Practicing Patience with Running

Those who follow Advent know this is a time of preparation and waiting. I see the connections between Advent and recovering from the marathon, which was on the first day of Advent.

Over the last 17 days, I have found my patience being tested as I return to running. My easy paces have been slower than they were before the marathon. My heart rate hits the Z3 threshold much sooner into runs these days. My brain tells me that I should be running faster.

Conversely, my brain also tells me that running a marathon puts much stress on the body, and it takes time to recover. My brain tells me hydration, sleep, stress, illness, hills, and caffeine affect your heart rate. It has been so tempting to convince myself that since I don’t have a race on the calendar and I am not following an official plan, it’s okay to cheat and cruise in Z3.

However, my body tells me that my muscles are still recovering. Last week, I felt the cumulative fatigue in my quads during the end of a four-mile base run (10:40/mi. avg. pace). (Five weeks ago, I ran 20 miles at 10:14/mi. with little fatigue.) I feel the strain in my lower abs, hips, quads, and calves when I stand up from a seated position.

On Monday, I finally came to terms with my current recovery status from the marathon. I am open to the idea that recovering from a marathon takes a few weeks. I am okay with walking when my heart rate creeps into Z3. I am okay with paces that are slower than my paces before the marathon. This current status is temporary. It’s a picture of where I am right now, but not a projection of what’s to come.