With the 50k behind me now and not all that many weeks left before the end of the year, I’ve spent the last week during my recovery scheming and dreaming about what’s next. 

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I barely ran at all last week, even though for the most part, I felt pretty solid after the 50k. Over race weekend, my kids had a local swim meet on both Saturday and Sunday, (all of which I missed on Saturday), but when we got home from Sunday’s meet, I seriously considered going out for a 20-30 minute shakeout because I felt so good. I ultimately decided against it and just went for a nighttime walk instead (which was lovely, I should add). 

That trend continued for most of the last week. On Monday morning, I hiked for about 40’; on Tuesday, I hiked a little in the morning, did my scheduled every-16-week double red blood cell donation later in the morning, and then got my COVID booster in the afternoon. I hiked again on Wednesday and Thursday and ran for the first time since the 50k on Friday, running a mile, hiking a mile, (both slightly uphill) and then running two (downhill). On Saturday and Sunday, the kids had another all-day meet, so I walked in the nighttime afterward.

It’s always tough to determine the source of our various feelings/discomforts, but as best as I can tell, most of my discomfort last week (and currently) has largely stemmed from my double blood donation and, for a bit, from my booster. When I’ve donated a double before, it has taken a solid two weeks before the sludge-like feeling leaves my legs; it basically feels like someone is pushing down on my quads every time I pick up to drive my legs. There may be some “go,” but there’s no “get-up.” It also feels like a general bodily fatigue. In the days after my booster (Moderna), I had a splitting headache off and on for about three days, in addition to a golfball-sized swollen lymph node in my left armpit. I experienced those symptoms (and more) when I got my Pfizer vaccine, and those lasted for a solid 10 days. My booster side effects seemed to wane after about three days, fortunately. 

This is all to say that post-50k, surely, bodily-wise, I am feeling a bit tired, but I think the other externalities (the big blood donation, the booster) have both had an outsized effect. It’s all good though and gives me ample time to dream and scheme about what’s next and revel in this down period. Matt Fitzgerald was apparently in my head this week, as his recent column praises this period as well.    

I will be the first to admit that it is very challenging for me to have a lull in my training; that’s probably also why it’s so important. Honestly, at any given time in the past week, I’ve seriously schemed racing a trail 30k in a couple weeks, training for a fast mile (again), starting marathon PR training for a late May race (MTB, for which I’m already registered), continuing 50k training but transitioning to 50 mile training (perhaps with a fast marathon PR in there), re-establishing a lifting routine, starting a swim/XT routine … you get the idea. I’m all over the place, and the motivation and interest is very high right now. 

I should probably call an audible and forbid myself from viewing any race registration pages for the next week-plus, just to be safe.

Have a safe and lovely and happy Thanksgiving holiday.  Did you know that Thanksgiving day is the biggest running day of the year? Hope you have some miles in your future.