#MyChicagoMarathon No. 25

Revised, November '19

Originally, I wrote this post in the final days (or maybe it was weeks) leading up to the marathon. I shared it a couple of days before the race, but I knew it wasn't finished at that time. I knew that I was going to have to have run the marathon before this post was complete.

I'm kind of a little sad. My marathon training is coming to an end. In the next couple of days, I will have run the marathon. What's going to be next? What can I do to duplicate the feelings that I've had leading up to this. It's been hard work, yes, but it's been amazing to do something that not everyone can and/or is willing to do.

A quick Google search, last week, for "I just ran my first marathon," confirmed that I'm not alone with these feelings and thoughts. In fact, I saw at least one post go as far as to compare the process of running a marathon to that of pregnancy and childbirth! I'm not ready to go that far with a comparison of my feelings, but there are definitely some similarities between the two feats.

Anyways, before I ran the Chicago Marathon, here's what I was considering for what to do next:

• I could run another marathon...I might...I probably will, actually...but there's just something about the first time that makes it special.
  
• I could do an ultra race...never say never...remember, thirteen miles seemed like a long distance until I did it.
  
• I could return to my goal of running a half-marathon in half of the United States...feels kind of underwhelming, though, now.

Fast forward one month after running the Chicago Martahon, here's where I'm at and here's what I'm thinking comes next:

• At approximately mile 18 of the Chicago Marathon, the thought of running another marathon was incomprehensible. However, no more than a couple of hours after crossing the finish line, it became clear that I have a desire to run another marathon. I don't know when it will happen, again, but I feel confident saying that I will run another marathon.
  
• A half-marathon in half of the United States. So far I'm at 7 states, which means I have 18 to go. This is a long-term goal that I feel is within reach. Now that I've run 26.2 miles, 13.1 miles isn't as overwhelming. It's the element of travel that is going to make accomplishing this challenging.
  
• An ultra race. What is an ultra race? Anything longer than 26.2 miles. That's it. That's my new BIG goal. I want to run a 50K (approximately 31 miles) on or around my 40th birthday (in 3.5 years). Better make it a destination 50K; I'm open to suggestions!

Last month, I ran the Chicago Marathon. I've been reflecting and writing about my marathon journey and I've linked all of my posts to this Wakelet where they are curated. THANKS for following my journey; I am thankful for everyone's support.