My goal is to run a sub 3 marathon. I am quite a bit away from that having just run a half marathon at 1:30.
35 years old - Lifetime miles: about 5,000
2016 - 600
2017 - 1,000
2018 - 1,500
2019 - on pace for about 2,200
A. Should I skip running the local November marathon this year since I know I will come in around 3:10 - 3:15? With the taper and then recovery would it be better to just skip the marathon and continue cranking out 60 mile weeks with the plan of focusing on fitness gains for November 2020 attempt? Also, money is tight so $110 entry fee is not something for me to sneeze at.
B. Or... should I run the marathon because the race experience worth the taper and recovery.
Thanks