I am starting to feel like I'd like to train for a longer distance race, but I'm just not sure.

So I started looking into other options.  The same weekend as the BMO race in Vancouver, there is a 5K and 8K race in Vanderhoof, which is 3 hours away.  The next most obvious choice for a half is in Prince George a month later.  I am pretty sure that I will run in that race (either 10K or the half).  I've done the half before, and while it's not the most scenic course, it's in a familiar area and it's a nice small race which I like.

There's also the Scotiabank half marathon in Vancouver later in June, and Lululemon's Sea Wheeze half marathon in August which looked like a lot of fun last year, and lots of other smaller races in between. I have lots of choices to make, but I just can't decide!!!

Have you run any great half marathons in BC?  Which is your favourite half marathon?  Any great Okanagan races for any distance?