It is true. We all start with a great plan. My plan was my previously posted Half Marathon Training plan. That plan didn’t work out so well.
Here is the thing though – the plan wasn’t the problem. The plan would have worked wonderfully if I was able to stick to it and life wouldn’t end up getting I the way. That isn’t very reasonable though, and we have all (I would think) experienced the same kind of disappointment.
The funny thing though is that I would call this another great learning experience. I learned a couple of things about myself that will end up helping me as I come up with new plans and new visions on how to implement them. Are you ready? Here they are.
Not everyone needs to run a long distance race.
I had talked to all sorts of people, and everyone kept saying that I was going to want to do a half marathon or full marathon at some point. Every runner does. Well, I am the exception to the rule, and maybe you are too. I could list off a bunch of reasons, but the one that tops the list is that I got bored. Training at those longer distances simply requires more time than I am willing to give it. I admit it. That is who I am, and I think that is a good realization.
A Pulled Muscle Sets You Way Back.
In addition to losing interest, there was also the moment after week 8 in the plan that I managed to strain my hamstring to the point of it hurting to walk. I have never been a sports guy, so I honestly had no idea what that was like. It sucked and took me way longer to recover from than I wanted to admit. I probably should have gone to see a specialist but I didn’t and that most likely made it worse. I went from running 83 miles in one month to only 16 the next. Don’t follow my lead. If you hurt something, it is probably best to consult a professional. I am sure you would recover faster.
I’m not sure that I discovered anything life changing during this experience, but I have since picked up my game again. I’m running over 50 miles a month again and putting more time into cycling as well. The two activities complement each other well and should help alleviate some of the strain I was putting on my muscles during the training.
In closing, I will say that I am not entirely ruling out the idea of giving it another try for the half marathon. I like to think that I am quite capable of doing it. I just think I let the people around me convinced me I wanted it more than I did. Now I’m back to running for me, and I enjoy it a lot more.
