End of Recovery

I ended my two weeks of post-race recovery with a lovely 6 mile run yesterday (Saturday). It was a sunny 50 degrees in the afternoon. I left the house around 4:00 pm in shorts and a thin long sleeve shirt. As I climbed the short hill from the house, I could still kind of feel the adductor tightening up. After the hill, it was fine. I'll continue to take it easy for the next few weeks. Six miles took me to the Charles River and down to the Boston University bridge. I hit red lights at every single intersection. They were conspiring against me. At three miles I turned around. The return trip wasn't much better as far as the lights went. I don't know what was up with that. But the running...

By mile four things were clicking. I was in the groove. The pace just naturally picked up and I was in that old familiar stride. Welcome back, old friend. Through mile 5, a beautiful sunset over the Charles completed the picture. Mile 6 took me back through the affluent neighborhoods of Brattle Street, then Huron Village and finally down the hill, fast, to the house. A minute and a half faster on the return trip. Feels good. Very good.

And so now the recovery phase is over and I begin to build up my base again. I'll be adding more runs and more miles, though no speed training yet, and no really long runs for the next three weeks. Just rebuilding the aerobic base. I will continue the ab. workouts though, and will endeavor to continue losing weight (I think 1 or 2 pounds lost last week). After three weeks of base running I'll begin the 16 week countdown to my next marathon. Next post: race plans for the year.

C-Ya