portland vs. nike

This is the question.

I have been going back and forth about what my next 26.2 will be for quite some time now (pretty much since my last/first 26.2). Given my schedule (which, at present, is characterized by a full-time job, a part-time job, moving, being tortured by cats and have I mentioned I am also about to start taking two-hour French classes on Monday nights?) and the time I know I will need for training, I am looking for a fall/winter race. And ideally, I am hoping for flat or somewhat flat terrain since I'm still struggling with the hill thing. Also a plus: A fun, scenic location with good spectator support that will provide entertainment and encouragement for the roughly 4.5 hours I will be running, which is the target finishing time -- fingers crossed.

I've narrowed my options to Portland and Nike. Both are in October in amazing cities. But I can't decide what to do: Should I just register for Portland now before the fees go up, or should I try to get a lottery spot for Nike?

Both races have major advantages and disadvantages. Portland is awesome, and if I run there, I will probably get to eat spam sandwiches at BrunchBox again. And I am kind of obsessed with this city -- I love the energy, the food, the people. It would be a great getaway, and the race date is 10.10.10 -- something about the triple numbers is oddly appealing. Also, the course is pretty darn flat. But unfortunately, it does cross train tracks in several spots, and if a train is passing, I may get stuck -- which means minutes of just standing there and waiting (and potentially thinking "Why the hell am I doing this?" and quitting). Also, Portland involves travel, which involves money, which is sort of tough in this economy. And this travel would happen during the height of harvest, which means Todd would not be there for moral support.

Nike is closer to home -- assuming I succeeded with my lottery entry, I'd be running in San Francisco. And instead of a medal, I'd receive a Tiffany necklace, handed out by handsome men in tuxedos at the finish line. However, I've heard the race is pretty disorganized -- not enough aid stations and a chaotic starting line. (And the Web site is already a nightmare to navigate -- I hope this isn't a sign of what's to come.) Rumor also has it that the race is more for half-marathoners than it is for those doing the full; apparently, after the 13.1 mark, crowd support disappears. And this point in the race also happens to be the most boring as far as scenery goes. And the entry fee is already $35 more expensive than Portland, and registration information was just released, so the price can only go up.

What to do, what to do ...

(Although secretly, I think I may already know the answer ... )