Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Changing Plans

Why hello there! Happy fall :) 

The past 3 weeks have basically just flown by. 

I began a new job, which is both awesome, and pretty challenging. 

I am working in social media which is a totally new space for me going from live TV production and have been thrown in and trying to navigate. It doesn't help that their fiscal year end is the end of this week. Trial by fire for sure! 

But forget work let's talk running!

Earlier this year I decided to throw a marathon back into the mix and registered for Philly. I hadn't run one since being diagnosed with Crohn's, and when it came down to it, had never run or trained for a marathon while healthy. I wanted to see what my body could actually do at 100%.

Then I decided to run an Ultra in July which meant ramping up a training cycle for that. 

Basically by this time this year I have been in serious training for several months. 

I returned from Europe refreshed but tired. Then I found a job within a week and had one week of down time. In that down time I was just tired. I couldn't figure it out. I thought maybe my body was just craving the M - F routine and when work began I would feel normal. 

But I didn't. And then I got my blood work back. Turns out that even though I am not flaring, my iron levels have plummeted again (ferritin 3 and hemoglobin 8). Kind of explains everything. Hello my old friend anemia.

And I began thinking of how I was a) over training for a marathon and b) didn't feel like running myself ragged TRYING to train for another marathon. So I took a weekend off from a crazy long run. And then had the opportunity to go to Seattle the following weekend and only ran 8 miles for my long run. 

I started toying with just saying no to running Philly and have until the 30th to switch to the half if I am inclined. 

And moral of the story if you have made it this far is that I think I am. 

At this point in my running life I have run several marathons. I wanted to run one totally healthy. My iron infusions probably won't get me back to normal for 6-8 weeks and with my work schedule can't go for another until late October. I have absolutely nothing to prove to myself in running a marathon (I mean I did just do it in July). And the exhaustion from my normal training routine and a high pressure job (that I love and want to excel and focus on) is way more important.

I am 99% positive that come Friday I will be dropping down. 

Which is to say that I still plan on running a few half marathons this fall. I LOVE the half distance. Going out for a 10 mile run is 100% doable. I don't need to fuel or worry about any of that and it doesn't wipe me out like the 20 milers will. 

In the end my health and sanity are more important and training and a possible mediocre marathon are just not what I want. 

I think my body is just saying I was over ambitious and if I do run one (with a goal time like I want), I need to not have a crazy long aka 6 month training cycle. 

So that is where I am not. I spent a couple weeks trying to figure out if I was taking an easy way out and in a way, yes I am. I am choosing to not be even more exhausted than I am on a normal basis. Cutting down about 10-15 miles a week is a big help! 

So there you have it. Fall marathon is out. And I am okay with that. 

4 comments:

  1. It's good to hear that you are taking this seriously and doing what's right for your body. I think that it will really pay off in the long term.

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  2. I am so sorry to hear that you had to even consider making this decision. But also I am glad that you are being smart. <3

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  3. kathy@mail.postmanllc.net

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  4. Bummer about the full but totally right about listening to your body! As much as I want to really get back into hardcore marathon training it's been so difficult post baby, and sometimes getting rest is more important than getting junk miles in. Wish you all the best in half marathon training! So jealous you'll be running in cooler east coast fall temps!

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