Surprise! I'm enjoying my running break

Training for and running three marathons in 6 months had me on the edge of burnout earlier this year. Early on, in my build up for the Los Angeles marathon, I decided I wasn't going to race it. Instead, I paced a friend to her first marathon finish. After I made that decision, I also decided I was going to take an extended break from running. 

In the past, I only took breaks from running because of injury. This is the first time I've taken a planned break. I thought it would be difficult to NOT run. I thought my resolve would break and I would sneak in some easy runs. 

I'm pleasantly surprised and happy to report that I am thoroughly enjoying my time-off from running. I'm using the time to get back in the habit of all my pre-hab activities that I got out of habit of doing as I felt more and more tired from marathon training. I'm taking cycling classes 3-4 times a week. I'm back in physical therapy to continue to build hip/glute strength and get back in the routine of doing my PT homework 3 times a week. I ordered the Iron Strength DVDs from Runner's World and have been doing those 2-3 times a week. I'm back to doing my plyo, core and strength videos from Beachbody's 21-Day Fix Extreme. I'm taking more walks with my husband and dog. And just this morning, I've started my heavy weight-lifting routine again. 

Our finish line festival picture was included 

in the email sent to ALL Carlsbad 5000 finishers!

Okay, I did just race Carlsbad 5000 this past Sunday. I did a lot better than I thought I would after not running for two weeks (official time=24:43). My first mile was too fast for my current fitness (7:34/mi), but I was able to dial back the pace and run the next 2 miles even pace (8:05/mi, 8:06/mi) and then kick the final 0.1 to the finish (7:05/mi). Between miles 2-3 I started to feel sick because of the coffee I drank and an empty stomach, but I pushed through and didn't give up! (This is BIG for me! My pacing and mental toughness have improved significantly since I started working with my coach). 

I'm back on my running break, which continues until Boston Marathon day (April 17). And I'm very excited to start building my base for the Chicago Marathon on May 1st!