Sunday, November 22, 2015

Rebuilding

It has been six weeks since my last marathon.  And five weeks since the last time I ran 20 miles.  The 20 miler caused me more problems than any run since I had recovered from the Philadelphia Rock 'n' Roll Hal Marathon in 2010.  The first week after the fateful 20, I ran less than 4 miles.  The second week after the 20, I ran a little further but it was still less than 8.  Then, in the last three weeks, I have run 24, 26, and 28 miles with long runs of 6, 8, and 10.  That is a reminder of how I had to build when I first became a marathon runner, although that process of building was even slower.  Nevertheless, it was (and continues to be) a good reminder of the need for humility and patience.

As I look ahead, the only race on my calendar before Comrades is the Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving Day.  The goal of that day will be to help my ten year old get his course best.  Don't expect him to have his best race ever on the hilly course, but it would be great to bring him under 30 minutes for our Thanksgiving tradition.

When all was said and done, I am focused on strength, flexibility, lower miles (for me 30 total is lower) and less distance on the longest run of the week for a while.  Next week, I'll go back up to 30 and maybe a half marathon distance.  Then, I'll take five weeks to build back to 40 miles and maybe do 15 for my long before the end of the year.

The other thing that is so different for me is the fact that I ran all four runs (7, 6, 5, and 10) with others.  Four different running partners.  Four very different experiences.  A surprise track workout.  A just plain fast six.  A wonderfully easy 5.  And then 10 at a pace that is faster than I need to run but which helped my partner have her last long run before a marathon next weekend.

Running is doing such different things for me in my life.  New lessons.  New emphases.  It is always interesting to see how it continues to evolve in my life.

As the fall marathon season closes for my fellow runners and I am not five years since my first marathon, it will be interesting to see what the next half decade brings for me.

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