Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! My favorite holiday of the year–he is Risen! 🙂

My first week post-marathon hasn’t been too bad. On Wednesday, I did my first run since Saturday with Jamie, when we did 2 miles down the road and back. We took it nice and easy, and though I was a bit sore, it wasn’t too hard. Jamie did a great job, managing an 11:20 overall pace, despite the fact that Jamie had to stop and tie his shoe. 😉  On Thursday, I worked out for the first time in 10 days, and then JJ and I ran a half-mile to prepare him for a 5k he plans to run in a couple of weeks.  He did a great job!  Afterwards, he was so energetic, we went for a bike ride.

It was a beautiful night with a beautiful sunset, and JJ and I made the most of it.

Saturday morning was my first long run post-marathon.  I was really nervous about it.  Both my knees had been sore during the week, especially my left one (the usual one, not the one that had suddenly pained me during the last miles of my marathon), and especially when I was wearing my high heels at work.  I actually gave up on the high heels Thursday afternoon and wore my Brooks for the last four hours of the day…I just couldn’t stand it anymore!

Saturday morning, the temperature was a nice, comfy 37 degrees, and I dressed in my usual Under Armour cold gear (okay, technically, it’s Jamie’s Under Armour, but who’s keeping track?) and was on the road by 7:40am.  Based on Hal Higdon’s suggested post-marathon recovery program, I should run anywhere from 6-8 miles at the end of my first week after the marathon.  I decided to split it right down the middle and plan for seven.  Before I went to bed Friday night, I told my husband that I was getting up early to run, but he should be prepared for a phone call…just in case I got too far out and couldn’t make it home!

My first three miles down wasn’t too bad…I started out easy and then, as all my joints settled in and felt pretty good, I sped up a bit.  As I neared the turn-around, I was hot enough to actually take off my jacket.  And then I turned around and headed northeast–straight into some nice 14-15mph headwinds. 😛

Those damn country winds. :/  My seven-mile run suddenly seemed infinitely more difficult, but by this time, I was determined to finish it.  So, I just lowered my head, gritted my teeth, and gave it my all.  I trudged along for the next three miles, all of it either fully or partially into the winds, and by the time I hit that last mile, I was bound and determined to be done.  And when I was done, I felt pretty darn good.

My left knee ached a little, but nothing too awful, and I was happy to have a sub-10:40 for my first run back.  Not terrible, especially considering the wind!  When I took a look at my splits a little while later, I was astonished.

Dude–I’ve never had such even splits in two years of running!  And I wasn’t even trying, ha ha!  I spent the rest of the day preparing dessert and then shopping for a tie for Jamie, while I managed to get myself a dress at the same time. Afterwards, we went and had Easter dinner at my in-laws.

This morning, I got up early, planning to sneak the colored hard-boiled eggs into the kids’ Easter baskets before they arose, but I should have known that I could never be up as early as JJ. 😉  Since I was already up before the sun, I took the opportunity to get some sunrise shots down the road.

After that, the rest of the family got up (even my husband, who works nights and hates mornings!) for church.  It was a beautiful service, and we were blessed to attend.    Jamie was so proud of the tie he’d chosen all by himself, and I was pretty proud of my new green dress.

I managed to find a matching tie for my husband, too.

I think he looks quite handsome in green. 🙂  Later, we ended up at my sister’s, where we had a pretty laid-back supper and just enjoyed each other’s company.  And I got to show off the new shirt she bought me.

It’s a little hard to read, but it says 26.2.  🙂

It was a wonderful day, and I’m so happy to have had a chance to enjoy it with my family.  Whatever your celebrations today, I hope they were wonderful.  Happy Easter to you, and thanks for reading!