What's Next? And Why I'm Thinking About It Now
What happens after the race is over? No matter the outcome, good, bad or ugly, there will be a time when the Cocodona 250 will not be part of my life. I'm trying to spend a little time now thinking about that reality. I'd like to avoid falling into a depression.
Read "The Runner's Low" by Emily Halnon and you might understand why I decided to get in front of this common problem when completing a big running goal before the buckle is in my hand.
First off, let me say that I'm so lucky to have a supportive spouse that understood my need to do this race. Or even if she didn't totally understand it, she pretended to, and gave me a lot of grace while I put other priorities on hold or on a lower status.
One of my first priorities post race (and recovery) is to attempt to even the scales a bit. I will be more present in our daily life, do more around the house, do more with the kids and give Jenny any time that she'll take for herself whenever she wants it. That's only fair.
A big thing I put on hold was a house remodel project that will give us a third kids bedroom. We have the space but need to make it safe. A nicer outdoor patio space would be a bonus if I can get to that as well. Basically, I might be trading in my running shoes for a hammer in the months following Cocodona.
My middle kid has really taken a keen interest in a sport I know virtually nothing about this spring. He joined the middle school tennis team. I've only attempted to hit with him once so far, but I look forward to him teaching me more and spending some time on the courts with him this summer. I'm excited that he's excited about a sport (his first team sport, not counting archery) and that he is giving it his all. Maybe. Just maybe, I am really showing him the power of practice and consistency.
Another thing I've been thinking a lot about lately has to do with my career. After obsessing for multiple years, planning and training to do this race, I see that I could do a similar thing to help me grow in my job role. Setting a few big goals, or even just one, but being more strategic in my planning and practice to reach that goal is something I feel like attempting in my work life. It may even include hiring a coach depending on what my goal ends up being. I still have to flesh out my path on this one, but I'm excited to try and use my new skills in this way.
It's not so much a goal, but I have been thinking about how I want to ring in my 50th birthday in a few short years and I think I'd like to have a weekend where I spend time in a sensory depravation tank and then follow that up with a skydiving jump. I've not done either, but they both sound like experiences I would like and it sounds fun to do them back-to-back if possible. So... I've got that to look forward to.
And then there is the inevitable draw back to running some ultras again. I'm not signed up for anything else in 2023, but I know a great local 50k race that happens to fall on my birthday this year. We have a lot of local races that I will be drawn to do at some point. Staying connected to local trail/ultra community is important to me even if I'm not doing big destination races for a while. Even the three to five mile runs around my neighborhood have become a staple in my mental health routine and I don't think that will be changing after this race. If anything they will be more important.
I also acknowledge that it will be ok if I fall into a small slump after the race. That's normal. This race has been all-consuming and is soooo huge! I will need some time to adjust to the smaller more normal life that I live. It's a good life so I'm not really too concerned.
