Okay, it's time to be honest. The Chicago Marathon was draining, both physically and mentally. It has taken a major emotional toll on me. I am having major motivation issues, which has resulted in only 3 short runs since Chicago. I used to be addicted to running, but now sometimes the thought of having to run is just too much for me. I don't know if this is due to being scared of failing again, or if all the running I have been doing the past few months is just catching up with me. I read a Runner's World article yesterday about a woman who changing everything she said to "I get to" instead of "I have to." I tried that this morning when my alarm went off...I thought, "I get to go running." Unfortunately, that didn't work. I ended up resetting the alarm and going back to sleep. My goal is to run this afternoon.
I still have a training schedule for the St. Jude marathon that I plan on following. I just don't know if I will be able to do it. Honestly, I have no desire to have to relive my Chicago experience. I don't know whether I should train and try to run it or decide not to run it and just run when I feel like it for however long I feel with cross training on my "off" days.
If anyone has any advice, I would greatly welcome it.
My wife ran into the same 'condition' after her first marathon. She couldn't get herself to go run barely a couple times a week; and that was after a least a few weeks of NO running. Maybe do some running on the weekends? I know that once you get into your running shape, maintaining is a much easier prospect; if you can convince yourself to 'get' to run.
ReplyDeleteBtw, I can't 'get' myself to run any days; you're already infinitely better than me in the percentage game.
Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteWhat you experienced in Chicago was not a "failure." It was simply a "shortage"!