20 Comments

Just finished my first ever race which was a pretty tough half marathon trail and I thought I would be psyched to be off of a training plan. Honestly, I'm immediately missing the routine and the satisfaction of looking at the hard weeks and powering through it. I'm already eyeing up some half (or maybe full!) marathons for the fall and itching to get back to it.

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Yes!!! How'd it go?

I would strongly advise taking a few weeks off from any kind of structured plan and just have fun before diving into the next thing. But I love that you're eyeing the next thing. So cool.

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Amazing, it was such a great experience! Finished 18th and under my goal of 10 mi/mile. Not bad considering I basically started this whole running thing a year ago. More than just those goals though, it was so much fun and such a good vibe for the whole race. Everyone running and volunteering was so supportive. I didn't know how I'd feel about a race but it was way better than I ever expected.

I will definitely take some time before I start training in earnest again, but I've definitely got the itch. Now that I know I can get myself there mentally and physically with the right work, it's hard not to imagine what's next. Also huge shout out to my fiancee who is PT and made sure I incorporated strength work alongside the running and rehabbed my achilles tendonitis when I started going a little too hard on my speed runs.

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Oh man, that's so good to hear. The trail vibe is hard to describe but it's so welcoming and contagious. Glad you had that kind of experience. Shouts to your fiancee!

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I have been dealing with some achilles tendonitis recently. What kind of rehab work did you do?

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Sorry I haven't been on here in a few weeks! It was really just a lot of stretching and strengthening for my calf. This stretch (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTYQo4WvJHA), calf raises, and especially single leg eccentric calf raises on the side that's bothering you. I've kept those all in my pre and post run routine and made sure to take days off if I could really feel it.

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All good, John! We all drift in and out of these spaces. Love that you're taking a proactive approach to recovery and stretching. Good stuff.

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The Machine stage is obviously the best stage :) When I was training for my half marathon a couple years back, it wasn't quite full-on machine, but I reached a point where I could do that double digit miles and then 7 or 8 miles the next day back-to-back and feel good doing it. That kind of feeling is always the goal!

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It's totally addicting, as I've found out the hard way over the years! You'll get it back, I'm sure.

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I've been training partner-ing with a friend who is running Boston for the last few months. It's their first marathon and I've watched this exact process from the other side. You've nailed it and it's fun to see. I've got a 10 mile race on Sunday, a half marathon in early June and then I'll start my training for New York. I'm excited for these stages myself.

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I'm looking forward to the coming Marine Corps Marathon training cycle, but also have a bit of trepidation. I was getting back from my IT band issue and then in late March I felt someone discomfort around my Achilles when I'd get running. Went to the doctor and turns out I developed tendonitis. I had to skip the Cherry Blossom 10-miler, but the timing for MCM training might be ideal based on this (fingers crossed).

I'm taking a month off from running and have been focused on pilates and swimming. The plan is to hop on the treadmill early next week to see where things stand and try to slowly work back from there. But the real goal is to be ready to start the marathon training cycle in late June. We'll see how this shakes out!

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If I could have like three things in this world it would be world peace, clean air + water and to have David be healthy for his training cycle. You've earned the right to suffer!

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I appreciate that I fall after world peace and clean air/water :)

Wife and I are going to Italy in May for a month (working a couple days each week, vacationing the rest of each week). I'd love to be able to start getting back into a sort of pre-training stretch of stage 1 because why wouldn't I want to get a photo of me running by the Colosseum in Rome or near the canals in Venice?!?!

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You have to earn that pasta and gelato. Lena is there right now as a matter of fact. Let us know if you need recs!

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You're doing the right thing! I know so many of us are guilty of not listen to the aches and pains and denying them until they're a bigger problem. Good on ya and I'll look forward to hearing about your MCM training!

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We can share training tips as you prepare for NYC!

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That's awesome on every count. Glad it resonated. Have you done NYC?

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I have not! I tried and tried to get in and when I finally did I ended up injured and had to back out. I’m really excited about it. I’ll be running with a first time marathoner so it will be exciting on so many levels.

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It's the only marathon outside of Boston I'd consider running at this stage of my life. Truly one to enjoy for the experience.

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This one has a lot of meaning for me so I'm incredibly excited to be able to do it. My former running partner and one of my best friends in life passed in June 2019. She was a native of Queens and loved the marathon. We talked about running it together someday, but unfortunately, we didn't get the chance. This one is for her.

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