For most of the summer, I felt like utter crap. I tried, and I tried, and I tried to run, and it sucked. Or I said eff it, I don’t want to do this, and I didn’t run at all.
I’d said here earlier in the year I was running Richmond. I’d told friends and family and coworkers, and after not finishing Brooklyn, I didn’t want to say I wasn’t going to/couldn’t run Richmond.
But on Labor Day weekend, after not being able to run without feeling nauseous for most of the summer, I finally asked Jess what she thought. I knew in my heart what I should do but needed to hear it from someone else. “I think you need to figure out this sinus stuff without having to worry about marathon training,” she said.
And I both felt a weight lifted and sad all at the same time. For the past few weeks, I’ve felt something off making fall plans, seeing people’s Instagrams. Fall just means long runs to me, and usually marathons.
But then I started wondering if I’d lost my ability to run forever. I kept thinking if I should find another race or not. I started thinking about the Rehoboth Marathon in December. But after feeling so crappy for most of the summer, I didn’t want to risk starting to train and feeling crappy again.
In an unusually-zen-for-me move, I decided to let the goal go until something came to me I couldn’t say no to.
I started thinking more and more about a fall local-ish half…
and then Meredith made a fabulous suggestion, and a decision was made:
It’s local, it’s near the National Tennis Center, and it’s the site of my first tri — so it’s a (weirdly) special area to me. Also, it’s on the same day as Richmond, so I’ll be happy to be running a race that day.
Sometimes life throws you lemons…and you make maple syrup. Or something.
If I’ve learned anything from running it’s that if I try to force something – whether it be forcing myself through fatigue, tight muscles, or lack of motivation – it can work for awhile but eventually it just doesn’t feel good. So this sounds like an awesome approach to your fall running! I love running races in places that have special meaning to me, makes the race all the more special.
yay! I am so excited you decided to run this race!
Hope you have a great experience with this race, and I can entirely relate to the sentiments in this post — I’m also not going to run my scheduled Oct marathon, and while I have my moments of being bummed about it as well, I know it’s the best (and really only) choice for me this year, based on how I’ve been feeling and my lack of training (due to said stomach issues) as well. There will be other races — and there will also be glorious, wonderful, incredible fall experiences that have nothing to do with races at all, and that make me happy in in entirely different but oh-so-equal ways. Life is about balance, and doing the best we can with what we have. Glad you were able to make a peace with that and hope you rekindle your love affair with running in a way that feels healthy to you again. Rooting for you!
I am very tempted to sign up for the 10k but it takes so LONG to get there! I’m going to wait and get through Brooklyn Half and then decide 🙂
Running this race as my half this fall too! It is a nice and flat course 🙂
Glad you found another race to run! I’m in between signing up for the Philly Full vs Half- need to wait a few more weeks and see if my foot injury can be kept at bay. Also I hope you are feeling better with all that sinus issues!
wow you start new Running goal .
Don’t worry, I hate running in the summer too. It’s just too dang hot most of the time unless you get up to run at 5 am or something. But now autumn aka running season is finally here again!
Instead of doing the twin cities marathon or 10 mile, instead I’ll be in northern minnesota at a retreat for entrepreneurs. Which is just as much of a stretch as asking me to do a marathon these days. but i’m hoping I’ll learn and grow in new ways. and I’m sure you will this fall as well!
Oh hey there I am running that as well!!! I ran the spring half there and am a big fan of NYC Runs races since they are usually much less crowded.
And I am in the process of dropping from the Philly marathon. After finding out I am back to being severely anemic I decided to drop down instead of force my way exhausted through the rest of marathon training. Running long runs for a half is just so much more manageable and dropping 10 -15 miles from my weekly total was necessary.