I rarely fly into a rage and shoot steam out my ears, but when filling out online forms, it happens sometimes.

I recently missed the deadline to register for a race by mail. I know it’s old-school, and uncool, but I like it because it’s S-I-M-P-L-E.

So I go online and I’m blocked from registering because I don’t know my password. Apparently I registered for a previous race through the same race registration company and had to get a password.

The steam inside my head is starting to pressurize.

A new, temporary password has to be emailed. Sometimes this takes longer than you’re told.

I finally get in, and here’s a list of several free newsletters that will be emailed to me. I don’t want these newsletters, but all the boxes are checked. I have to uncheck each box.

Next…what’s with this list? I can pick three magazines to try free. I have to give my credit card number, and I’ll be charged for the free issues and a year’s subscription if I don’t cancel promptly before the end of the trial period. I see a risk of me and my money becoming separated, and…..why is this even here?

Next is registration fee insurance. For $7.99, one-fifth the $40 entry fee, I’ll get a refund if I’m unable to make the race. This would make sense if it was a very high entry fee and such a tough race that preparing for it could lead to injury, but buying insurance to cover forty dollars?

Finally, I come to the payment section. Fetch my credit card. Enter sixteen digits. Enter expiration date. Enter my top secret security code. Double check for mistakes.

For using this time-consuming, on-line debacle filled with amazingly valuable offers, $3.95 is added to my race fee.

To top it off, I missed out on another benefit of paper registration – getting in a run to my mailbox for pick up.