How a Marathon is Like Having a Baby & Back to Running

Training for a marathon takes months.  I spent days of every week and hours of every weekend getting ready for the Bozeman Marathon.  Like being pregnant it has joy, pleasure, excitement, pain, frustration, insanity....

After months of preparation, it all culminates to a place in time called waiting.  The last weeks of training are for tapering - where mileage is cut way back to allow the body time to recover before the big event.  This is a CRAZY time.  Feelings of inadequacy, fear of injury and illness, lack of trust in the training... these things are all part of it.  "I should get one more 20 miler in before the race."  "I wish I hadn't taken those extra rest days."  "Maybe I should pick something different to wear."  It goes on and on.

THEN it gets worse!  The dreams!  No... I don't mean hopes and ambitions.  I mean crazy dreams.  Several nights I dreamed that I woke up late and missed the start of the race or that I got to the start line without any shoes or that the race was cancelled after I started running.  A good nights sleep was fleeting.

At last the big day arrives, full of excitement and anticipation.  None of those bad dreams come to fruition.  All is well.  The experience is everything I hope for and a box of chocolates.  Five hours of effort to close the months of training.  Beautiful.

Then like Christmas, its over.  Just a happy memory.

Two days after the race I felt like I was walking in mud.  The blues settled in deep and took me by surprise.  Nobody mentioned that this would come with post-partum depression.  It was over.  Now what?  After spending the day feeling sad, I took a good look at my dilemma and decided I needed a plan.  I needed to know what is next.

I could have bought new running shoes.  That always helps.

But instead, I went race shopping.  Joy!  I already have a race schedule on the books for 2016:

* March - Run to the Pub

* June - Yellowstone Half Marathon

Plus whatever smaller races fit in to our busy life.

But the next big race.......

I love Missoula and this marathon is mostly flat.  I'm pretty excited about this new plan.

On another note....

I got back to running yesterday.  I only took 3 full days off.  I feel pretty good and a day without running is like:

Yesterday's 4 miler was good.  Today's 3.5 was pretty much awesome.  I got my fasted 5K time.

I felt like being "sparkly"

Then Mitch took me to the winery and I enjoyed a lovely glass of Summer Blend (I helped bottle this a few months back):

I much prefer red wine, but sometimes you just gotta be different.

And I just feel like bragging a little right now.....

 

Medals from Left to Right:  Women's Run (maybe 2011?), Bozeman Marathon (1/2) 2014, Run to the Pub Half Marathon 2015, Yellowstone Half Marathon 2015, Montana Island Challenge 2015, Bozeman Marathon 2015 and the Hogwarts Running Club Platform 9 3/4k virtual race 2015.

                                    

Ok... I need a better pic of the truck window.

Until next time.