Seven is more than enough

There is a start line and there is a finish line. 

If you had said to me ten years ago that I would go on to run 7 marathons over that period, I would have thought you were crazy. If you had said to me 18months ago that I would go on to do my next two marathons within six months of each other, then I would have checked you into the asylum myself! As it happened, I ended up doing 7, and whilst I had dreams and plans to get that count up to 10, alas that is no longer going to be the case. 

DNS

I had to pull out of Leeds Marathon in May as I was just not up to that distance at that point to be able to run it as I would like to do. I had Yorkshire Marathon to look forward to this coming October though, and I also wanted to do a local marathon with our running club in August. You can have all the plans in the world, but if you aren't feeling it, and if you aren't feeling capable, or have lost that passion for it, it isn't going to happen no matter how many times you've been down that road before. 

That wasn't purely the case though. I have some health issues that have started to impact my running from earlier this year. These issues, whilst manageable and monitorable, would still need some level of sensible decision making to be made. Planning to do five marathons in a twelve month period (Oct 22 to Oct 23) would have been awesome. It was going to get me up to 10 which was my target number of marathons to bow out on at that distance. Sometimes the body just tells you when. Those signs and indications aren't just injuries or illnesses, they are signals that I am the age that I am, and that there are things that need to be addressed and pushing for purely numerical targets isn't the smartest thing to do.

Sensible decision making

I've talked this over with those closest to my running and they agree that this makes sense. There is no saying that this is it forever, but under the current lay of the land this is the smartest decision to take. There is so much fun and enjoyment to be had with running and racing, and some risks are not worth jeopardising health longer term. 

This may come across as sounding really scary. It isn't like that. It is just sometimes a 48 year old bloke has to make decisions that prolong the sporting activity he enjoys. I am not the same me that I was when I first started out running. I am not even the same me who made that frankly miraculous comeback last year. I am the me of here and now, and this is what is sensible and appropriate for me right now looking forward. 

I'm downgrading those marathons in August and October down to shorter distances - at least, and I will let health and my fitness condition at the time dictate whether I take part in those or not. 

Sometimes sensible decision making has to happen to prolong participation and enjoyment, and I hope that by making these decisions now, I will be in a better place longer term to keep enjoying my running for as long as I'm able to. There are plenty more Smiles Through The Miles still to come!