Anyone who knows me knows that I enjoy running, and running marathons, in particular. Full marathons. 26 miles. 42 kilometers. Not halves, or 10Ks. But recently, I’ve been cancelling marathons I’ve registered for, or – worse – switching to the half marathon race. HEAVENS. (Please, this is not meant to insult the people who prefer the 13 miles – 26 miles is just my personal preference). But I keep having problems, issues and injuries. I’ve accepted the fact that my pace has gone from mid-pack to Sloooooooooooooooow, and I’ve adopted the motto “embrace the slow,” but one thing I can’t embrace is injury and pain. That is when I have to cancel or switch to the shorter distance.
This year alone, I’ve canceled plans to run marathons in New Orleans and Thessaloniki, Greece. In addition, earlier this month, I switched from the full Pittsburgh Marathon to the half.
My problems you ask? Primarily knee issues (with a bit of hip flexor and asthma issues thrown in for good luck). Consequently, my training has been less than stellar. (Well, I’ve also been traveling a lot this year which has cut into my training as well). (Did I mention that there was a lot of snow this winter). Anyway, yes, I’ve been to doctors and even physical therapy, but so far I haven’t seen results. Stop? No, please, no.
I’m thrilled that I will be visiting Luxembourg this weekend. The ING Night Marathon is Saturday night – beginning at 7 pm. It’s supposed to be a lot of fun! The time limit is around 6 hours, which I can probably do, but what about after traveling overnight from New York to Europe? Can this be categorized as “What were you thinking Kat?” Probably not, I’ve done far crazier sh*t. Nevertheless, switching down to the half seems to make sense. That way, I can finish the race before 10 p.m., and revel in the post-race Luxembourg celebration. And I’ll still get a 13 mile tour of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. That sounds a lot better than a lonely 1 a.m. finish, doesn’t it? (The brain says yes, the heart says no.)
Kicking and screaming, I will likely listen to the brain. So I guess my 110th marathon (and 7th country marathon) will once again have to wait for another day.
Tomorrow night at this time, I’ll be boarding a plane. And, yes, I’ll be in business class….
A New York frequent flyer who elegantly combines her passions for worldwide travel, running a gazillion marathons all over the globe and staying fit ... without sacrificing her fancy for good wine and food.
On the bright side, you’ll be in J! I’ve ran a marathon on each continent and nowadays prefer to run half-marathons when travel is involved. Why? Because recovery is so much faster and I can actually enjoy the city/town after running! 🙂
Nothing wrong with switching your race to a shorter one — what matters more is your enjoyment and happiness! Don’t forget to smile and look cute for the cameras! 🙂
Another bright side is that my legs should be ok to go for a run in Dusseldorf on Monday!
Have a great trip and great run! Enjoy!
Hi Kathy,
we met before the start Saturday night. How was your run, did you enjoy it? I enjoyed meeting you and reading your blog today.
Enjoy your runs and have faith. Your 26.2 days will come again! Maybe we’ll run Amsterdam together one day?
Roy
It was great meeting you too! I did have a nice run – it was very scenic. The parts through the center were crazy because there were a zillion people cheering and it was just me running.