Running with Jack

For me the only thing worse than tapering is the week after a marathon when I don’t do any running. I feel like I ran full speed straight into a stone wall. Okay I admit my body needs a rest, but not running just doesn’t feel natural.

The good news is that there is a 10K race almost every weekend in our area for the rest of the year. I can run myself silly doing 10K races - I only have to try to refrain from actually racing every weekend so my wife doesn’t burn my running shoes :-O

I am already signed up for two 10K runs:

1) The Brandenkopf Mountain Run on October 9th. This is a nice area of the Black Forest, I bribed my wife with an overnight trip, hotel with an indoor swimming pool, restaurant and a day of sightseeing (and shopping).

2) The Rueppur Forest Run on October 15. My company is sponsoring a team for this Saturday afternoon run, so I have to support the team :-).

Any other runs will probably be spur-of-the-moment decisions, most are within a half hour of my house and I can sign up an hour before the race. I would like to run a half-marathon on December 3rd, but it's too early to commit.

In any case my winter schedule will probably look something like this:

Mondays: Run 14K (8.7M)
Tuesdays: Weight Training (WT)
Wednesdays: Run 14K (8.7M)
Thursdays: WT
Fridays: Swimming
Saturdays: 14K (8.7M) and a longer run every two weeks.
Sunday: Biking and/or swimming.

I may end up combining the WT and run nights if time is a problem.

When is my next marathon? I would like to do one in the late spring or early summer next year. BUT, between wife, work, house projects, garden etc, I do not foresee having as much time as I had this year. We also want to visit my parents in NY next year so this will have to be factored in as well. And if that’s not enough my wife’s job contract only lasts until the end of 2006. So anything can happen. I will just have to take it one step at a time!