After finishing the Chicago Marathon last October, training for a specific distance was no longer my priority. Due to the unexpected calf issue during the race, I figured strength training should take focus over mileage during my off-season so for the remainder of 2022, that’s what I did.
Well, mostly.
This year I began increasing mileage again but it seemed that every time I reached a groove, my body would tell me, “Oh wait, hold up there missy!”
Soon after my last post was published, my right foot acted up the same way it felt in February and then my right knee whispered, “Yoo-hoo, remember me?”
Although I don’t attribute the second time with my knee to actual running. My legs couldn’t resist hearing “Disturbia” from Rihanna when it popped up on a playlist so I guess this means I may need to rule out dancing as a form of cross-training. Sometimes I forget my age isn’t as young-ish as it once was.
Thankfully, those little tweaks were short-lived. Easing up on the miles for a moment helped.
So far, *knock on wood* there haven’t been any other unusual aches and hopefully, it’ll stay that way because I’ve signed up for a marathon! I say with such exuberance as if it’s my first.
After getting ahead of myself and miscounting, what I thought would be my 29th marathon, turns out the Marine Corps Marathon in October could be my 28th. As long as I remember to do all the fun stuff* that comes with actual training.
Oh boy, here we go again!
The Marine Corps Marathon has been on my “Marathons To-Do” list** for several years now and I do kind of regret not running it sooner (preferably between 2009 and 2015) but I never made it a priority.
But if there ever was a time, as Kenny Loggins puts it, this is it.
Plus I kind of need this.
Not that I needed a race on the calendar to feel fulfilled as a runner, but there was certainly a level of disconnect that was growing between me and running.
Maybe it’s because this year I’d make progress, but then I would have to pump the brakes and slow down, or even stop.
While I love running and still love it, taking one step forward, only to take three steps back, was frustrating with these tiny minor setbacks and I could sense my relationship with it was beginning to sour.
Had I been in an officially physically injured state, I wouldn’t have signed up for any race but I’m in a good spot, mentally and physically.
Well, mostly.
I’m going into these hot summer months of training feeling like my base mileage, aerobic endurance, and physicality could have been improved. But they’re better now than they were a few months ago, and that’s a decent place to start.
P.S.
18 weeks until MCM 26.2 starts the week of June 26, and I’ll be sharing a weekly post during this training. Once again making this blog my own accountability partner to help keep me focused. While I enjoyed the process of writing a daily post as I did with Chicago last year, I’m going to switch things up this time around.
P.P.S.
* The fun stuff = running, walking, strength training, mobility exercises, stretching, cross-training (take it easy on the dancing), summer heat training, rest days, questioning some life choices, etc.
* * There is no actual physical marathon to-do list.