Trail Note: On the Road Again

Last time I ran a marathon (October 2002), I took the entire month afterwards off. I swam a few times a week, probably did a little cycling or hiking on the weekends, but really wasn't up (physically or mentally) for much else. I just read an article this weekend in Runner's World about life post-marathon and how important it is to have a plan for that, else run the risk of post-marathon depression.

This time around things are different. I got on my bike and rode to and from work on Tuesday, and ran for the first time on Thursday (4 days after the marathon). I felt great. I ran again Saturday and Sunday, both times wanting to get on the road. I'm crediting it to the Advanced Marathoning training plan: despite running more miles faster than ever before, I never had aches or pains. And while I did feel a little mentally burned out a few months ago, by the time I was into my pre-race taper, I was itching to get more miles in. I feel really fit right now, and don't want to lose that. So, training's back on. I'm not going back to 50+ mile weeks, and plan on adding swimming and cross-training into the mix, but I'll run 3 - 4 times a week. Next race: Vancouver First Half Half Marathon.