One thing I have talk about and enjoy is trying new hobbies. I mentioned in previous blogs and podcasts that I would be interested in trying out new hobbies for 3-6 months, track my progress, and see how I like them. I have been lifting weights since I was 14. That has remained a constant in my life and will continue for the foreseeable future. However, it is fun to add stuff in around lifting, since we only get one life. So, I had a weightlifting meet almost 3 weeks ago and I decided about a week before the meet, that my next goal would be running a marathon.
So, the day after the weightlifting meet, I started training for a 50k ultramarathon. The first day I started out with 8 miles, which is the longest I have ever ran. Having tried this the day after a meet may not have been the smartest thing to do. I ran with my buddy Dan who has ran an ultra before and wants to do one again. This was the distance he was running, so I figured I could do it with him. This was a mistake, the run did not seem to phase Dan at all, however, it definitely phased me. However, it was not the act of running which bothered me, apart from getting blisters on my feet. It was the hours and days following the run. Between a weightlifting meet and the longest run I have ever done, my body was more sore than I can ever remember.
I decided to give myself a few days off to try and recover. Aside from being extremely sore, my foot and ankle were in so much pain (not from the blisters) it was hard to walk for most of the week. By this Monday, my foot seemed to be almost healed up, so I tried another 8 mile run. About 2 miles in, I started getting blisters again and the top of my foot/ankle started killing me. I made it the 7 mile loop before calling it for the day. I have never had this kind of pain from running before, however, I have not ran these distances before, especially in the woods, so I should not be surprised.
I plan to take 2 weeks off to rest and let me feet, blisters, and ankle recover. I am also going to go to a physical therapist next week to make sure there is nothing wrong. I do believe I should try out different shoes since I usually do not have issues with blisters and then I will start back at it in 2 weeks but a little slower. I want to make sure I train up properly without injury. I want to do a half marathon at the Whistle Stop in Ashland on October 6th and see if I will be in good enough health and shape for the ultra marathon on October 13th.
I do not need to run an Ultra Marathon for this journey to be a success. Any marathon will suffice for this journey. I want to learn good tactics for training, so whether I accomplish it this time or in the future, I will run at a minimum a 26.2 mile marathon in my life. I am looking forward to this journey and I hope I am able to do it with minimal injuries.
With two weeks in, I know I should probably slow down. Recover a bit, get new shoes, and start a plan to train up properly for the run. If that means I have to postpone the marathon run, that is what I will have to do. Its all about learning and having fun, which I try to do everyday! š
Your Life Tutor
-Shaun Tutor
Tutors of Life 