Shorter Run, Longer Party…

Blame it on the Government shutdown, taper crazies, or just the marathon gods directing me back on course, but two days before my “back on my feet” marathon, I decided to “opt out” of the long run and go for the shorter route.

Since I grew up in Western Maryland, the Freedom’s Run’s 26 miles through Harpers Ferry, Antietam Battlefield, and the C&O Canal, immediately appealed to my nostalgic side, and found the 2,000 participant limit to be refreshing since I shared my first marathon experience with 30,000 people.  After registering, I only had 12 weeks to train (6 weeks shy of ideal), but everything went smooth, other than being a little indolent with my weekday runs, and some ankle and arch soreness. My two-week taper began, and all was well until the Government decided to shut down. I wasn’t concerned until the foolishness dragged into the weekend, and the realization that the majority of the marathon course was through four National Parks.

The race director announced that they were working on an alternate route, so I remained hopeful, until I saw it was an out-and-back, TWICE!  I tried to stay positive; thinking the extra support from the crowds would be motivating as I headed out for my last 13.1 miles. My husband was encouraging, saying that the course was similar to an Iron Man, and that the original marathon courses were loops, but I know the mental barrier I have with out-and-back courses, and had serious concerns about my ability to push through that and the Wall. The final straw was a rainy race day forecast, and found it almost impossible to stay positive thinking about running a double loop sopping wet.  I made the decision to switch to the half-marathon, allowing me to still participate in the festivities and have more time and energy to spend with my family. I’m now back on track to run  “America’sFriendliest Marathon” in Richmond on November 16, so I’m going to enjoy this weekend’s “shorter run, longer party”, since it’s back to training next week.