After so many months of training for the NYC Marathon, I’ve hit a running slump. I took a week off after the race, as planned, but since then, my running has been terrible.
My motivation to get up in the wee dark hours to run has vanished. Most mornings I lie in bed for five minutes, arguing with myself about whether I’m getting up. The fact that Elizabeth has stopped sleeping through the night hasn’t helped me, either. When I’m up with her twice in the night, the idea of waking up on purpose at 5:00 isn’t appealing.
On the mornings that I do make it out the door to run, I generally feel terrible. It’s like I’m starting from scratch, which is discouraging. Four weeks ago, I covered 26.2 miles. Three weeks before that, I ran a great 18 miles. And now I stagger through four miles.
During my scheduled week off I considered running a half marathon that’s scheduled for this weekend. Once I started back, I had to get rid of that plan. So I decided I’d run the 3M Half in early February. But now I’m thinking that might not happen either.
When I grumbled to B about all of this, he helpfully pointed out that I’m 40, not 29 like the last time I ran a marathon. Sigh.
In the meantime, I’ll keep slogging along, hoping that at some point my body will remember what it’s supposed to be doing.
Today is the last day to enter my Can of Worms Giveaway. Winners will be announced tomorrow.
3 comments:
Do not be discouraged! What you are going through is very, very normal. Give your body a break and start back short and slow! I am just now getting back to normal after a 10K in early October.
I bet you had totally forgotten you were 40, too! Husbands are so amazingly helpful! But do give yourself a break. Two of my friends here in Florida, both of a certain age, ran marathons this fall. One did Chicago and one the Marine Corps in DC. Both have had to take time to let their bodies heal so they could run again. If it makes you feel any better, any running you do is more than most of us ever will. Go you!
You'll get there again. Don't give up on yourself.
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