Good grief, I just realized I have been in perpetual marathon training for more than a year!!
I started training for last year's Country Music Marathon in January of last year. I ran the race in late April and took May for recovery with mostly short, easy runs. In June I started creeping up my mileage again, and in July officially started a 20-week training program for the St. Jude Memphis Marathon on December 5. I made it through 19.5 weeks of that training and then was sidelined with a sinus infection and bronchitis just days before the race. (DEVASTATING, as you might imagine.)
I recovered somewhat and decided to attempt the Jacksonville Marathon two weeks later so all that wonderful training (over-training perhaps?) wouldn't go to waste. Seven days before the race, my nine-year-old came down with a horrible stomach bug. It took out a new family member about every 36 hours, finially getting to me a mere three days before the race. For 24 hours I couldn't eat or drink--or "keep" anything for long if I did. And this was during the first day of carbo-loading. (Not quite as devastating, but very DISAPPOINTING still.)
So I found myself in the middle of December with 22 weeks of marathon training and two marathon tapers, but no marathons, behind me. What is a running addict to do???
Keep running. (Because we just went to Disney and saw the Finding Nemo show, the phrase "Just keep swimming" comes to mind.) I have been continuing to log marathon-worthy mileage--- a week of 32 miles, another week with 34, an 18-mile long run one week and a 19-miler a couple of weeks later. I'm avoiding doing another big 2-0 because they are so punishing and intimidating and somehow 18 or 19 is easier to wrap the mind around.
In other words, I'm KEEPING MY OPTIONS OPEN. Maybe I'll do a race in the near future. I can't stay in perpetual marathon training forever. Can I?
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4 comments:
I hope you find a race and stay healthy for it!
You sure can!
Girl, you're amazing. To keep up those miles for so long. I hope you find a marathon soon and put it all to "use" so to speak. If that's what you're really hoping for yourself, anyway.
Oh my! That is quite a long training schedule. LOL. I got pregnant and had to go on bed rest before my first marathon, sidelining me until the following year. I know how frustrating paying for a race (or two!) and not getting to run it can be.
Good luck finding your perfect race! I hope the circumstances and constellations line up perfectly for you!
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