MARATHON RECOVERY, DAY TWO: BUDGET and PERSPECTIVE (with pix)

Today I feel EVEN BETTER. I'm almost not stiff at all, and any random spots on my legs are feeling fabulous. I wish I LOOKED as fit as I AM, but now that recovery begins and I transition back to triathlon, more yoga and weights are coming back into the picture.

My theme(s) for this entire year are BUDGET and PERSPECTIVE.

I'm trying to learn how to race without spending as much. Times are tough, but I don't want to sacrifice my racing, because it keeps me mentally and physically fit. For example, I won't be doing as many "practice races" - at least not TRIATHLON - because of the cost. I'll just be training more carefully. I'm going to cancel my YMCA membership because the Y is just too expensive. I don't care that the tri club works out at the Y. I don't care that no one else I know works out at the new gym. I just need a clean pool and some weights I don't have at home. (And a treadmill for rainy days.)

And I need it NOT to cost me an arm and a leg.

'Cause, you know, I kinda need those to swim, bike, and run.

On that note, tonight I'm getting a pedicure (just watch that unbroken blister on my left small toe!) because it is cheaper to get a pedicure than a massage. With a pedi, my legs get SOME massaging, and then my toes look nice for the weekend's warm weather.

And the toes are only gonna be pretty for a while, so I gotta enjoy 'em. That metric century ain't gonna ride itself.

As far as perspective goes, today I got the race report from SZ. Unsurprisingly, her report was MUCH different than mine. I'm not sure if this is because her mom had a DNF, it was her first marathon, because she didn't train as well, because she is still in pain, or because she's disappointed that I outran her - or all of the above. Today, she is wearing sandals because her toes are too bruised and blistered for shoes. In any case, she says she has no desire to ever run a marathon again.

I told her "they say not to sign up for the NEXT race until you FORGET this one."

Of course, I didn't take my own advice . . . I'm in the NY Lottery, I'm signed up for 2 other races, and about 8 weeks ago I started consdiering the idea of running Melbourne again in 4 weeks. I guess 4 years of experience doesn't erase much of the insanity.