Pro/Con/Pro: Signing Up For A Half Marathon

So you’re thinking of signing up for the Love Run half marathon (or full, go you!) in April or the Broad Street Run in May. But maybe… don’t? We’re here to help you decide.

Meredith Mitchell: Full disclosure: I’m against exercise. (Ed. note: she’s currently wearing workout clothes). It’s pointless. You can condition your body for laziness by just never exercising. Then, the everyday things—like climbing upstairs to your art history class—that becomes exercise.

Kyla Balkan: *Cites plethora of research on benefits of cardiovascular activity*

MM: OK, pro: I’m into the social context of exercise.

KB: True, you can sign up with your friends, maybe meet some cute fellow runners…

MM: Use it as an excuse to buy cute Lululemon stuff!

KB: Con – you spend all of your money at Lululemon

MM: Another con – are you doing this for you? Or are you just doing it for the friends? You need to be empowered in your decision-making!

KB: But the fact that you are maintaining a strict running schedule to train is empowering! That’s pretty badass. Which leads me to the big pro: you can brag about it so much. You are better than everyone else. You can just drop the fact that you ran a half marathon super casually in conversation.

MM: Screw that. My brain is on a marathon. My brain is toned.

KB: Another con is that you have to make your friends get up early and stand out in the cold to watch you finish the race, and they might secretly resent you for years to come. Or, maybe that’s a pro: you use this to test your friends’ loyalty. Or how good they are at coming up with excuses.

MM: Or test your significant other!

KB: Pro – assuming some people do come to support you, they’ll make cute signs and you get a great Instagram at the end.

MM: No. People will respect your “I’m not running a half marathon” lazy day pizza and donuts Instagram more. People respect honesty. At the end of the day though, we can’t deny that training for and running a half will make you fit af. You will be so powerful.

KB: And, hey, you can always sign up now, then change your mind and spam all your listervs trying to sell your bib.