Jeff’s Post – Running the thin Line!

I’m 9 days away from Marathon #2 (Richmond) and 18 days post Marathon #1 (Baltimore) and I feel a little like I’m running a thin line. I love to run so the taper before the first marathon, recovery after and then another taper (or whatever you call it the 2nd time around) is driving me a little nutty. I took 2 days off after marathon #1 and then started running again. I did my normal 6-8 mile daily treadmill runs then ran 13 miles the weekend after and another 14 miles this past Friday. I have been loosely following Hal Higdon’s back to back marathon schedule. I have also been dealing with a slightly sore foot (caused in part by the 14 mile run which was almost entirely thru cul de sacs). My legs have also been a bit heavy this week. It’s interesting , I’m not at all stressed or worried about marathon #2. I think if my legs felt like they have this week prior to my first marathon I would have been freaking out – But I’m not – I’m rather calm at the moment!

I’m thinking my plan until Marathon day will be off tomorrow ( Friday – but I might run a couple miles) a 2-3 hour easy run this Saturday and then I’m going to be resting quite a bit next week (more than I did before my first marathon). I might only run 2 very short runs or maybe just one. Jess over at jessruns.com posted an interview with Ryan Hall where he said “It’s better to err on the side of going into a race slightly undertrained and fresh than fried and beaten up” – Extra rest next week will ensure I’m fresh (or at least I hope it will)! Next week will be mainly mental preparation – envisioning the run – the pace – and staying strong.

Run on!! – More updates are on the way……