Well that was an experience. I’ve had several days of vacation to decompress and run through a bevy of marathon-related thoughts since Sunday’s race.

I finished in 5:24, which was a great deal longer than I planned or expected. But what I really was not prepared for were the really tough hills in the second half of the course. I made it through the half-marathon point in 2:10, which was just a few minutes slower than my 2-hour goal for that portion.

Then came one hill that sucked most of the life out of me. Then another. Then another. Then one where I literally came around the bend, looked up at the hill and could not believe I had to run up it.

So I didn’t do as well in the marathon as I had hoped, but I have reached the milestone of finishing a race of that distance. I was thinking around mile 19 (where the ridiculous hill came into play) that I wouldn’t ever be doing another one. But then again, it’s pretty much universal to say that right after a marathon. After a few days, I think I’m still in that boat.

It would take a lot to make that kind of commitment again. Running five days a week and working out a sixth, every week for four months, is draining in itself. You have to reorganize Saturdays to do a 2-hour run that will inevitably result in an additional 2-hour nap. Then on Tuesday you have to decide if you’re doing 8 miles before work, or after work.

I liked running on a “plan” when I started. It was something I haven’t really done before and at first the structure was nice. It felt like I was listening to someone who knew what they were doing, and in the end I couldn’t possibly fail. But after a while I longed for the days when I ran because I felt like running, not because a piece of paper said I had to do six miles at a tempo pace.

So now it’s back to running like I want. 5K races where I train three days a week. I pick the days, I pick how far, and I get to go faster. The big difference is all mental. I knew going into the marathon that realistically, I just needed to finish for it to be an accomplishment. I wasn’t going to win, or really beat that many people, just had to get through it. When I do a 5K, I’m there to pass people. I’m there to run fast and be competitive.

I can’t tell you how many people passed me at some point on Sunday between the marathoners who beat me and those who were sharing the course for the half-marathon race. But I had to turn off that voice in my head that says people running by me is bad. There was nothing I could do about it. December 1, when I make a glorious return to the 5K scene, that won’t happen.

For a nerd-tacular breakdown of my marathon experience, check out a really neat data set from the GPS watch I was wearing…