Marathon XXI

The Louisiana Marathon knocked me out pretty hard.

I took didn't run for about a month afterward, instead focusing on stretching and strengthening. My leg needed time to heal, so I tried to work on my core and did some dumbbell work. Nothing too hardcore, but enough to get some decent exercise while not running. Heck, I even gained a few pounds.

Gradually, I worked my way back into running, and the only way I know how to do that is to follow a schedule. And if I'm following a schedule, there's usually a race at the end of it.

So I picked a marathon, hoping that my strength and stamina would come back as I increased the mileage. No speed training, nothing too intense; just mileage.

Most of the time it goes pretty well, but too often, I am experiencing the kind of back pain that I haven't felt since 2015; and on my long, hilly runs I tend to get gassed.

Is my fitness level declining, which I suppose is inevitable as I get older? Am I expecting too much of my body? Should I be incorporating speed training in order to gain more strength?

I do not know, and part of me does not care. The days of PR-chasing are over. If I can get out there, run some miles, have some fun, and see some more of this big, beautiful country, that has to be all that matters. On the other hand, I do not want my fitness level to drop so much that I can not comfortably finish a marathon in less than four hours (or at all). At least, not yet.

In a sense then, approaching this next race feels like I'm back to the beginning, training for my first marathon.

Regarding that part about seeing the country - as per usual, this next marathon will be in a new state, my 20th. So far, we've got PA, NJ, KS, MA, MT, RI, DE, NY, UT, FL, MD, NH, SC, ME, NV, TX, OH, MS and LA.

What's next? Stay tuned...