Running Again

Last week I ran three runs for a total of thirteen miles. It was pretty straightforward. On Tuesday I ran five miles. Thursday was four. Sunday I completed four in the misty rain.

I was really pleased because the five mile run occurred exactly two weeks after the Dublin Marathon, and I felt really empowered by the fact that I could manage a decent distance without having any problems so soon after the marathon. Once I knew I could run the five miles (gingerly, of course), my next question was wether I could string together a week of runs. I didn’t want to try for four runs in a week yet because I think its still way too early for that. But three runs seemed like a doable task.

My four mile run on Thursday was the real test because it required me to go out with only one day’s rest since the last run. I was surprised by how un-problematic it was. I expected some weak knees and tightness in my quads, but I really didn’t have any problems after the first mile. The same could be said about Sunday. I felt a little sore and tight for the first half mile, but by the time I was wrapping up the run near Tessa’s parent’s house, I felt remarkably strong.

One of the nice things about running the shorter distances is that there is really no pressure to “train.” In fact, I haven’t even been timing these runs. I haven’t even been using the NikePlus or my iPod. It has just been me and the runs. And I really like that. I even got to run through a park near Tessa's parent's house that I hadn't run in for ages because I have recently been concentrating on such long hauls and didn't have time for it. Running through the park was like catching up with an old friend.

I don’t think I would be a very happy camper right now if I couldn’t run at least a little bit, so once again I stand here amazed at how well this whole entire marathon experience has gone, compared to the last one. No, that does not mean I will be training for another one any sooner than my two mile self-imposed hiatus…but I can envision jogging throughout the winter and hopefully therefore avoiding both the holiday weight gain that tends to accompany all of that eating that I plan on doing, and the sympathy weight I will probably put on as I continue to snack along with my pregnant wife while watching Strictly Come Dancing. Thank god I can run, because I would hate to say no to all those Rittersport and cookies!

Week In Review

Total Miles Run: 13
Total Time: No Idea
Overall Impression: Woohoo! I’m Not Crippled! (W!INC!)