Graduation was earlier this week, but I wasn’t able to attend due to work and such and it all seems very anticlimactic. Regardless, my MS, RD status is pretty much final and that feels damn good. It’s also pretty awesome to leave work without a class to go to or homework/studying to do once I get home. I have been waiting years for this.
But, I’ve never been good at “relaxing” or “downtime,” and already am feeling tiny urges here and there to figure out what’s next. The ink is barely on my diploma, let alone starting to dry, but I can’t help feeling a little lost. All of a sudden The Goal I’ve been working toward for years is achieved, and there is no more constant working-toward-the-goal-full-steam-ahead-and-go. I am likening this weird time period to that which occurs directly following a marathon – you spent months training and looking forward to one particular day, you kill the race (ideally), and then it’s over. After a few days on a high, the whole “post-marathon blues” sets in when you realize there is (even temporarily) no goal to focus on.
I know eventually the feeling will subside as I start to focus on new career goals and actually start having more of a life. I’m in the midst of developing a really long list of “what’s next,” and so far it includes both career, personal and general life stuff. A lot of it is things I wasn’t able to do until now – figure out how to become a certified sports dietitian, do it – or didn’t have the time to do – um, date? – and now is the time to do it all.
As far as marathons go, there’s one I should be running this weekend. I haven’t been thinking much about it, but since I’m still going to Buffalo to visit family it will definitely be on my mind at least a little. Perhaps that’s why I did this the other day?
Image may be NSFW.
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After marathon plotting with Betsy and Susan the other day, Betsy and I decided to go for it on October 6. I know a ton of other NYC folks are running the Wineglass Marathon, so it should be super fun and hopefully as fast as everyone says (Susan, if you want to not go to Germany for some other marathon and pace us to a BQ, that would be ok). I also registered for another race yesterday, because hey, a girl’s gotta have options. Or just run two marathons in one month?
I guess that brings me to my actual running. The leg has been feeling a lot better and I’ve been doing some baby test runs here and there. Running shoes will be accompanying me on my trip to Buffalo this weekend, and although they will not be running 26.2 miles on Sunday, they will most certainly not be gathering dust in a corner either. Wish me luck.
Ever run Wineglass? Tell me about it. Or about your fall racing plans?
