At my last writing I was training for a marathon. Things were pretty good but I was experiencing pains that I didn't really want to talk about. As I continued on to a 20 mile run I started questioning whether I really needed to do a marathon. I realized that I was spending a lot of time and going through a lot of discomfort just to say that I ran 26.2 miles. Sure that sounds good. But in my heart of hearts I realized that I don't need to run a marathon to know who I am. I have done two half-marathons, a 17 mile trail race, a couple of 10 mile trail races and countless number of 5K and 10K races over the last 40 yrs+. That's really a lot of accomplishment for a guy who is pushing 67.
So my first reaction was to just stop running on roads at all. I felt like I needed to save my knee's and other parts and that not running on hard surfaces was the answer. So I haven't run on anything but a trail for the last couple of months. Have I missed the roads? Heck Ya!! So I have done a lot of thinking. I have prayed. I have talked to my wife. And I have come up with the new plan. I realized that the main issue has not been the running itself but more about the hard surface for extended periods. So my new plan is to start running on the road again but training runs no more than 5 miles and races no longer than 10K. I will continue to run trails and am not really going to place any distance restrictions. I have a 10 mile race coming up in May and I would really like to do another 25K at Montana de Oro.
Maybe by limiting my distance on the road I can work on speed and try to get my 5K and 10K race times down. In fact, my goal is to get my 10K under 60 min and my 5K under 27.
Monday, February 18, 2013
At my last writing I was training for a marathon. Things were pretty good but I was experiencing pains that I didn't really want to talk about. As I continued on to a 20 mile run I started questioning whether I really needed to do a marathon. I realized that I was spending a lot of time and going through a lot of discomfort just to say that I ran 26.2 miles. Sure that sounds good. But in my heart of hearts I realized that I don't need to run a marathon to know who I am. I have done two half-marathons, a 17 mile trail race, a couple of 10 mile trail races and countless number of 5K and 10K races over the last 40 yrs+. That's really a lot of accomplishment for a guy who is pushing 67.
So my first reaction was to just stop running on roads at all. I felt like I needed to save my knee's and other parts and that not running on hard surfaces was the answer. So I haven't run on anything but a trail for the last couple of months. Have I missed the roads? Heck Ya!! So I have done a lot of thinking. I have prayed. I have talked to my wife. And I have come up with the new plan. I realized that the main issue has not been the running itself but more about the hard surface for extended periods. So my new plan is to start running on the road again but training runs no more than 5 miles and races no longer than 10K. I will continue to run trails and am not really going to place any distance restrictions. I have a 10 mile race coming up in May and I would really like to do another 25K at Montana de Oro.
Maybe by limiting my distance on the road I can work on speed and try to get my 5K and 10K race times down. In fact, my goal is to get my 10K under 60 min and my 5K under 27.
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I was wondering how you were getting on as you hadn't blogged for a bit. I understand the doubt over the full marathon, you want the runs to be fun as well as keeping fit. At what distance does fun turn into pain? I got a place in the Great North Run here in England it's a Half Marathon which is good but its all the extras you have to do getting there and so on. Any way glad you're still running and trail runs are fun.
ReplyDeleteThanks Matthew. I did what was supposed to be a 25k trail race that actually turned out to be almost 17 miles. Included some incredible hills. I must say that at about 14 miles or so the pain was really setting in. I actually got sick at the end, first and only time. Would I go back and do it again, absolutely! Good luck on your Great North Run.
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