Looking ahead

The holidays came and went, I blinked, and then it's February? January was a month of catch-up; cleaning the house and taking it easy with my recovery. Just having fun. Work has been non-stop for several quarters now. Running is one of my escapes from work. I can turn my mind off and just get outside and enjoy the fresh air. I started experiencing knee pain back in November, and I am pretty sure I now know the cause. I just did too much too soon. I looked back at my training and realized I did a long run one week, nothing the following week, and then I ran my personal Turkey Trot half-marathon. That's a pretty big jump. I don't remember why I did not run that week but it was probably due to my work schedule. After my 13.1, I started taking it easy... really easy. Runs back down in the 1 to 2 mile range as I experimented with my knee pain to see how much I could handle. I eventually made the decision to see a doctor about the pain and he took an x-ray and basically said it was overuse, and I agreed. He saw no need for an MRI or any further diagnostics (thankfully.) I continued my recovery, bumping up my mileage very slowly through January and I am finally able to run 5K's on a regular basis again. I did a 5 mile run last week after work, and although my pace was slow, I felt great. Right now, the only pain I am experiencing is some tightness in my achilles, so I am back to stretching. Before and during my runs, and when I remember, afterwards. I remember back to my first injury--tendonitis in my left foot (arch) and stretching got my through that. I'll get through this, too.

Up until last week, I had no race plans for 2012. I have a few ideas that I am tossing around, including going back to run the Tyler Arboretum 10K. I had such a great time there last year, and I thought the course was a great challenge. I know I could do better than last year, but will I be ready to push myself in just 8 weeks? I do have interest in another Ragnar Relay, but I do not want to repeat Pennsylvania again. I am thinking Colorado. My coach (PRS Fit) is putting a team or two together, and it would be pretty cool to run with others that he coaches, and it would be great to meet him in person. When I suggested the idea of running this to my wife, I was not immediately shot down as I expected, so this remains on the table. There are a few 5K's I will definitely run this year, including Bournelyf and Zane's Run, but otherwise, my schedule is still wide open. My wife planted an interesting seed as well, but this one's going to have to wait until 2013. I am actually considering my first marathon... Sedona in February 2013. We have been to Sedona so many times that it feels like a second home. I do not know why I never thought to look for a marathon out there, or any destination for that matter, but I would love to run my first marathon in Red Rock Country. The best part about it is that even if I decide I am not ready for a full marathon, Sedona offers a half, a 10K and a 5K, so I would have options.