When I got back to the hotel after Utah Valley I sent a text to my friend Yael saying I would never run a marathon again. Her advice was to sleep on it. So I did. A little more than 24 hours later when I talked to my coach Chris Vargo he asked, “ So, you’re done with the marathon?”
The answer is yes, sort of. I love ultra running! I am excited about the Sky Running Series! I do not feel this passion about the marathon. So we’ve made a shift in focus and training. Instead of focusing on the Eugene Marathon as my A race my focus will now be on Kendall Mountain in Silverton and the rest of the Sky Running Series. As of now, I will still run the Eugene Marathon, but with no pressure on myself. I have also decided to stop chasing the OTQ. I can’t say that road marathons are out forever, but they are no longer a priority. I truly believe that I can run faster (my PR is 2:53 and change). The problem is that the majority of my marathons have involved my stomach staging a major revolt. I have tried to fix it, but nothing has worked. My training goes so well and my races do not. Honestly, I am tired of finishing a marathon only to go home and cry and feel bad about myself.
I have spent this week running uphill on the treadmill and I can already feel the happiness coming back. The last few weeks leading up to Utah Valley I was struggling to find my happiness in running. That never happens. Next week I’ll be traveling up to Flagstaff for some of my runs. My coach sent an email saying I need to get up there for “big mountain runs”. Those words bring a smile to my face! The following week the whole family and I will go to Flagstaff for a few days before heading to Silverton, CO where we will be living (and by living I mean camping) until the end of July.
I’m always saying that I want to have more epic adventures. For me, the training I do for ultra and trail racing feels like an epic adventure. (I might have said this same thing before…)
Speaking of epic adventures… I have been hired to teach 2nd grade! I will be teaching at a local Orthodox Jewish school and will teach the core classes in the afternoon. I was really no longer happy working in research management. I am excited about the job, excited that I still get my mornings for training and excited that I will be making a little more money which equals less stress.
The other change I’m making is I’m no longer counting calories. I have been obsessive about it for years. I keep my weight really low for road racing and let myself gain a few pounds for ultra running. I train really hard and I just want to enjoy my food. And my life. I eat a really healthy plant based diet and I only live once… We’ll see how it goes because I need to fit in my clothes – I can’t afford new ones.
I am feeling great about refocusing my efforts. I’m feeling excited about making plans for training, making plans for my classroom and eating at restaurants that don’t list their calories!
The answer is yes, sort of. I love ultra running! I am excited about the Sky Running Series! I do not feel this passion about the marathon. So we’ve made a shift in focus and training. Instead of focusing on the Eugene Marathon as my A race my focus will now be on Kendall Mountain in Silverton and the rest of the Sky Running Series. As of now, I will still run the Eugene Marathon, but with no pressure on myself. I have also decided to stop chasing the OTQ. I can’t say that road marathons are out forever, but they are no longer a priority. I truly believe that I can run faster (my PR is 2:53 and change). The problem is that the majority of my marathons have involved my stomach staging a major revolt. I have tried to fix it, but nothing has worked. My training goes so well and my races do not. Honestly, I am tired of finishing a marathon only to go home and cry and feel bad about myself.
I have spent this week running uphill on the treadmill and I can already feel the happiness coming back. The last few weeks leading up to Utah Valley I was struggling to find my happiness in running. That never happens. Next week I’ll be traveling up to Flagstaff for some of my runs. My coach sent an email saying I need to get up there for “big mountain runs”. Those words bring a smile to my face! The following week the whole family and I will go to Flagstaff for a few days before heading to Silverton, CO where we will be living (and by living I mean camping) until the end of July.
I’m always saying that I want to have more epic adventures. For me, the training I do for ultra and trail racing feels like an epic adventure. (I might have said this same thing before…)
Speaking of epic adventures… I have been hired to teach 2nd grade! I will be teaching at a local Orthodox Jewish school and will teach the core classes in the afternoon. I was really no longer happy working in research management. I am excited about the job, excited that I still get my mornings for training and excited that I will be making a little more money which equals less stress.
The other change I’m making is I’m no longer counting calories. I have been obsessive about it for years. I keep my weight really low for road racing and let myself gain a few pounds for ultra running. I train really hard and I just want to enjoy my food. And my life. I eat a really healthy plant based diet and I only live once… We’ll see how it goes because I need to fit in my clothes – I can’t afford new ones.
I am feeling great about refocusing my efforts. I’m feeling excited about making plans for training, making plans for my classroom and eating at restaurants that don’t list their calories!
