It is hard to believe our Summer Safari adventure is now behind us. What an incredible journey we have completed together. What an exhilarating experience it was to finish your first marathon or half marathon…the elation felt as you cross the finish line for the first time. Or perhaps your goal was to race a series of shorter races with certain goals in mind. You have been on a long journey, and enjoyed a tremendous accomplishment whether you have achieved the precise goals you set before yourself or not.
As the journey comes to a culmination, and finally a close, you ask yourself, “now what?”I have shared this sentiment before, but I often draw the analogy of preparing, running and recovering from the marathon or any event that requires dedicated training to childbirth. Like a mother-to-be expecting a new baby, there are months of preparation leading up to the “event” itself. Then there is the culmination; the birth of a child; crossing the finish line of a marathon….and tremendous joy, and sense of accomplishment. Finally, there is the recovery…from the physical rigors of childbirth and pregnancy, and the marathon and its preparation. The child is born, the marathon or racing season is over….life changes drastically as the “big event” no longer looms ahead. Like childbirth, it is common to say “never again” after the first one, only to come back a year or two later, fresh and ready to go….to give birth to another child, another marathon!
Like the many weeks of training and tapering leading up to it, the post marathon period is an important part of your training…it is the final meso-cycle known as recovery. The first week after the marathon, take some time off. During this period, your risk of injury is unusually high due to the reduced resiliency of your muscles and connective tissues after the marathon. Even some of the best runners in the world take time off after a marathon. Not running now will enable you to return to running fresh and inspired when your body is ready to go again. Instead of running, try to do some light cross training such as walking, swimming, water running, or cycling. These activities will aid your recovery by increasing blood flow without subjecting them to further pounding. If you just have to run, keep it short and easy, with your heart rate below 75% of maximal heart rate. You are also at an increased risk, especially the first 48 hours, of catching a post marathon cold. Your immune system resistance is down and it is important to try and avoid illness as much as possible.
Psychologically, the post marathon period, like the post partum period often lends itself to a phenomenon known as the “post marathon blues.” This is especially common after a first marathon. After the many weeks of preparation and the elation of the event itself, all the hype and anticipation is over and the goal no longer in sight. It is not uncommon to feel a little depressed or a bit blue. Relax…this will soon pass as you set your sights on new goals and new challenges!After the first week, ease back into running again over the next 4 weeks, but keep the pressure off and explore the fun, social dimension of running!!! Get some of those household tasks done that you weren’t able to attend to during the rigors of hard training. Stay connected with your running friends….attend some of the post marathon parties! As we enter into the holiday season, KAR/BCRR, Gazelle Sports and other organizers host a smorgasbord of festive fun runs which enable you to stay connected with your running friends, get your family involved and even offer the opportunity to give back to the community!
Come out for the Kalamazoo Area Runners “Run Around Gull Lake” the first Saturday of the month beginning November 3. This is a scenic 11.7 mile run beginning at Bayview Gardens at 7:00 am and hydration is dropped on the course. Contact Mark Sigfrids at msigfrids@kvcc.edu with questions.
November 10 is the Arthritis Foundation Jingle Bell Run 5k held in downtown Kalamazoo. This event raises money for the Arthritis Foundation. You can register and find out more at Jingle Bell Run
Relive the 2007 Safari Half and Full Marathon Training November 13 at Cosmos at 7:00 pm at our Post Safari Training Party! RSVP Bonnie Sexton at training_director@yahoo.com.
The WMU Turkey Trot is Saturday, November 17th at 9:00am. The Turkey Trot course is similar but not exactly the same as the Campus Classic course. Details are provided at Turkey Trot with on-line registration at Turkey Trot Registration
November 24 is the FREE Kalamazoo Area Runners Turkey Trot Time Prediction 5k Run at KVCC Texas Township. Bring all your friends and family to this fun event which will feature holiday themed awards and raffle prizes to help you fill your Thanksgiving Day dinner table.
Thursday, December 6 is the FREE Gazelle Sports/Kalamazoo Area Runners Run Through the Lights 5k! Also a fun run, this event features a food drive for Loaves and Fishes (your entry fee), a raffle, a Gazelle Sports discount night and more! More info coming soon at http://www.gazellesports.com/.
Finally, there is the John Dailey Memorial One One Run…an event organized by Gazelle Sports which draws the running community out full force to recommit to another year of healthy living, hear the annual rendition of “Charlie Miller’s Chainsaw” and raise money for the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Kalamazoo. And we do have to say, this event is hands down the winner for the best raffle prizes and “toss outs” of them all! Check it out at One One Run
Eventually, it WILL be time to set new goals and begin training again! For 2008, several great training programs will be offered in the Greater Kalamazoo Area keep you motivated during the cold winter months!
For those who have caught the “marathon bug” and wish to train for 26.2 during the winter months, you will blast off from the jungle of the Safari, to the extraterrestrial Beyond. “The Beyond” marathon training program offered through Kalamazoo Area Runners will offer moderate and high intensity schedules and will run 18 weeks beginning December 15. The program will target early spring marathons such as the Boston, Glass City, Martian, Flying Pig, and Kentucky Derby marathons and will kick off with a blast off party and orientation December 5th at the Lawrence Education Center at Borgess at 7:00 pm. Half Marathoners are welcome to run with the group, but the training focus will be the marathon distance. There will be food and gifts galore coupled with a short orientation, a winter attire workshop sponsored by Gazelle Sports, and a hydration workshop by Brenda Stoddard. Click here for a Beyond Marathon Training 2008 Registration Form
Registration Form
For those who are seeking a lower intensity marathon training program, the Kalamazoo SHufflers will once again be offering their Galloway (run/walk) based training program beginning in early January. This program will target the Bayshore Marathon at the end of May, and is a terrific choice for anyone who is looking to complete their first marathon or am experienced marathoner who has run many marathons, but is seeking a lower intensity option. More information on the SHufflers can be found here: http://www.s-heights.org/rungroup/rungroup.html
For those seeking a formal training program for shorter distances and perhaps embark on a journey of self discovery, Borgess Run Camp will offer what could be one wild adventure through its spectacular 13-week 5k and Half Marathon programs and is a “must do!” This program is geared towards the Borgess Run 5k and National City Half Marathon and will begin in late January. Information will be available soon at http://www.borgessrun.com/.
Whether you join the fun and excitement of Borgess Run Camp, or the adventure that lies in the Beyond, or with the SHufflers, you will be sure to find many of the friendly, familiar faces of the Safari at either of these programs. No matter what path your journey takes you down, keep up the great running….and we hope to see you at Safari 2008, and hopefully many times before!
Pfitzinger, P., and S. Douglas. 2001. Advanced Marathoning. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
