Our bodies are capable of so much more than we can imagine. After watching so many people prove they could run a marathon last Sunday and the impact that has on their lives I am motivated to get out and convince more people they can have a strong mind and a strong body. Just think about how far we have come in such a short time in our society. We have gone from working hard physically everyday to having the energy to train and complete a marathon, 26.2 miles or a half marathon, 13.1 miles. Austin got to see 12,000 people toe up to the line and have the courage to run, walk or jog.
The community stepped up to provide everything the athletes needed. We have so many to thank, Austin Police Department, Seton Family of Hospitals, AT&T, City of Austin, Fox 7,KLBJ, KGSR, Parks and Recreation, Fila, HEB, Oroweat, the RunTex family, and all of the independent volunteers plus many more.
So now what? Well, if you are recovering from the marathon, take your time. Be very careful that you don't go out and stress your body too soon. Treat yourself to a massage, hydrotherapy, a walk, a bike ride, etc. Dont try to get back to your normal routine for a couple of weeks. Some experts recommend running easy one day for each mile of competition. So in the case of the marathon, 26 days easy. Or simply, a month.
When you do get back to running, make sure you have a plan in place to re-enter running at a level that has plenty of easy days between hard days and be careful not to do speed work right away. Most importantly, listen to your body. A lot of people feel like running the week after and then they bonk the following week. Some are so sore they don't even think about running again for weeks. Others are so well trained that they can continue like it never happened.
One thing for sure, enjoy the moment, the sense of accomplishment, the peace after the battle and the knowledge that you made it. You fought back and endured when your body wanted to quit. Congratulations!
For those of you watching, a little voice inside is saying, I can do it. You can and now is the time to start. Commit to yourself and maybe to others, come to see us and we will help get you on the way to being a half or full marathoner in 2008.