Conflicting priorities - the road less traveled

With apologies to Robert Frost, two of my roads are diverging and I have chosen to take the one less traveled by, but that has created something of a dilemma.

In less than three weeks now I'll be toeing the line at the Glass City Marathon and am poised to run my fastest marathon in a dozen or more years.  To realize that goal, I need to execute the plan which was so carefully crafted some four months ago.  This includes an effective taper from here to race day, a gargantuan effort on race day and then a smart recovery period of not less than two weeks. 

The other road leads toward that mountaintop I just recently decided to travel toward, the one called the Woodstock 100 mile Ultra Marathon.  Sticking to my original marathon plan essentially means 5 weeks out of an already short ultra training plan.  A hardcore marathon effort could be a detriment to the ultra plan.

Sorry that I cannot travel both roads, long I sit, considering the options both.

My desire is to make the Ultra about something so much bigger than myself, that the journey would serve to motivate and inspire others to travel their own roads less traveled.  The marathon goal is more self-serving, desiring to satisfy more selfish goals.  Said that way, it seems easy to suggest I sacrifice the one for good of the greater, nobler goal.

And yet, long I sit...

Daily we are faced with countless decisions.  Each one leads us either closer to or further from the goal.  A failure to decide is a decision in itself.  Lack of goal setting, planning and decision making will lead to a life of default rather than design and destiny.

May we all, like Robert Frosts Traveler, say "I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference".

Press On Friends.

Update: The deal is done.  Perhaps I knew all along, in my heart of hearts, that this Ultra is really about something so much bigger than myself.  Feels like a destiny moment.  For that reason, I must unashamedly, unabashedly pursue such a moment.  Something I recently read struck a cord, regarding pre-Ultra races, the author suggested racing such that you are "used, but not used up".  That will be my goal on marathon day.