After much back and forth on the "to marathon or not to marathon" question, I've decided not to marathon this year. I was able to withdraw from the training group, and I'm going to spend the next 3 or so months concentrating more on strength training and less on cardio.
It's been a hard decision to make, especially because I don't have to stop running. In fact, my hip and hamstring are feeling much, much, much better. But could I get back in shape, ready to run a 1/2 marathon in a month and ready to start marathon training in June without getting re-injured? Maybe... but I'd be taking a big chance. But on the other hand, I did have a great running year last year, and trying to BQ has been a goal for me for a long time. When I sent the e-mail to get out the training group, I felt something like grief over losing running. It's nothing compared to real grief of course, but I am losing something that has been a big part of my life for a long time. There will definitely be a void to fill.
But on the other hand, I think it's time for a change. My plan is to do three shorter cardio sessions 3x a week and weight training 3x a week with one day off. The goal will be to build strength and work on speed. I'm still going to run as soon as I feel my leg has had time to heal, and I still plan to do some 5ks, but at least for now I'm not going to do anything long distance. I think my body may react more positively to this kind of training, and I hope to be able to lose a little Madison weight because I won't be having wild swings in my eating and energy levels that come with really high volume training.
So is it scary? Yeah. Do I feel a little sad? Yeah. But am I also hopeful that this will be a good experience? Sure.
Sometime soon I'll work on updating my blog to reflect my current goals.
