Next Goals

OK, I'll admit it. I'm goal oriented.

The post marathon recovery has been making me crazy, since the only reasonable goal I could come up with was to feel healthy and get back into the groove. That's just not a very exciting goal.

It seems odd somehow, to go from being in the best shape I've ever been in, to semi-out-of-commission. I didn't suffer any injury per se in the marathon, but my legs definitely took a beating, and it feels like a set back in terms of my fitness.

The momentum is, at least, shifting my way. I've been able to run every other day for 6-8 miles, and the spring is returning to my stride. The only catch is that I've been getting a hint of discomfort toward the end of these runs. It has been coming later and later though, indicating (I hope) that I'm on the road to recovery.

I've been dying to pursue my next goal -- some fast times in shorter races.

Next week, the morning Flyers return to speed work on Tuesdays. We've just been running the loop since the marathon. On Sunday there is a 15K, which is 9.3 miles. This morning's 8 miles was the longest I have run since the marathon, so I may run the 15K as a training run. I hope to pick up the pace a bit the following weekend for the 10k, and be ready to really race one week later for the NYRR Holiday 4 miler.


I could PR the 15K, since my best time for this distance is quite slow -- slower than my usual training pace. The 10K will be tougher to PR unless I'm feeling pretty strong. The 4 miler is a good target. I have run a 5 mile race at a faster pace than my current 4 mile PR, and I should be fully back by then. I would love to really nail this one. Ah, dreams.

Note to self: find some reindeer antlers.

Back in the Saddle

I ran a couple of miles on the treadmill earlier this week, but today I had my first "real" run since the marathon. TH and I ran the 5 mile loop in the park at a relaxed pace. It was great to be running again. TH announced that today was his first day of training for next year's NY Marathon (sorry TH if that wasn't supposed to be public), and I had no choice but to match his declaration.

It's been nearly a 2 week layoff, and I was worried about how I would feel. Worried that my legs might not have recovered, and worried that I might have lost all the fitness that I had worked so hard for.

My legs do not have the full spring that they had, but I think they are OK to get back into training. As for fitness, I wasn't breathing hard or feeling tired (other than the muscles in my legs).

One thing is sure -- I haven't lost a bit of enthusiasm or drive. I'm dying to get going again!

That's what I'm talkin' about

Marathon Report

OK, this is my third try at writing a post after the Marathon. It was an amazing experience, one that I will never forget. So much happened that I will be processing it for a while. In the meantime, I offer this summary:

High point of the day: My seven year old son spotting me at the "friends and family" area after the race, yelling "Daddy!!!" and running up to give me a hug. I may not have been the object of envy for the other runners during the race, but at that moment, I was king of the world.

Low point: The walk out after crossing the finish line. I took me over an hour to get out of the park, during which time I was cramping up pretty badly. Fortunately, the cramps were worked out by the time made it out.

Short story: Ran well, feeling great to mile 19, then suddenly hit the wall. Limped through the next couple of miles, then somehow recovered enough to finish with dignity in tact.

Time to beat next year: 3 hours 55 minutes 40 seconds.