I’m in a bit of a funk.
Ever since Boulder Field, things have been a little out of whack for me. It started with my mental state. Normally, the cycle is you get amped up for a race, run it, and then get a little depressed because your big race is now behind you. I had this completely reversed since I wasn’t really all that excited about running 100k, but I was very excited about running immediately following the race and started firming up my race calendar for 2018 (no, it’s not too early for that). There really isn’t anything on my calendar to get excited about besides Stone Mill in November, however it seems more likely than not that this will end up being my first DNS (did not start) as my son may have a football game that day. So really the only thing I have to look forward to is three months of non-training.
Which is probably a good thing. I felt good coming out of my last race, however I have only done 3 runs over a mile (1.5, 2.2, and 4) over the last 3 weeks and my legs feel tired. There is absolutely no reason for them to feel this sore though. I’m walking around the office some days and it feels likely I’ve run a hilly marathon, not a mile. On flat roads. I don’t think I have overtraining syndrome as I don’t have any of the other symptoms (sleeping problems, erratic heart rates, low energy levels). All other systems are fine. It’s just a couple random pains in my legs (knee one day, calf the next). Since I can’t really think of any other reason for them (keep in mind, I felt good immediately after the race), my guess is it’s just my body’s way of saying I need a break.
So I’ve decided to let myself go. I’ve stopped doing my morning core routine, which wasn’t all that much to begin with. And I’ll only run a mile a day to keep my run streak going. Maybe I’ll bang out one or two 5-milers a week, but if my alarm goes off one of those mornings and I don’t feel like it, then I’ll just roll over and grab an extra hour of shuteye. On the off chance I end up running Stone Mill, I’m sure this will result in a poor showing (likely more entertaining race report though), but that’s not my primary concern right now. Right now I’m concerned about sustainability. I have three hundreds planned for next year (and 90 more over the following 25 years) and the only way I’m going to be able to accomplish my goals is to be mentally and physically ready for each and every single one.
If that’s going to happen, then I need a break. So it’s time to kick back and put my feet up. Watch a little more TV. Sleep a couple more hours. There’ll be plenty of time for long runs and planks in the months to come. For now, I think I’ll let myself go a bit. But not too far.