A Slower Rhythm

Since running the Tunnel Marathon several weeks ago, I’ve been in recovery mode. I had read and heard many times that after running a marathon, recovery can take four weeks or more. I have to say I was a little skeptical and disbelieving, but not without reason either. For all the ultracycling I did, recovery came pretty quickly, and really it had to be quick because long events were sometimes just two or three weeks apart. The difference is the intensity – I raced the marathon, whereas the cycling was paced and also knowing there was another ride coming.

This has been another new phase of learning and patience. My body really has wanted to slow down, and even sleep a lot. I’ve had a couple of massages since the marathon as well and both really moved a lot of soreness out of my body. Even the desire to go running is reduced. There is still desire and there’s also my body quietly speaking its own voice of ‘not today’.

I have been out for a few runs, probably just two a week. For the first couple, I felt like I had someone else’s legs. My stride was awkward and stiff, armswing was shortened, I felt like I was running flatfooted. Forget about any kind of pace either, it was just simply slow, or at least slow by my standards. Still I could appreciate that I could still run. The runs the past couple days have finally extended to over an hour again. Still quite slow, or at least they seem so. I’m not running with a watch because right now it’s not a focus. What I’m finding again is simply the need to listen to my body and what it needs, and certainly speed is nowhere on that list.

With a slower flow of the run, I’ve also had the chance to again find the meditative quality of the run when there’s no particular focus like pacing. Even on this morning’s run I was really able to find a deep peace in the run, I even stopped for a few minutes in the middle of the run on the top of a hill, faced the sun, and meditated soaking in the new day.

The marathon was amazing, and even intense. Recovery has been another surprising journey as well, even with its own concentration on a slow, easy rhythm. So despite the usual fullness of summer, I am quite enjoying a relaxing beginning. That beginning will surely lead to more running joy as well.