After the disasters named Boston and Sugarloaf,
I figured a few weeks of rest and low mileage would do the trick and
I'd be back up to speed in no time. Wrong. Three months after Boston
and two from Sugarloaf, I am still dealing with the long-term effects of
heat exhaustion (apparently it can take up to a year to recover). I'm
unable to run with speed and find myself struggling to hit double digits
on a run. The humidity drains me and leaves me with low energy for
about 48 hours after a run. I love running, but it's a BIG struggle for
me right now.
I'm getting a big lesson in patience and am definitely using cross
training to keep my fitness up. I've been lifting more weights than
ever. I figure that it'll help me recover faster since I'm building
back up my muscles that I tore down, and when my body is ready to run
like normal, I'll be stronger and able to hit my normal pace quicker.
I'm also going to start swimming more and throw in some spin classes.
I optimistically signed up for the Richmond marathon in November, but
have since decided to defer since I don't see myself being able to
start marathon training any time soon. My new plan is to run the Myrtle
Beach marathon in February since training would start late fall when
it's not so hot and humid!
(Written and posted to Georgia Marathon 07/22/12, but forgot to put on here.)
