Is Running Ever Enough?

Yesterday was the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon and Half Marathon and, by all accounts, it was a successful and fun event despite the heat.  Per usual, I did not run it.  Even after living and running in Northeast Wisconsin for ten+ years, I still haven't run this race.  Don't ask me why.  It's just one of those events that - big here locally as it is - it just never really occurs to me to run.  Usually it conflicts with something else I have on the schedule: another race, out of town time with family, or some combination of the two.  

This year was no different, except instead of an event or vacation that offered conflict this year the race conflicted with my planned recovery from the Ice Age 50K the week before.  Now, I thought this was really clever of me, because after all recovery is important and the 50K was a big goal race for me.  However, as it turns out, recovery is apparently a poor excuse to miss a race.  You see, out of the four gals I traveled down to the Ice Age with, I am the only one who apparently felt the need to recover from the race.  Two of the Peeps ran the full marathon yesterday, and two ran the Half.  All finished in their goal times.

While I am extremely happy for them (truly I am, don't get me wrong), I can't help but feel a wee bit inadequate.  Could I have run the event if I had set my mind to do it?  I don't know.  I do know that for the first four days after the Ice Age, I felt tired and sore.  I needed that time to recover.  Beyond that?  Who knows for certain.  What I do know is that I had ZERO DESIRE to run an event this weekend.  And, that is the part that makes me feel inadequate.  Am I not as hardcore as the others?  Do I not love running as much as they do?  Am I a less confident runner than they are?  These are all questions going through my head.

I don't have the answers to those questions.  I know I don't have anything to prove to anyone as far as running goes, least of all my friends who - bless their hearts - accept me for who I am.  After all, running is a very personal thing - unless you are in the top .00000001 percent that actually wins races - so I am a bit surprised by my reaction to the fact that I didn't run this.  Maybe, despite declarations to the contrary, there is a teeny, tiny part of me that is competitive after all.  I don't like the feeling of being the one who "sat out."  Food for serious thought, because if indeed there is a part of me that is even slightly competitive, if I am not just in it for the fun and the adventure, that could have a major impact on how I go about training for future events.  I'll have to mull that over for a while.

In the meantime, while I may not be that attached to the Green Bay races, I am a repeat attender of their expo.  I LOVE the Green Bay Marathon expo, and I do try to go to it every year.  I mean, what's not to like about it?  The expo is set up in the atrium of Lambeau Field.  The pasta dinner, if you are willing to shell out $17 for your family to go (runners get entry free) or you happen to get free tickets (ahem), is set up in the concourse of the stadium.  If you are a Packer fan, then you would be thrilled to know you can go out into the stands of the stadium to check out hallowed ground.  If you are not, then know the food is pretty decent and you can certainly eat your fill.

This year the expo seemed to have even more to do than last year, and strangely, the kids really enjoy attending.  Aside from going around collecting all the freebies, they enjoyed making signs and buttons for Hubby and taking a commemorative photo of them "running."

I usually cruise by the product tents, of which there are plenty, and this year I did score one item I was in the market for.

The 50K magnet looks nice next to the 26.2.

So, how has recovery gone?  Pretty well, actually.  It took a good four days for my legs to stop barking at me, and now finally I am left with my baseline aches and pains that I always seem to have.  I will probably carry those with me until I can really give my body some rest.

I spent last week doing nothing more than my walks, short bike rides, lawn mowing and yard work.  And, I am good with that.  I have actually had fun. Yesterday, seeing as I didn't run a marathon or half marathon, I decided to continue my now two-year tradition of running the trails of High Cliff State Park on Green Bay Marathon day, and for me it was just what I needed.  I took it nice and easy and managed to stop and smell the roses - well, trillium, or something.

Before heading out on my first post-50K run, looking at the trail I had to take a
picture - and a deep breath.  I didn't know what this would feel like.

Luckily, though, the woods were beautiful and peaceful.  The soft trail underfoot as good for my soul as my feet.

The flowers were definitely in bloom!

Can't ignore LG's favorite flower - dandelions.  Even they were happy on the trail.

Enjoyed taking in some of my favorite sights, like this one...

...and this one.

High Cliff has a nice little burial mound trail that I like to take visitors to.  I was surprised to find though that they have some restoration work going on.  I almost didn't recognize the trail turn...

...looks so different without the trees.

All in all, a nice trail run.  (Me, digging my new sunglasses - Mother's Day gift from Hubby.)

Afterwards, the kids and I hung out near the beach so the kids could burn off some energy doing some catch-and-release of lake flies.  I don't know why they felt the need to chase after the little buggers like cats on the prowl.  I was catching plenty of them just sitting on my butt doing nothing.  They're thick right now.

 
Happy Running!