My Post Marathon Plans

For reference this is being written right after completing my marathon. Therefore, I reserve all rights to change my mind and hit y’all with a plot twist.

BUT, as of now my post marathon plans are actually pretty surprising….

It’s been a long 16+ weeks full of twist and turns. This year as well has felt like a snowglobe, just when I think things are setting down it all get shaken up again. I’ve been lucky though that it’s mostly all been good shake ups but balencing marathon training AND a very busy year has been a lot more intense. While as a running coach I know how much time and dedication a marathon training cycle does take but applying that to my own individual life was obviously easier said than done.

After being sick a couple weeks ago and realizing how close my race was it gave me time to pause and really think about what my goals post marathon are going to look like. I guess free time does that to you…so weird 😜

Most people probably expect me to say that I’m already eyeing my next race or planning out my 2022 schedule. The truth is haven’t honestly given much thought to what my own running will look like in 2022. I know I’ll be returning to this same race next December for the half marathon but other than that I have nothing booked, nothing waiting to be signed up for or any ideas.

Truth be told I’m looking forward to some rest and some light running. I’m looking forward to having some randomness in my schedule and just enjoying the runs for what they are.

I promised my family no 2022 marathons. After this year and knowing that I’ll be doing NYC in 2023 I think giving a break for all is only fair because let’s face it, I couldn’t do this without their help and they put a lot of time into helping me. I’m looking forward to some shorter distances and maybe another half marathon besides the one in December. (Yes, I see the irony in saying shorter distances and a half marathon in the same sentence)

One major focus I know that I plan to have after my marathon has actually nothing to do about running. I am not so secretly in love with the ABF workouts from Audrey Bowman (@audreyy.bowman) and plan to really step up my strength training and make some extra gains there. I want to strengthen some weaker points I’ve identified throughout this training block and build up some muscle groups to make me a more efficient runner. You can read my reviews HERE and HERE to get a better idea of what her program includes.

She has hosted a couple of her ABF Prime Up Challenges since she started her company and has another one coming up in January. I am thinking of signing up and giving it a try! The challenge has different workouts than her every day program and also includes a custom macro plan. While I more than likely won’t follow the macro plan that is the beauty of the challenge, you can make it your own! It’s not about losing weight or getting “skinny”, it’s about getting strong and feeling good. Audreys whole focus is health, NOT an arbitrary number or size which I ALWAYS support and feel like it's important to celebrate a company like hers that breaks the mold and doesn't fall into the stereotypes that often pop up all over social media.

After challenging my body with distance it excites me to challenge myself with weights and more dynamic movements. I plan to keep running and ideally stay in half marathon shape (or close to it) since for my life right now that seems like the happy medium. The workouts can easily accommodate that ideology and since they are only around 35-45 min I don’t fear it taking over my whole day or being an additional stressor.

I’d love to hear what your post race/New Years plans are—I love setting intentions early and having a clear idea of what the next chapters look like. My type A personality loves a good plan/list!

Comment below or on Instagram to let me know what YOU are up to! Are you looking forward to a strong 2022?