DanM wrote:
8:15 per mile puts me at the 25th percentile ? I should be able to do that in a few months when I enter a 5K. My 60th Birthday is this week.
You made my day.
Not only will it get into the top 25%, it will probably place you in the top 3 of M 60-64 in most races.
There are also many fit, young women who run around that time. So that's additional benefit. ;)
Some interesting discussion on this thread, and sounds like it's pretty much come full circle already. But I'll add my $0.02 anyway.
Some of the happiest periods of my life coincided with very low income. Relevant to the OP's dreams, I did bum around for a few years after college, and ran sub-14 - definitely not fast enough to make any worthwhile money! Zero regrets about that. It was a ton of fun! But I did that *after* college, so I knew I had an exit strategy when I decided to move on.
Re. earning $35,000, one thing I'd add is that earning $35,000 isn't THAT easy. Most of the ways you can earn $35,000 with minimal qualifications turn out to be not a ton of fun. If you think going to class is boring, try stocking shelves for a few decades. You may be able to find a job that suits your likes and personality, doesn't take too much time and effort, and pays $35,000. But don't count on it unless you already have a concrete and realistic plan.
Bottom line, as many others have said: a full ride to run in college is a pretty good gig. If you're getting room and board, it's not all that different from having a $35,000 job, except you probably have more free time now than in the alternate scenario.
Anyway, good luck with your decisions (and your running). One thing I'll heartily endorse: don't get caught up in chasing a high paycheck. Living inexpensively gives you a ton of choices about what you do and don't want to do in life (as opposed to, say, thinking that you need $100,000/year to be happy). That plus college is a winning combination.
Thanks podfinder.
Ttt
Define poor. But a lot of people after a basic level of income are happy.
Make the effort to get your degree in a vocation with future demand that you can sink your teeth into. Especially if on a free ride. It's more about having greater options as others hereon have noted. I saved to get started in a community college, then worked part time at $1.65 per hour to cover the continuing costs at a CSU. Poor as a church mouse was I. But the exposure was worth it. Was perfectly happy most of the time. Now financially secure I don't feel any different than back then when a weekly 20 cent donut was a treat.