Post-Marathon thoughts

OK, Christmas is over and New Years' is just around the corner. This is the time that many people make goals/resolutions for the upcoming year. Some are personal while others are professional. Whatever your goals are, make sure they are meaningful and attainable. If it helps to use "mini" goals to get you to your ultimate goal then use them.
For example, if you want to lose 50 pounds by the Summer then you may want to set weekly goals of 2-3 pounds per week until you reach your final goal. You may also want to focus on inches lost instead of weight loss as this is better indication of your overall health.

Many runners, myself included, use races as goals to keep us motivated. After completing a Marathon your body needs plenty of rest before attempting another long race. However, you can use 5 or 10K races to keep you motivated. I already have my running goals set for the new year. They include doing a 50 Mile race in May, competing in the OUS trail racing series and finishing a marathon in 3:20 minutes by this time next year. I will begin preparations for my 50 Mile race in January and there will be plenty of "mini" goals along the way to not only keep me motivated but also to improve my performance. I have yet to complete a FULL training plan and I'm excited about the prospect of doing this. I will probably have to slow myself down which will be a chore itself.

I started to run last week, 3 days after my marathon but it was difficult to keep myself motivated throughout the runs. My body has been through plenty of pounding over the last year and was probably telling me that I needed to rest. After taking the last 2 days off, I went out again this morning (13K) and felt great. I will run again on Wednesday and Thursday, take Friday off and then meet up with my running friends on the weekend. I am anxiously awaiting my return so I can share my marathon story with them.