It has been a while since I have posted. I have been busy, but I know that is no excuse, so now what you have all been waiting for, my thoughts related to the marathon, post race recovery, and now post race training.
The marathon was amazing. I ran and ran and ran and had such a great time at a race that was meant to be fun and in classic Disney fashion it was. The marathon was a result of roughly six months of training. It all started in July when I trained for my first half, also at Disney, the Wine and Dine Half Marathon. I had been playing with the idea of a marathon since I did my first run over eighteen months ago. I simply picked up my marathon training following the end of the half. It was a very long training program.
It was also hard, it was not so much the long weekend runs that were difficult, I just came to expect to run one of those days for a really long time. The part that made the training hard was the dark morning runs and the lengthening of the mid-week runs. I never suffered so much injury during any other time then I did during those runs. It was worth it to a point, but the injuries did leave me out of training for two weeks; quite possibly the most important two weeks, the tapering weeks. Needless to say the day finally came when we traveled to Disney and it all became real.
At Disney I decided to take it upon myself to do somethings that I thought would help. I ran a little 5k on the Friday before the Marathon. I thought of it as an excuse to loosen up before the race and let my muscles relax. I did have a second motive, remember that two-week running hiatus, it was due to a painful foot issue on the top of my foot. I was afraid that it was a fracture and I had hoped the time off would have helped heal my foot. Luckily it appeared to be a minor irritant at most and the run was super successful. I then took the rest of the weekend off. I did not go to the parks, stay up late, or anything. I made it appoint to rest and stretch. Now on to the marathon and my thoughts related to that run.
The marathon is an amazing undertaking by any person, especially if that person is me.
I don't know the last time anyone looked at me but, I am not exactly the form of a traditional runner. I am tall and heavy and average speed, not tall, lanky, and full of speed. That being said it was more of a start finish mentality, I wanted to do well don't get me wrong, but I knew I was not going to do it in five hours like I wanted so I decided to make the best of it. I choose to stop for pictures, race against people I could pass, find ways to cut the distance (take the inside corner don't run way to the outside), and generally change my attitude to be one of fun and happiness. That worked for a while I would say for close to 20 miles that worked and then it began to not work.
I had discovered that the constant starting and stopping for the pictures and such was wearing me out much faster then I had anticipated. I had a weird pace through out the entire race. I was using the run/walk method proposed by Olympian Jeff Galloway, and it seemed that as soon as I hit a good stride I had a water stop. Well, I knew enough to stop for water, but dealing with the ongoing starting and stopping was killing me. In retrospect I think I should have ran faster and that would have made things more enjoyable for me and I would have been better overall.
Around mile 20 is when it started to wear on me - the race was taking a mental toll. I had stopped getting pictures by this point, but I was really beginning to worry that I would never have finished the race. I knew that I had a 10k left, but it was not enough to repeat that to myself, it was annoying. I had OK music going at this time so that was not it and I WAS NOT about to stop, I was just annoyed by the whole thing. It got better at mile 23, but those in between miles were horrible. I had lost track of which miles I was on, I felt like I was running in molasses, my feet had swelled, me knees had swelled, nothing was well lubricated and functioning as it should. I did not break with my routine though and then it happened. I hit EPCOT and I knew it was over, it did not matter from that point on and the best part was things started to click again. I got excited, I felt my feet stay swollen, but they were not growing. My muscles let me know that there was more to give and I took full advantage of it.I dug deep to finish strong and I had the common sense to take out my headphones as I crossed the finish line so I could get a good picture at the end.
I crossed that finish line and new it was finished and well ran and that made meeting my family all the better, because I left without wondering if I could have done more.
Now, I am in post training mode and I had to tell with the body turmoil that came on me following the race. I had to deal with my body not shutting down, but not functioning at 100%. Let me explain. I was good Monday, but I think on Tuesday when I got sick it was an opportunistic virus took over with my reduced immunity system. I slept, became feverish, and hurt all over for a couple for days. I took zero week off (zero week is the first week following the marathon) and as a result slept a lot and I still find myself sleeping and feeling more sleepy now then before. I have been sticking to my four week recovery plan and I am in the end of week one and I feel better everyday. The running is picking back up, the nights are lengthening allowing for running when I get home from work, and my body is responding well. I have even added some weight training ( and trust me I needed it) to help in the recovery.
I know from my reading that any aerobic activities that lasted over several hours hurts the body more then helps and I developed several micro pulls and tears in the body and only time would heal them. Time and long hot baths and showers and Advil and muscle rub. I am probably about 90% now and I think a lot about what will come next, what race, what trial, what, what, what?...Well dear friends, I can tell you. I have the Cool Shark 5k, the Sydney Lanier Bridge Run, and then the Gate River Run! After these have been completed I will take some time off and really rest for a few weeks.
I do have a last bit of good and exciting news about further races down the road. I met up with an old college friend Clint Houchins and he, and his lovely wife, have inspired me to run the marathon again. I am trying to rub that enthusiasm off on my wife and convince her to run the Wine and Dine Half-marathon in October, either with me or someone else as a relay. I have also decided that I am going to try another unknown. In Savannah for the first time ever the Rock and Roll Marathon Series is coming and I am going to do the half and only the half because - Clint and I have agreed to run all three Disney races on marathon weekend! That's right, I found a man as crazy as me and we are going to do the 5k, half, and whole that weekend! I am totally thrilled! Look out world here I come...
P.S.
Did I mention I am over half way on my new shoes, looks like I will be getting a new pair before I know it.
The marathon was amazing. I ran and ran and ran and had such a great time at a race that was meant to be fun and in classic Disney fashion it was. The marathon was a result of roughly six months of training. It all started in July when I trained for my first half, also at Disney, the Wine and Dine Half Marathon. I had been playing with the idea of a marathon since I did my first run over eighteen months ago. I simply picked up my marathon training following the end of the half. It was a very long training program.
It was also hard, it was not so much the long weekend runs that were difficult, I just came to expect to run one of those days for a really long time. The part that made the training hard was the dark morning runs and the lengthening of the mid-week runs. I never suffered so much injury during any other time then I did during those runs. It was worth it to a point, but the injuries did leave me out of training for two weeks; quite possibly the most important two weeks, the tapering weeks. Needless to say the day finally came when we traveled to Disney and it all became real.
At Disney I decided to take it upon myself to do somethings that I thought would help. I ran a little 5k on the Friday before the Marathon. I thought of it as an excuse to loosen up before the race and let my muscles relax. I did have a second motive, remember that two-week running hiatus, it was due to a painful foot issue on the top of my foot. I was afraid that it was a fracture and I had hoped the time off would have helped heal my foot. Luckily it appeared to be a minor irritant at most and the run was super successful. I then took the rest of the weekend off. I did not go to the parks, stay up late, or anything. I made it appoint to rest and stretch. Now on to the marathon and my thoughts related to that run.
The marathon is an amazing undertaking by any person, especially if that person is me.
I don't know the last time anyone looked at me but, I am not exactly the form of a traditional runner. I am tall and heavy and average speed, not tall, lanky, and full of speed. That being said it was more of a start finish mentality, I wanted to do well don't get me wrong, but I knew I was not going to do it in five hours like I wanted so I decided to make the best of it. I choose to stop for pictures, race against people I could pass, find ways to cut the distance (take the inside corner don't run way to the outside), and generally change my attitude to be one of fun and happiness. That worked for a while I would say for close to 20 miles that worked and then it began to not work.I had discovered that the constant starting and stopping for the pictures and such was wearing me out much faster then I had anticipated. I had a weird pace through out the entire race. I was using the run/walk method proposed by Olympian Jeff Galloway, and it seemed that as soon as I hit a good stride I had a water stop. Well, I knew enough to stop for water, but dealing with the ongoing starting and stopping was killing me. In retrospect I think I should have ran faster and that would have made things more enjoyable for me and I would have been better overall.
Around mile 20 is when it started to wear on me - the race was taking a mental toll. I had stopped getting pictures by this point, but I was really beginning to worry that I would never have finished the race. I knew that I had a 10k left, but it was not enough to repeat that to myself, it was annoying. I had OK music going at this time so that was not it and I WAS NOT about to stop, I was just annoyed by the whole thing. It got better at mile 23, but those in between miles were horrible. I had lost track of which miles I was on, I felt like I was running in molasses, my feet had swelled, me knees had swelled, nothing was well lubricated and functioning as it should. I did not break with my routine though and then it happened. I hit EPCOT and I knew it was over, it did not matter from that point on and the best part was things started to click again. I got excited, I felt my feet stay swollen, but they were not growing. My muscles let me know that there was more to give and I took full advantage of it.I dug deep to finish strong and I had the common sense to take out my headphones as I crossed the finish line so I could get a good picture at the end.
I crossed that finish line and new it was finished and well ran and that made meeting my family all the better, because I left without wondering if I could have done more.
Now, I am in post training mode and I had to tell with the body turmoil that came on me following the race. I had to deal with my body not shutting down, but not functioning at 100%. Let me explain. I was good Monday, but I think on Tuesday when I got sick it was an opportunistic virus took over with my reduced immunity system. I slept, became feverish, and hurt all over for a couple for days. I took zero week off (zero week is the first week following the marathon) and as a result slept a lot and I still find myself sleeping and feeling more sleepy now then before. I have been sticking to my four week recovery plan and I am in the end of week one and I feel better everyday. The running is picking back up, the nights are lengthening allowing for running when I get home from work, and my body is responding well. I have even added some weight training ( and trust me I needed it) to help in the recovery.
I know from my reading that any aerobic activities that lasted over several hours hurts the body more then helps and I developed several micro pulls and tears in the body and only time would heal them. Time and long hot baths and showers and Advil and muscle rub. I am probably about 90% now and I think a lot about what will come next, what race, what trial, what, what, what?...Well dear friends, I can tell you. I have the Cool Shark 5k, the Sydney Lanier Bridge Run, and then the Gate River Run! After these have been completed I will take some time off and really rest for a few weeks.
I do have a last bit of good and exciting news about further races down the road. I met up with an old college friend Clint Houchins and he, and his lovely wife, have inspired me to run the marathon again. I am trying to rub that enthusiasm off on my wife and convince her to run the Wine and Dine Half-marathon in October, either with me or someone else as a relay. I have also decided that I am going to try another unknown. In Savannah for the first time ever the Rock and Roll Marathon Series is coming and I am going to do the half and only the half because - Clint and I have agreed to run all three Disney races on marathon weekend! That's right, I found a man as crazy as me and we are going to do the 5k, half, and whole that weekend! I am totally thrilled! Look out world here I come...
P.S.
Did I mention I am over half way on my new shoes, looks like I will be getting a new pair before I know it.
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