After the marathon - what next?

Since the London Marathon, I've been lacking a goal.

For the marathon I'd followed a relatively strict schedule, the Pfitzinger 55 mile plan, for four months. On the day, maybe because it was warm, maybe because I'd gone too hard in a 10k the weekend before, I didn't run as I felt that I could. That said, my fade at the end of the marathon probably only cost me about 5 minutes all in.

But I was disappointed. So, in the immediate aftermath of the race, it was tempting to just sign up for a fall marathon - like Loch Ness - and start a new training cycle.

But fall's a long way off. I am away a lot this summer with various teaching and family things, so my training might be difficult to fit in. But that's just and excuse: my real problem is that I could dedicate myself to marathon training for five more months, and maybe cut off five minutes from my London time, but so what?

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Prior to the marathon I'd signed up for a nearby sprint triathlon. So, this has been my proximal focus.

My problem with triathlon isn't running (obviously), and not swimming (which I enjoy as a complement to running). It's biking.

And I like biking. I just don't have a social structure that reinforces it. I ride on my own, and it is fine. On warm spring evenings after work, with the light on the trees, it's actually fairly good. I like poking around on roads that I haven't explored, out in the countryside.

But I haven't quite committed to cycling. I dabble. And I think I need to do more if I'm going to do more in triathlon.

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So this was my week:

Mon: swim 1500m
Tues: run 4 miles in evening
Weds: bike 47 mins on turbo trainer (wife out for the evening)
Thurs: swim 1100m, 750 of which were hard to get an indicative time for the race
Fri: bike 15 miles + run 3.5 miles after
Sat: run 5 miles (3.1 of which were an all out - PB! - parkrun)
Sun: run 9 miles

I wanted to get another ride in on Sunday, but was out all afternoon. Maybe I'll try to ride tomorrow.