Catch As Catch Can

Despite the busy holiday schedule this past week, the balmy weather made it nigh unto impossible to not squeeze in a few good runs. Thankfully, I am not training for anything right now so I am able to simply enjoy my runs--no worries about distance or time or training logs. For the next couple of weeks I will just catch as catch can.

I have not quite decided what I will attempt to do next. I am signed up for the Country Music Marathon in April and I am almost certain I will want to run the RC-Moon Pie 10-Miler in June. I have my eye set on a major triathlon in July--but, I haven't decided if I can really pull off all the training that would be necessary to do that. Meanwhile, I have already started lining up sponsors and course ideas for next fall's Uttermost.

For now though, I am just going to take it easy and enjoy my runs.

I've Got It Bad

Finally, I got in a long run today. The weather was perfect. I got home a little early. So, I quickly threw on some running shoes and took off. After it got dark, I just kept right on going. Ten miles. Man, it felt great.

It was my first really good long run since the marathon. My ankle, which has really been bothering me, held up fine. I really have missed the time to think and pray. I really have missed the major stress relief. I really have missed the road. And it has only been two weeks. I think I've got the run bug. I think I've got it bad!

Post-Marathon Recovery

The almost universal wisdom is that following a marathon, runners should take time off. The formula varies, but regardless of who you read or listen to, there is good consensus that training should not resume for a least a couple of weeks--and even then, at a much reduced pace and intensity.

That is all well and good in theory. But, all this sitting around is driving me crazy! So far, I have been good. But, I am ready to get back out on the roads--even with all this cold weather.

Today, I travel to Dallas to speak and consult with a fine school I've walked with for several years. While I am there, the wonderful White Rock Lake Marathon will be staged. I am going to refrain from running. But, I do intend to stop by the expo to re-light the fires of inspiration and motivation--not that I need a whole, whole lot of either right now.

It's Official

One of the goals I set for myself at the beginning of 2006 was to somehow, someway break 4 hours in a marathon. I did not do it at the Country Music Marathon in May. I did not do it at the Endurance 50 Marathon in September. I did even do it with combined times during the three days of the Uttermost in October. My last chance for the year seemed to have slipped away from me yesterday, especially after I passed the halfway mark in the St. Jude Memphis Marathon well off pace. Besides that, I had actually started to really hurt somewhere after mile 10.

By the 3 hour mark, despite having made up most of my lost time, I was absolutely miserable; everything hurt right down to my hair follicles; I just knew that I could not finish strong. But, lo and behold, I crossed the finish line close to what I thought might be a PR (a personal record). But, because the gun time and the electronic chip time can be separated by as much as four minutes (when you have thousands of runners in a race, they all don't cross the start line at the same time, obviously) I could not be certain of my time until the official race results were released this morning.

Well, the results are in. My time was 3:59.55. I broke 4 hours. Just barely. I slipped under the wire--with 5 whole seconds to spare. Let me tell you, 5 seconds after 4 hours of agony (well admittedly, the first hour or two weren't actually agonizing) and 26.2 miles seems miniscule. But this morning, I am awfully grateful for those 5 seconds!

I am also very thankful for the sponsors who supported the work of St. Jude through this run--as well as for all the amazing people I was able to meet from the St. Jude family. And those remarkable champions for whom I was running and praying--Todd, Josh, Carson, and Mary--I am most particularly grateful for each of you and your impact on my life.

26.2

Well, I did it. I'd forgotten how much a marathon hurts. Man, it is hard. But, I made it. Official times have not yet been released, but I think I am very close to a PR. For now, I am just happy to be home and getting ready for a good home cooked meal.