Bass Pro Reflections

I've re-run the race in my mind a few times, and I don't really think there was anything I should have done differently.  I feel like I've been saying that a lot this season - that I didn't get the outcome that I hoped for, but that I don't think there is anything I could have done on the day to achieve it.  Maybe that's a cop out, but I guess it's easier to be content looking through that lens.  I do think there are things I could do better with training, recovery, race planning, nutrition, etc. to better my results in the future, and I hope I have improvement in me still, but on November 7 I just wasn't good enough to win.  As a runner, it's hard to ever be happy with a result - something always could have been better! - and this one is no different, but the heights of our joy are measured by the depths of our gratitude, and I'm really working on choosing gratefulness.

Happiness

I came pretty close to not running Bass Pro due to feeling fatigued, and my immediate physical response to the race wasn't good.  After finishing, I couldn't get my shoes off my swollen feet fast enough, and for the remainder of marathon day I felt pretty poor.  Getting more food and drink in throughout the day helped, but I did not have the peppy excitement I usually do post-race.  I was so tired and achy but also couldn't sleep until I took two Benadryl at 1:00 a.m. (which made me feel drunk and super uncomfortable before it resulted in sleep).  However, after all that I woke up on Monday and again on Tuesday feeling pretty good - barely sore at all, which surprised me based on how terrible I felt on Sunday!

I'm excited about the state record - it's my first marathon state record!  Along with being the single age record for age 41, it's the fastest time age 40+.  Have I mentioned that I love being in masters?!  I'm thankful for the podium spot.  I'm thankful to run 2:54 on a mediocre course with 900 ft of elevation gain and over 70 turns in a race that "didn't matter".  I am probably never going to be satisfied and I'm always going to want more, but I think that's also part of why I love it!  I'm going to keep striving for more, but I really am thankful for what I have.  Any day I can finish a marathon is one to be thankful for.  Every day I can run is absolutely one to be thankful for.  My running group is something I'm super thankful for, and they made Bass Pro better too!

As for my 2 marathons off of 1 training cycle,  I still love it and will do it again (and again, and again).  I have learned that I do best when the races are 3-4 weeks apart vs. 5-6 weeks apart.  I think I can maintain peak for 3-4 weeks and also use my first marathon as my longest long run for the second.  With 5-6 weeks like in this case, I did another really long run between the races (20 miles, with 13.1 being the KC Half Marathon).  I also did two big volume weeks between (90 and 95), which in hindsight was probably a bit much, but at the time seemed necessary for my confidence.  In the spring after my next 50k, my next marathon will follow 3-4 weeks later! :-)