FasterGrampyFaster
The last Lewis & Clark Marathon is history. The months of training paid off so it's time to sit back and relax.......
Well kinda.
Running 26.2 miles exacts quite a toll on your body. No matter how good you feel in the days after a marathon your body needs time to recover. That is what I have done the past week. I went for a couple of short runs to test my tight hip flexor and it wasn't until Friday that I felt significant improvement. It still is a bit tight with I first get up from a seated position but I expect that to clear up with a few mare visits to Dr. Rasch for some ART (Active Release Treatment).
After the race on the 23rd I will spend November doing some cross training. Until training for the spring marathon begins on December 11, I need to work on losing some more weight, getting down to 150-155. Dropping my body fat percent and working on some strength and flexibility. It will be nice to have a change in routine.
The last Lewis & Clark Marathon is history. The months of training paid off so it's time to sit back and relax.......
Well kinda.
Running 26.2 miles exacts quite a toll on your body. No matter how good you feel in the days after a marathon your body needs time to recover. That is what I have done the past week. I went for a couple of short runs to test my tight hip flexor and it wasn't until Friday that I felt significant improvement. It still is a bit tight with I first get up from a seated position but I expect that to clear up with a few mare visits to Dr. Rasch for some ART (Active Release Treatment).
Yesterday was the Chicago Marathon. It was a very challenging day for the runners. There is something about heat in Chicago that is just simply harder to deal with than elsewhere. I don't know if it is all the buildings and concrete, 45,000 runners or what.
My team did a great job under trying conditions. Paul & his wife Amy ran a 5:00:10 and 5:14:52; Mary ran her second marathon in 7 days turning in a 4:54:01. And Jaclyn, WOW ran 3:58:50. Ahhh sweet youth!
Our head coach, Kristen suffered in the heat, got heat illness began to black out and wisely decided to withdraw before her condition got so serious she would have to be hospitalized. It is a tough decision to make after over 20 weeks of training and preparation, she has my utmost respect for her effort and for her decision. As I have told my team many times: "Some days you eat da bear and some days da bear eats you." Damn bear!!
It is also common for marathoners to have a bout of depression after a race. Long hard hours and miles preparing for a tremendous challenge and suddenly in a matter of a few hours, it's over. The best treatment is to begin thinking of your next goal. Since, I have an overall long term goal I already had my next goal in mind.
It is a very short term goal. October 23rd will bring the Gumbo Flats Pumpkin Run. This is my "speed" race of the year. I run the 5k (3.1 miles) and this year my goal is to win my age group. The best I have managed in the past was a 3nd place finish. I have checked the past several years and the best time is 23 minutes. I feel that if I can run it in under 22 minutes that I should win. So for the next few weeks I will be doing shorter but faster pace runs. I'll throw in a bit of hill work to strengthen my legs which is always a good thing to build speed and some sprinting to increase turnover rate.
After the race on the 23rd I will spend November doing some cross training. Until training for the spring marathon begins on December 11, I need to work on losing some more weight, getting down to 150-155. Dropping my body fat percent and working on some strength and flexibility. It will be nice to have a change in routine.
I'll let you know how my speed run goes. Until then,
Eric
aka RunGrampyRun
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