Plans?

Today, a friend of mine asked me an interesting question: if/when you're able to run and bike again, will you go back to doing marathons and doing triathlons? It's a good question, and one I haven't really given a lot of thought to lately. My focus both before and after the surgery has been on rehabbing my knee -- but for what?

When I think back on my short "career" as an endurance athlete (basically from 2004-2007), there are certain things I remember fondly. I loved mountain biking on Thursday nights, and I loved bike-commuting to work. I loved running the North Country Trail Relay with my friends. I loved running a 1:49 in the Dexter-Ann Arbor half. I loved hiking in Mexico. I loved spinning classes on Saturdays. I loved the feeling of stepping out the door on a summer morning with shorts, a t-shirt and a running watch, and doing a 30-minute easy run through my neighborhood before the rest of the world was awake.

On the other hand, I did not enjoy marathon training (and neither did my body, as evidenced by the massive cold and flu I came down with during it). I hated the stress of traveling to big races, like Steelhead. And most of all, I HATED road biking and everything about it. I hated the long hours in the saddle, the sunburns, the drafting, the competitiveness of other riders, the flat tires, the bike grease under my fingernails, the bike SNOBS (my poor little Trek 2100), the honking cars, the constant fear of crashing. I don't know if I've ever admitted that before, but it's true. I was never meant to be a roadie.

Over the past year, I've come to realize that if my joints have a limited lifespan, I shouldn't waste them doing things I don't enjoy. I've already proven to myself that I *can* do crazy things like bike across a state; I don't know if I need to do it again.

So once I get back on my feet, if I'm healthy enough, I will still do the following things:

-I will train (properly) for low-stress half-marathons, 10Ks and 5Ks.
-I will do more trail running and hiking.
-I will compete in local sprint triathlons.
-I will become a better mountain biker.
-I will do regular weight training and yoga to prevent injuries.
-I will take at least two days off per week.
-I will continue to be healthy and not use excessive training as a way to negate double-cheeseburgers.
-I will listen to my body and stop if I'm in pain.

As for the rest of it, I'm not sure. I'm not ruling out another marathon or maybe a half-Ironman someday, but if I never do one of those again, I'll be okay with it. Between work, the house, grad school, my family, and everything else I have to spend time and money on, I don't know if the really long-distance stuff is in my future. Plus, Brad and I want to have kids soon, and that will definitely change my focus. (This is not to say you can't have kids and be an endurance athlete; I just don't know if I, personally, can train for a marathon while raising kids and working full-time.)

So I guess that's my answer. Sure, I can't wait to get back in the saddle (at least the MTB saddle), but I'll probably spend a lot less time in the saddle and more time in the real world. And that's okay with me.