Acceptance. That’s a concept I’ve been struggling with lately. Three months ago on July 10, 2011 I crossed the finish line of my first marathon, the Missoula Marathon, capping a quest many miles in the making. Since then, running has been a bit of a struggle.

I’d read enough and talked enough to know it takes a while to recover from a marathon, no matter whether it’s your first or tenth. I knew it would be best to ease back into things and not to expect too much. I knew everyone was different and there’s certainly a difference between someone like me, still a new runner, and someone who has years of running success behind them. Still, I figured I was in the best shape of my life and should spring right back to running with zero lag time.

Damn reality.

I felt good enough to run two days after the marathon, but work and life forced me to wait five days. By then, the annual summer heat was on in Missoula. Runs that were pleasant in the 50s and 60s suddenly sucked in the 70s and 80s.  The effect of the heat made me forget I’d just run a 26.2 mile race. Or more specifically, it was impossible to tell how much of my struggle was due to the race and how much was due to the heat.

The heat continued all through July, August and most of September. I’ve had two recurring problems.  First, energy has been a hit and miss proposition. Second, I’m pretty sure I seriously strained my lower abdominal muscles during the marathon and they’re nowhere close to being healed.  I’ve mostly hit my post marathon goal of at least 25 miles a week, but it hasn’t been easy.

Okay, I’ll admit it.  I need a break.

That’s harder to admit than it might seem.  I still have goals.  Our local running club, Run Wild Missoula, has a 1200 Mile Club, providing encouragement for people to run a total of 1,200 miles during the calendar year.  I’m 65 miles away and it’s only October.  I also want to maintain a good base.  I lost far too much fitness last year by inadvertently and unwillingly taking most of November and December off from running. Plus, running in Montana in October is a fantastic treat of great scenery and beautiful weather.

But I do need a break.

I need to heal.  I’ve got friends who do 100 mile races and are back at it with a few days rest.  Yeah, they’re freaks of nature and I readily recognize I’m not.  But I also realize I’ve been pretty lucky with this running adventure.  I’ve managed to train for my first half and my first full marathon without major injuries and set backs. I have friends half my age who can’t say that.

So it’s time to be smart and make sure my adventure can stay that way. I WILL hit 1200 miles and probably a few more.  But I’m not going to let my obsessive quest for mile after mile create setbacks that leave me struggling come January and my next marathon. I need to get right. It’s time to cut way back – not stop completely – for a while.  Cross training would be smart, though access to that isn’t as easy as a pair of running shoes. 

There’s the lesson for this beer runner.  Listen to your body. Accept what it’s telling you. Do something about it. Continue the quest.