What's Next?
After a big splash of a start to 2022 with 6 half marathons between January and February, the question has been something along the lines of “What’s next?” and “When’s the next race?” It’s a question I’ve gotten from others and one that I am asking myself quite frequently. I am going to keep running because it’s such a big part of me, but I do love the idea of having a race on the schedule to build excitement and add purpose to the daily runs and weekly programming.
For the most part, March has been spent in rest and recovery mode. I took the week after the Gasparilla Half in Tampa (February 27) completely off from running; my focus that week was to sleep, stretch, and nurture myself with thoughtful care so that I can get back to running refreshed and stronger. I thought it would be hard to not run, but my body craved rest and my mind needed the break from a I-need-to-miss-running-to-remember-why-I-love-it standpoint. I already shared my lessons (here) from the 10-Year Runniversary celebration, but I want to emphasize that I was only able to receive and reflect on those lessons because I took the time to pause from running and rest.
It's ok to take a break. I am still a runner even if I am not running because to run with joy and for a long time, means having a more expansive definition of what it means to be a “runner.”
The second week of March was spent getting back into a rhythm of running. I knew it was going to be hard to get back into running because, for me, any break in running is deeply felt (how do I breathe and run at the same time again?). I also knew it was going to be hard mentally because there was no weekend half marathon to prepare for (so, I’m just running to run now?). Taking each run is at comes and going into each run with a “just try” mentality helped me get through the first week back into running.
It also helped to reframe this “getting back into running” thought process as a “building a strong base for the next race” thought process. Let’s be honest here (and I talked about this in an Instagram post): for me, it’s not just about running and racing, it’s about the process of running, being a runner, and becoming the next version of myself as a runner.
To run is to be in relationship with running and all the thoughts that come up when I think about how, when, and where I feel my strongest as a runner. This relationship asks me to constantly be curious regarding my why for running. This is also a relationship that challenges my limits while also demanding that I show myself grace if I want to keep showing up.
So, what’s next for me on this ever-evolving relationship with running? As I wrote earlier, this is a question I ask myself frequently and it’s a question that will never have a fully formed and final answer. I can tell you the following, however:
I am switching up my approach to training based on what I learned in the “Menopause for Athletes” course. (Huge shout out to my coach Jessica for always working collaboratively with me on this!)
Great Smoky Mountains Half Marathon, September 10th: This is the race we’ll be supporting as part of the Great Smoky Mountains Running Experience. I can’t wait to run this race again and to do it with some great running friends.
Zooma Amelia Island Seaside Challenge, October 14th-16th: This is a bucket list race of mine, and I am so happy to be participating as a Be Inspired Brands Ambassador. The challenge is a 5K + half marathon.
That’s all I’ve got for now and I am leaving plenty of space for life and surprises to happen. For now, I’ll keep on running and keep on working supporting every facet of who I am as a runner.
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