I mentioned the other day that I’d be running the NYC Marathon to raise money for the New York Junior League, and I’m SO excited to announce that my fundraising page is live!
I’M IN!
So between that and a work campaign I launched today to give away an autographed Bob Harper plyo box (click here to enter), there’s lots of refreshing going on in my world right now.
My coach, Jess, is actually coaching our NYJL marathon team, and she spoke at our kickoff meeting last week. Running, Jess, NYJL. So many worlds colliding!
She did some talking about the marathon itself, and about how we’d be working together as a team. But for someone who still can be a very all-or-nothing kind of person, something she said about burnout really struck a chord with me.
In the years that I ran marathons, I typically ran a spring half and ran a string of shorter races from March right up through the marathon. Finally, in 2013, after four years of this cycle, I hit some colossal burnout. I took last year off from running any races for a time goal and just ran “for fun.” By the end of the year, I was ready to start chasing goals again.
I’m back in wanting to sign up for ALL THE RACES, but I am going to do it as intelligently as I can: taking a good look at how they fit into both my life and my race goals. Jess talked about taking some time between Brooklyn and our official marathon training start in late June to not be training for anything.
Which means I’m skipping the More Fitness (/Shape)(<< any other mags/former mags wanna get in on that one?) Half for Lilly at Target and the Franklin Lakes Triathlon in favor of not having any races in June. Priorities, yo. But I’ll still be jumping into the Hudson in July; I just won’t be trying to PR at all. I will say that I am excited to get back outside on my bike when (if?) the weather ever warms up.
And you? What’s your race strategy this year? What are your goal races? Have you ever had racing/running burnout?
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I was just debating this myself because now that I'm back into running I want to sign up for everything! My goal race is NYCM in the fall, but I'm running the NJ Half for fun next month, then hopefully a couple of tris this summer, and a half before New York.
Honestly, I think running while pregnant was the best thing I could have done for myself to avoid burnout. Since I couldn't push myself hard, I found myself running for pleasure and because it helped me feel the most like ME. I don't think I had ever enjoyed running as much as I did last summer because it was just for fun.
This speaks to me. After my half a couple weeks ago, I wanted to sign up for allllll the races. And then reality set in that I'd need to be training and also not lose my sanity with the other priorities taking up my time right now... balance!
I am officially burnt out and as I am starting to look into my next races I know I cannot have a racing season thats lasts October - March like this year. My las half which was last weekend was miserable! Living in Florida it was the first HOT and Humid run in a long time and while in the corrals, I almost left. This weekend i did no physical activity and it felt amazing, also very lazy! SLEEP won :)