What's Next?

No pictures today, just a couple of thoughts about running.

When I (finally) crossed the finish line last Monday in Boston, it was the first time in a little over three years that I was not entered to run a marathon. In reality, that's not a big deal. Not at all.

But, as it relates to running, it is a bit of a deal. I don't have a training program. My running partner is my iPod or, recently, my iPhone. My iPhone has yet to say, "Hey, I'll meet you at 5:30 in the morning for a run," although I'm certain it would say that if properly programmed. The net of all that is I won't disappoint my neighboorhood running if I choose to sleep in rather than go for a run.

Today finds me in Indianapolis. My morning run was in the drizzle. Not because I had to run, just because I wanted to run.

Of all the good things I enjoyed during the "marathon a month" effort, at some point I lost the notion of just running because I wanted to go for a run. I spent a year thinking about the need to run each day or, at least, most days to prepare for the next marathon. I missed the simple enjoyment of just going for a run.

Today, drizzle or no drizzle, my morning run was fun. All 3.84 miles of it. Around a downtown block, toward Lucas Oil Stadium (site of this year's Final Four), down the street to Eli Lily's corporate headquarters, back toward downtown, a left hand turn to the memorial plaza followed by another left hand turn to Monument Circle. I didn't have to run for an hour. I didn't have to run a certain number of miles. I wasn't following some training plan. Today, I just ran because I felt like it, and I stopped when I felt like stopping.

After last week, I decided to slow it down a bit. Run regularly, just a little less. And to find a fall marathon that would come after I complete an actual training program.