Back In The Ring

This time it was different. After previous long races I really felt like never running again and was glad to rest. But this time I had been feeling like going for a run since at least last Sunday. I did cycle to work once, just to test the legs, and they felt fine. I was waking early every day anyway, which meant I was looking at the ceiling every morning, wondering if the legs had recovered sufficiently to get me through a short run without troubles. On Thursday I decided that the paint pattern had lost its fascination, got dress and ran.

It was, of course, a short as well as a slow run. The same was repeated over the next few days. I haven't gone past 5 miles yet but even so my pace has already picked up a bit while the HR has already started to come down. I'm still only at the very beginning, of course. This is not training yet. I can also tell that some things are still out of whack. The week after the Spartathlon I was just tired, constantly feeling exhausted, but that lifted after a week. Yesterday my legs felt rather sore in the evening, as if I had run 20 miles earlier that day. On Friday I felt pretty crap after the run but on other days I felt much better. A bit of up and down might be in store while the body is still trying to get back into some sort of balance after being knocked sideways just 2 weeks ago, even if it already feels like half a lifetime ago.

As far as I know I did not have any mood swings that usually go with the post-race weeks. Niamh is usually not shy to let me know when I'm becoming a pain to live with, so I guess this time it really was different.

As Sparta starts to fade away into memory the plans for next year are slowly starting to take shape. I want to run a fast marathon in the spring, maybe have a (possibly final but let's not put limits onto anything) go at my marathon PB. I'd also fancy a go at Ballycotton again but only if I feel I will be able to do myself justice. I skipped it last year because I knew I would not be able to get anywhere near my potential but with some speed training during the winter I might be able to whip myself back into shape. As for which marathon to go for, I have not decided yet; I'm thinking about Tralee and/or Manchester and/or Limerick, and then get ready for another 24 hours race, probably Belfast. I want to make the team again for the 2017 world championships and a good performance in 2016 will be required to ensure that. The Spartathlon next year might be too close to Belfast, so that might have to take backseat for a year or two.

I'd love to run Badwater one year. Everyone who ran both seems to say that Spartathlon is harder. I have no idea how a race in one of the hottest environments on the planet during the summer can be easier but I am aware that Badwater is 18 miles shorter and you have 12 hours more to finish. The biggest problem, however, is that I would have to win the lottery first to finance that trip, so it may have to remain a dream. Who knows. Anyway, that definitely won't happen in 2016 even if I hit the jackpot.

8 Oct

5 miles, 45:15, 9:03 pace, HR 142

9 Oct

5 miles, 45:01, 9:00 pace

10 Oct

5 miles, 43:55, 8:44 pace, HR 146

11 Oct

5 miles, 44:25, 8:53 pace, HR 139