Like waking up from a long overdue solid night of sleep this past week has been just what the doctor ordered. The “rest and recovery” portion of this week started almost immediately after finishing the race. After being in the elements for three and a half hours I was soaked and frozen to the core. The hotel hot tub was a savior for tending to sore muscles and chasing the cold out of these old bones. Also having my family and good friends there to share in the accomplishment felt great and made a marathon weekend seem more like a vacation.

I’ve given myself the week off to reflect on my previous training cycle and future in running. I feel like I am on the comeback trail after several disappointing races and some overall burn out. I’m back to running for me and to honor the ability I was given. So as I started to piece together my training cycle for this falls Twin Cities marathon I felt don’t feel obligated to put elements in my training cycle that are going to add excess stress on me mentally. I feel that as I honor my training, I also need to keep my family at the forefront of my life. Running will always be there for me but time spent with my wife and children and the memories we will share are infinitely more important. I have lofty goals for this upcoming race and I’m relishing the challenge that lays ahead. As I go through this next challenge I look forward to sharing the experience with all of you.

Running with you,
Tom