By EVA DUNN-FROEBIG
Hundreds of Missoulians and out-of towners alike completed the Missoula Marathon and Half-Marathon this past weekend.
They trained for months. Their focus was getting in the miles, practicing eating during long runs and walks, getting enough rest, and eating healthfully.
With that much preparation going into one event, post-marathon or half-marathon can feel like the day after Christmas for a kid. Missoula Marathon and Half-Marathon finishers might wonder, “What do I have to look forward to now?”
That’s why it’s important to set another goal BEFORE the Missoula Marathon or Half-Marathon. Don’t panic if you didn’t do that. There’s still time to set another goal.
Your post-race goal doesn’t have to be another marathon or half-marathon. It could be running with a friend a couple of times a week through the summer or a shorter race a few weeks after the Missoula Marathon.
If you want running to be part of your lifestyle, consider setting a goal now to help you continue. It’s easy to start sleeping in on Sunday mornings now that you don’t have to do your long run. Sure, you deserve to sleep in some days after getting up early for 16 or more Sundays in a row to train.
But continue to fit a run in somehow: Come to the Run Wild Missoula Breakfast Runs at the Runner’s Edge on Saturdays at 8 a.m. and run with friends before your trip to the farmers market. Register for the River City Roots 4-Mile Run/Walk on August 26 or the Sweathouse Half-Marathon on September 8.
We hope to see you out there and we hope running or walking has become part of your lifestyle!
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Stay in the loop with Missoula’s running community! Check out the Run/Walk It archives for more posts from Eva and other Missoula runners and walkers.
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Eva Dunn-Froebig is the executive director of Run Wild Missoula and has been running since the seventh grade. She moved to Missoula 12 years ago from upstate New York to attend the University of Montana’s Journalism School graduate program. Eva never dreamed that she would have a running-related job and feels lucky to be a participant in Missoula’s vibrant running community.