Highs and Lows

First the High.

Last night I went for my first run since the race!
It was fantastic. I kept expecting it to hurt so when it never did I was up on cloud 9. It was also speedy. I did one of my 6k routes and decided to just let my legs go. Apparently they were antsy since we did it in just under 34 minutes. My 6k runs are usually 36 minutes. I will even admit to stopping for about a minute at the turn around point. I wore a cheap hairband and it wasn't staying put so I needed to fix it. That will teach me.

Then the Low.

I got the post marathon blues.

Its was even so textbook. Great race, runners high and crash the next day. Life went back to normal, I sent Handy Man off to work and the boys to school and that was it. Other than doing my race report there was nothing to really keep the high going. Sure there was the meet up with clinic Tuesday night. But the fact that there was really no one else to talk to about it was a let down. Most people didn't even know or care that a race had happened in our city. And even those that did I could have told them that it took me 10 hours to finish and the answer would have been "Wow that great. right?"

I'm not surprised at all though. The same thing happened after our wedding. I have a habit of giving a lot of myself to a goal. I worked my ass off prepping for my race. I made sure I was taking care of my body and I wasn't risking injury and then the focus of almost 5 months work was done. It just shows that there is a continued mental aspect of running even afterwards.

It probably doesn't help that I had no real plans after the race. Everything for the winter was going to be based on how I felt after the Marathon. Do I want to keep up my distance or go for speed. I mean I know I can technically do both. I'm debating Around the Bay in March. I'm signing up for the Santa Jingle 5k where you do the race in a Santa suit. You're not allowed to be out of the suit at all otherwise the site says they'll pull you out. Should definitely be interesting.

BTW- once I figure things out I have some really interesting race pictures coming. Think of your worst and these will put them to shame. Really.