Every distance runner is a little crazy. I'm no exception. Just three days after my disappointing marathon performance on December 2, I began to entertain the idea of trying to milk my fitness peak for six more weeks and run the Rock n' Roll Arizona Marathon on January 13. That hare-brained scheme lasted exactly one day. During my second post-marathon recovery run I developed a pain in my right heel and decided to stay off it for a week to prevent it from becoming a severe problem. This decision eliminated any possibility of milking my fitness peak and running another marathon, which was, of course, a bad idea anyway, even before I got hurt.

Since then I've been blowing off steam by riding the stationary bike and lifting weights at the gym. I enjoy lifting weights and find that putting some effort into building strength in the winter helps me get off to a good start when I shift my focus back towards running in the spring. It's also nice to get a mental break from the grind of running every day. After several weeks of focusing on alternative activities I always find that the hunger to run returns in full force. Thus, when I do resume focused run training I am more motivated and enjoy my workouts more than I would if I did not give myself that mental break.

It's also not a bad thing to prioritize other facets of life above exercise in general at certain times (and there's no better time than the holiday season). As competitive athletes we have to make many sacrifices. The need to train hard consistently limits our travel, our social lives, and other opportunities. I don't think it's healthy to make such sacrifices year-round. Currently I'm exercising just 30 minutes a day, six days a week, and it feels great. My wife and I are enjoying more quality time together and getting out of the house more often than usual to do fun stuff.

My heel is already feeling better, but I'm in no hurry to test it. In fact, although injuries are normally the bane of my existence, I'm actually glad this one happened. It kept my runner's insanity in check.