The last several weeks have teeter-tottered between feeling completely normal and dreamlike.  I mean, parenting a toddler is very much the same crazy, awesome chaos it was before I BQed…

Speaking of the BQ, THANK YOU!!!! for all of the congratulatory messages, excitement, flowers, balloons, and more.  It’s been a dream.

While I’m tempted to throw all of my energy into my next big goal, I feel like I should follow through with documenting the taper and recovery of my training – mostly for myself, but also because I know I have a few readers who love the numbers and details like I do (hi, dad!).  Also, I thought I’d do a little reflecting on what’s next…

For my readers who are only here to see Liv, don’t worry!  I’ve got TONS of pics for you!

• Monday, 2/1 – 5 miles @ 8:52 + strength
• Tuesday, 2/2 – 3.1 miles @ 9:17 – 30-degrees at sunrise!
• Wednesday, 2/3 – 4 miles @ 8:56 + strength + workout video with Liv, which she loved, and has requested to do several days since!
• Thursday, 2/4 – OFF
• Friday, 2/5 – 6.3 miles @ 8:36 + strength + workout video with Liv
• Saturday, 2/6 – 4 miles @ 8:30 + strength
• Sunday, 2/7 – Long/Tempo Run: 10 miles @ 7:54 – I wasn’t able to fit in a speed workout earlier in the week, so pushed myself during my long run!

I kicked off February feeling “fluffy” and insecure about my training and goals for LA, but Liv was a great distraction, and kept me busy chasing her around the neighborhood on her scooter!

With less than a week until the marathon, Liv came down with a doozy of a cold… poor girl…  Jared and I spent the week taking care of her, obsessively washing our hands, loading up on Vitamin C, and experimenting with oils for immunity (I’m a new user of Young Living essential oils)!  Miraculously, I did not get sick and I’ve added Thieves to my monthly order of oils.

• Monday, 2/8 – 3.4 miles @ 8:51
• Tuesday, 2/9 – Speedwork: 5 miles @ 7:13 (7 x 400m @ 1:33-1:36 with 400m RIs @ BQ pace!) – I was so happy to nail this last speed workout 5 days before the marathon!
• Wednesday, 2/10 – 2 miles @ 8:53 + walk
• Thursday, 2/11 – 3.4 miles @ 8:56 + strength
• Friday, 2/12 – Liv’s 3rd birthday!  3.2 miles @ 8:45 + lots of walking
• Saturday, 2/13 – Olympic Marathon Trials! – lots of walking
• Sunday, 2/14 – LA Marathon: 26.2 miles, 3:33:22 @ 8:08

Marathon recovery went (is going?) unbelievably well.  I think I was riding the BQ/PR high a little too hard, because I could not make myself slow down on Wednesday’s run and continuously have to remind myself that although I feel good, my body is recovering.

• Monday, 2/15 – walk
• Tuesday, 2/16 – 3 miles @ 9:22 + walk
• Wednesday, 2/17 – 4.1 miles @ 8:16
• Thursday, 2/18 – 4 miles @ 8:29 + walk
• Friday, 2/19 – 2.3 miles @ 10:00 + strength
• Saturday, 2/20 – 3.5 miles @ 8:46 + strength
• Sunday, 2/21 – 10 miles @ 8:14 + strength

I love having the gym to myself at work, but miss my workout buddy even more… (hi, Suz!)

Here’s a great article: How To Recover After A Marathon, which covers the science and importance of recovery for the immune system, skeletal muscle, cellular damage, and ultimately, better performance in the future.

I’ve been running consistently, with barely a week off, for over six years.  It’s just now occurring to me that I might be a workout addict…

Another (probably obvious) realization is that I’m terrible at the taper/recovery part of marathoning (I’m sure Jared’s reading this, thinking: DUH!).  I’m an anxious, insecure mess before the race and I get lost and depressed afterwards…

Luckily, my parents and brother stuck around for a week after the race, so we enjoyed lots of family time, food, trips to the beach, lake, zoo, and ALL of the parks.  It was good for my soul.

Memaw (or “Mimi,” depending on Liv’s mood) even got to come to school with us!

Another highlight was that Jared and I made it out for our first “date night” in I-don’t-know-how-long… Okay, so it was our buddy’s 30th birthday, but there was wine and cheese, I dusted off my hair straightener, and we wore real clothes!

No matter how long they are, family visits always fly by in a blur!

• Monday, 2/22 – walk + strength
• Tuesday, 2/23 – 3.1 miles @ 8:40 + strength
• Wednesday, 2/24 – Speedwork: 6 miles @ 7:41 (6 x 800m @ 3:30 with 400m RIs)
• Thursday, 2/25 – walk
• Friday, 2/26 – 10 miles with Eve @ 8:43 – we’ll be running the San Diego Half together in two weeks!
• Saturday, 2/27 – walk
• Sunday, 2/28 – 10.2 miles @ 8:12 (3 miles @ 7:20)

So, what’s next?

I went into the LA Marathon already registered for a back-up marathon: Revel Mt Charleston in May.  It’s how I cope with my insecurities.  If I blow it, there’s already another race on the calendar!

Now, I’m debating between following through with that marathon in 10 weeks… OR deferring my entry to 2017 (which not all races allow, but Revel is awesome).

You see, just because I qualified for Boston doesn’t mean I’ll get in.

For Boston 2016, qualifiers had to run two minutes and 28 seconds faster than their qualifying time.  Those who fell short of 2:28 received notifications that although they qualified, they weren’t fast enough to earn a spot in the race.  This happened to my dad in 2014, as his qualification time was seconds shy of the cut-off, which varies from year to year.  If the cutoff trend continues, then I’d need to cut a minute (or more!) from my qualifying time of 3:33:22.

After typing all of this out, I feel confident about several things: I’m going to train for Revel in May.  I’m going to run Boston (I’m just not sure when… 2017?  2018?  2019?).  And the most important thing is that I get to keep on running.

In March, I’m looking forward to new goals!  I have a new marathon training plan to play around with, a new 1-month Groupon to CorePower Yoga (yay!!!!), new strength and yoga DVDs, and a new cookbook to try out!  Other goals: to continue training hills, hills, hills, have more sit-down family dinners all together, and to take Liv to the park every single day!

My girl and I sure love to fly.

Happy (almost) March!  What are your goals for the month?