The Post Training Effect

We're now two full weeks removed from the marathon. It really seems like it was months ago. I ran three of four times last week, including an 8.5 miler on Saturday. I took it nice and easy and didn't really pay too much attention to my pace. I'll continue to try to get out four times per week in the coming months and will try to get in a longer run on the weekend. The goal is to run at least 20 miles a week, but more would be okay too. It's much harder for me to get out and pound out serious miles when I am not training, but I'd really like to not completely lose the fitness level I have worked all summer to attain. I know running only 20-30 miles is not the easiest way to do that, but it will have to do. The weather is definitely beginning to work against me, but I am usually fine as long as it stays above 20 degrees and there isn't any ice.

I typically will run a 10K, a half, and then the full marathon every year. I may throw in a 10K or 5K here or there (in the late fall/spring) to keep me fresh. Also, I would kind of like to take the edge off of the races I do them in the training session. I think I kind of put too much weight on them when they happen and wouldn't mind if they were more of a regular occurrence. Now that I think of it, I have run more marathons than any other race. I have run 4 10Ks, 5 half marathons and now 7 marathons. I think there may be another random Nike race in there as well, but I don't remember the distance. It was probably a 10K, now that I think of it, but it wasn't a timed race.

So I am thinking the more I run the shorter races, the better off I will be and they will seem like much less of an event. Plus, I can fine-tune my strategy and experiment with coming out of the gates really fast, slow or whatever I feel like. Maybe I can set a couple new PRs as well. So, I'll keep you posted and see if there's something in the area in the near future.

Tiffany has also been joking around lately about me running the marathon next year. I think you can pretty much book it at this point. I have recently really realized how much I enjoy running. Even the randomness and chance that can happen during a marathon that can be so frustrating is still appealing for some reason. I know I can post even faster marathon times and feel like I have learned more about training in the last three months than in any three month period in my life. There's plenty of people out there with knowledge and experience who are willing to offer their insight to help you train and run smarter, which should ultimately lead you to an even better finishing time.

That's about it for now. Oh, I should add the toes are trying to heal and the leg is much better. You don't have to ask about the leg/calf anymore. I think rest and the Stick have helped heal my muscles. If you are an athlete of any kind that experiences any type of soreness, I highly recommend the Stick. Feel free to ask me any questions if you are curious about it.