It's been one month since I ran the marathon. The days don't seem quite as long now. I can almost feel the breeze, whipping past my aching legs...almost. But then it goes away...and I wonder, will I ever, ever feel that way again?
Sike! This has been a great month. I've really taken advantage of my new found free time and have gotten back in touch with friends, including the better-rested, less-stressed version of myself that I'm quite fond of. The things that needed attention, like say, what I'm doing with my life, have also been getting the attention they deserve, and I'm finding that things are going in a direction.
Not to say that I didn't love training for the marathon and then running it. If you've read any of my posts, you know that I did. Satisfaction doesn't even begin to describe the feeling that I would get after a run. Athletics have never really been my thing, so it was a new and very appreciated experience.
But now I find myself here, one month later, asking what's next. Since I'm the type A person that I am (sorta), I can actually tell you what's next!
1) the Hyannis Half Marathon--this one will probably be on my schedule every year as long as I am in the area.
2) Massachusetts Reach The Beach Relay in May--it's the inaugural year for this springtime race, and team Too Late to Turn Back (from Vermont!) is at it again
I've realized a couple of things that I wish I had done differently in my training the past year. I really wish I had done more speedwork. Speed was not my goal when I did those races, I really just wanted to finish, but now that I've done the races, I think it's okay to let my competitive side out a bit. No more running just for the hell of it. Well that's not true...but more speed workouts. We'll just go with that....
And in case you were wondering, the number of times I've run since the marathon? 5 times. 5 glorious, wonderful times.
Kristin, it is so nice to keep up with you and your running through this blog. I can relate to so many of the feelings and the emotions you write of. One word of advice, it is GOOD to get the speedwork into the training, but NEVER, ever forget why you run... Because you *love* to do it. And taking time away from the run? 5 runs? There is probably nothing more important to keep yourself invested in it. Like so many things, it takes stepping back from the run to realize just how much you really love it. :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats again, lady! You will have a great running year. Take care of yourself - 8 hours of sleep is the best training you can give your body. Take it from experience :)
Lauren