Sunday, April 29, 2012

Ok......now what?

To those of you who ran Eugene, Music City, or any of the other marathons on the schedule this weekend, my hat is off to you.......you are all ROCKSTARS.  And those of you who ran half-marathons, my hat is off to you as well, for that is also quite a challenging distance to race.  In fact, here's my salute to any of you who got out there this weekend and raced!

But this post is about something I can only describe as malaise.......I currently follow LOTS of blogs (love to read about everything all of my runner friends are up to!) and for those of us who ran Boston nearly 2 weeks ago, as well as many others who've run other marathons, there seems to be a fairly common sentiment, and it's what I've been struggling with ever since......

Now that I've run __________ , now what????

It's not that I need a training plan/calendar to follow, but considering that it was my focal point for nearly half a year, it's been a rough transition to not have any plan.  I knew this would be difficult, but I'm really having a hard time with it.  My plan was to take a week off from running after Boston, making sure to walk every day to keep the legs moving, but no running.  While my feet still look pretty nasty, my legs are doing pretty well, although my ankles are a little dodgy.  If I take my time building my mileage back up, things should be ok..........but as of now, it seems like my heart really isn't in it.

The week following Boston was our April vacation week, so I was able to recover and rest in relative peace, but last week was back to school......and the first week coming after vacation week is always VERY difficult.  The students never transition very well, so the pressure is on to get things moving without little help from them.  Many of them were glad to see me back and wanted to hear about my Boston experience, as they were actually following me online, as were many of my faculty colleagues. 

So now, what am I to do?  I do have another marathon scheduled (Hartford - 10/13) but my training schedule won't begin until June.....so in the meantime, May is on the doorstep.  The malaise will fade, and will be replaced by my determination to prepare myself for the next challenge, and thankfully the days grow longer, the temperatures get more favorable, and my teaching responsibilities for this school year will end in a few weeks, affording me the wonderful opportunity to train when and where I want. 

The light at the end of the tunnel draws closer, but it's still kinda dark and funky in here.  The only person who can change that is me, and I know what I need to do...........and that's get out there and RUN!  :>)

12 comments:

  1. My next marathon is also in October but I am signed up for the Disneyland Half in September. My plan is to get through this injury and continue to run to keep myself "Half Marathon Ready" at all times. You should sign up for some small races to keep yourself in the game. When I am not injured I try to keep myself signed up for a race most of the time so that I do not lose my motivation. It works! Take Care.

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    1. Great suggestion.......I do have a few smaller races planned between now and October, but right now, it's just a mental struggle to overcome. Which I will!

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    1. thanks, Michelle.......always appreciate your support. You're also doing great, I might add!

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  3. Ahhh, I remember the feeling well... Sometimes I think that mental/emotional post-marathon piece of it is so much harder than the actual marathon!! Power through!! Only good things ahead :)

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    1. thanks, Dyan.........Barb brought me the "No Stopping" sign. The sign is great, but what you wrote on the back was superb.........cannot thank you enough for all of your encouragement and support!

      Now let's get out there and RUN!!!!

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  4. I say find some really fun and awesome shorter races for the summer! I strongly encourage anything that involves wearing a costume. :) Then rather than worrying about running, you can focus on sewing and hot-glueing skills!

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  5. The post-marathon time is weird for sure, and I'm just experiencing some of those conflicting emotions. After my first in February I just wanted to do another one, but many things conspired to make that a less-than-stellar experience. After that, I just wanted to take a break and run just for fun without a real "goal". I will say though, that the desire DOES slowly seep back in, just give it time.

    I know you'll weather this dark place and come shining through...you're just that type of guy.

    Onward....

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  6. Remember that it's just temporary. You'll be back in the swing of it in no time! Many small races around our area:

    http://www.runningintheusa.com/Race/List.aspx?Rank=Upcoming&State=MA&Page=1

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  7. I always struggle with post marathon blues. The first few days are all, "YAY I can relax!!!" followed closely by, "well, NOW what?"

    You'll know what's right for you. Maybe some small fun races. Maybe running with friends. Maybe just running with no watch for the joy it brings. But no matter what, it'll pass, and you'll be back at it again :)

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  8. I would say just take it easy and run by feel and "stress free" until your training starts in June. May will go by really quickly and you will be back to training before you know it. A 5k or 10k could be fun too. :) Good luck!

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  9. In the past I would always try and start marathon training within a week of finishing one. Next time around, I'm going to try and give my body more rest and time to recover. I would say right now you have an excuse not to be following a plan, and enjoying a break from running Boston.

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