My Post Marathon Hiatus

SBM taking a cooking class with the family

With most of my year in a walking boot, I was anxious to finish the year with a couple of AMAZING races; the New York City Marathon and the Runner's World Half Marathon and Festival. It was my "intensities in ten cities" tour with a whirlwind of travel over two months throwing in a trip to San Diego, Seattle, a college homecoming, and oh yeah...I moved my home (and worldwide headquarters of SeekingBostonMarathon.com.)

Whew! Given all that, my mind (and more so my body) was ready for a bit of a break. The last run hiatus I had was NOT optional and in the aforementioned boot. This time around I figured, HAVE SOME FUN while taking a much-needed break from running as my body needed rest and healing as I head into 2017.

With that, the ten things I did after my last mary.

My Movember Stache

1) Unpacked a bunch of boxes! Being partial empty nesters, we moved to the city! Did I mention I moved the weekend BEFORE a marathon. I would not recommend it. My aching knee did not appreciate it, but have loved setting up the urban offices of SeekingBostonMarathon.
2) Movember to remember. I've subtly embraced Movember each year and (this year) tried to grow a Jared Ward "stache" to drive awareness for kicking cancer's ass. Unfortunately, I turned out looking more like Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs rotund chief signal caller) vs. the svelt Ward. I did however get a tweet acknowledgment from one of the NYC Marathon Grand Marshalls--Mr. Ward himself. (If you haven't donated yet, you can still throw some "Mo dough" HERE.

Elf on a Shelf float rounding the corner of Macy's Thanksgiving Parade

3) Like Mr. Reid, I ate A LOT. After taking on a Whole30 Plan earlier this year and a robust training schedule up to the two big aforementioned races, I was at my lowest race weight (and felt great) in years. Mentally and physically, I've enjoyed eating and drinking pretty much everything in sight. I feel "fat" but I'm not.

Backstage with Andra Day after her Bluebird Theatre gig

4) I watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade LIVE! My wife and I took one of our boys to the "big apple" a mere few weeks after racing their earlier in November. It was an AMAZING week taking in a lot of the sights we didn't quite have time for when we were there for the race including the 9/11 Memorial, Statue of Liberty, and having the parade out the back door of our hotel. We wrapped up the week with a "food tour" in Greenwich Village which was a "#gastrointestinalorgasm. (Pretty sure that's not a trending hashtag, but it should be.)
5) Thanks(giving) to the wife, we took a thanksgiving meal cooking class at Sur La Table in nearby Cherry Creek. A very festive way to kick off the holiday season with the wife and kids. I'm "all thumbs" in the kitchen, but really enjoyed it.
6) Andra Day concert at the nearby historic Bluebird Theatre. My cousin Shay drums for Andra. The show was amazing and got to meet Andra afterwards. Super nice woman and the girl's got some serious vocal chops.

My Brookly Bridge Run a few weeks after NYC Marathon

7) Housewarming party! Sorry you weren't all invited, but my realtor helped host our first party complete with Santiago breakfast burritos, Voodoo Donuts (started in Portland and up the block from the new casa) and a Bloody Mary bar. Good friends, good times. If I had a sports nutritionist on staff, I'm pretty sure he would not have approved the Cocoa Puff donut.
8) I turned in my application for the 2017 Runner's Roost (my local run store) team and was happy to have received my acceptance this week! Woohoo!
9) I've taken time off from running and the gym, but have gone for a few short runs in the last five weeks which included some amazing bucket list runs; Embarcadero in San Francisco, and the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges in New York City. While I've run the first two, Manhattan was a first.
10) Scoped out a few routes from my new home. A bonus for moving is I can no longer complain about having the "same old" routes out my front door. Running is a gift and I'm not complaining (I guess I just contradicted myself,) but I'm excited about the new routes outside my front door; City Park, Cheeseman Park, Lowry, and Cherry Creek Trail.

After all that, my foot feels much better. My knee that bothered me before New York City is feeling a bit better but not quite 100%. I definitely needed the break!

Are you able to take a complete break from running after a marathon?

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