What now?

I waited four days after the marathon before I went out for a run. It wasn't until Sunday that I got a solid, feel-good run done. Yesterday morning I went out for a quick five under the stars of the 5-o'clock in the morning hour. I'm going to try and drag myself out the door for another five miles this evening.

There is no plan.

There are races coming up but none for which I need any serious training. I might run the Churchill's Half on November 9th and I'm registered for the A Christmas Story House 10K on December 7th and the Santa Hustle at Cedar Point on December 15th. I'm a runner who races, but I'm not running any races to win anything. And because I'm not running with a purpose to win anything I'm not inclined to go out and do crazy things like speed work and hills. Nope, I just keep it simple.

I'm just running to run.

With respect to distance I'll probably maintain the same thirty to forty miles per week. Despite no decrease in miles, it's a lot easier mentally to run without a purpose. I go out the door, wing a route, and about an hour later I'm home and feeling satisfied. The last few runs have reminded me of how nice it is to just get out there.

It's time to run.