Emerging from the Depths
After the Bandera 100k, I was totally burnt out on running. What could top that? What was left to do? Somehow, the Tinajas 100k didn't seem important anymore. Originally, I had intended that to be my signature run of the season, but after I'd already beaten my loftiest goal by almost half an hour, it was hard to see a point. Not to mention $140, virtually no aid station support, and having to borrow a car and blow an entire weekend.
I'd already registered for the Austin Marathon, but a "measly" 42.2 km, shorter than the training runs I did on weekends, didn't seem daunting. For the next few weeks, I ran once a week and ate whatever I wanted. Two weeks later, I'd gained 3 kg (6.5 pounds).
To some people, that's not a lot. But on a guy like me, that's unfathomable. It's the equivalent of an average American man gaining 5 kg (11 pounds) in two weeks. That's almost hard to do on purpose, which wasn't even the case. After spending several months of building yourself into good shape, it's incredible how easy it is to tear it all down. And you can't outrun a bad diet - an hour of running can be undone in about 60 seconds of eating.
I finally got my head together and started running again, but even then, it feels like I've lost a certain fire. I don't run with the same edge I used to. Which is somewhat understandable; after doing the same thing for a long time, it's hard to stay equally excited. And after a big accomplishment, there's often a hangover. Nevertheless, it was good to get the distance logged and start getting back on track. The diet took even longer to fix (if it ever was completely), but a little later than I might've liked, the weight started slowly coming off.
The Austin Marathon is now one week away, and I'm only 1 kg overweight. Good enough. All that's left is a taper week, good dieting, rest, and obsessively checking the weather forecast for the next week. The last few days, the prediction for Sunday looks comfortably warm, but keeps alternating between cloudy and rain. Oh please, oh please...
June
