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Have you ever noticed that when you're driving and look directly at the road in front of you that your car swerves but when you focus further ahead you’re able to drive straight?
Right after a race whether things went well or fell apart I’m full of excitement, positivity and energy. In the days that follow I begin to swerve. I call it Post Race Depression (PRD), the excitement is over, I can see all of the negatives, “nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea…” I don’t have a plan and in this race I was disappointed that I was unable to make my goal and so many things fell apart. Part of my swerve was to look at my upcoming races and goals. I went from wanting an immediate redemption marathon to looking for a fast fall marathon to giving up Boston for this year.
In the end I decided to work for a fast Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon in Duluth. Grandma’s Marathon weekend is my favorite. Both the full and half marathon courses run along Lake Superior with the last 6 miles packed with enthusiastic fans. The half marathon starts at 6:00 a.m., which is typically cool and works in my favor. Focusing further ahead, Boston, I’m not giving up. I will make smart decisions based on my performance in Duluth and allow God to open doors for an end of season marathon. I’m refocused and driving straight in to a quick three week training cycle to be ready for Duluth.
The week after a marathon I usually focus on rest and do not run. This recovery week was different because I didn’t put race effort into the whole 26.2 miles of the Fargo Marathon. It ended up being more like a slow long run. This meant I was able to start running again by Tuesday with a slow 3 miler.
I also decided to try out a hydration vest during my long run. This is my latest strategy to bring some relieve to my recurring nausea. It worked well for 10 miles but will need to test it out on longer runs. I am finishing this week with a sense of peace that I’m back to training.