Dichroic Reflections

survival and advancement

I guess the training worked - I felt much better Saturday afternoon, yesterday, and today than I remember being after last year's marathon. Of course, I had that vertigo thing starting the day of last year's marathon, so that was probably part of it. (Actually, looking back at last year's entries, I'd had some mild instances of dizziness a couple weeks before that.) It also probably helped that we did the marathon on Saturday instead of Sunday this year, and so we had a day to recover. Last year's marathon was planned for Saturday, but I had to ask Rudder to reschedule because it fell on Yom Kippur. I sitll have a couple of residual sore spots, but I also have a massage scheduled for tonight that ought to help with that. (I hope so: this morning's 6K wasn't too bad, but I have to do 15K tomorrow, and 12K on the water Wednesday.)

My doubles partner from last year's marathon (the on-the-water one) did this marathon too. He finished about five minutes behind me - he'd pulled faster times, but those 63-year-old kidneys necessitated a couple of extra breaks. Still, "miles ahead of those who stayed on the couch" - which includes the vast majority of those in their seventh decade.

It was interesting looking back at last September's entries here. At that point, I was getting ready for my first marathon, as I am now; just beginning the IFR training I'm winding up now; and searching for the job I've been in for nearly a year now. I like having this ability to look back at a snapshot of my life at a given time. It's like when you're hiking up a mountain, and the peak looks high and far above you, so you stop and look back over the trail you've hiked because it's encouraging to see how far you've already come.

I have a feeling that if I were to search my archives more closely, I'd find I've said that before.