What's next? That is the question.

First, once again I want to thank everyone for all the great comments. If you're thinking you don't get enough comment love on your blog, go out and run a race. Heh.

Lots of those comments are coming via DietGirl, 'cause she put me in her sidebar! Thanks, Shauna!

Reading your messages brings all the excitement back again, which is a good thing today. According to the Penguin, who wrote the book that gave me the confidence to undertake this endeavor, the third day post-race is probably the toughest. You're back to normal life, you're probably still in some pain, you're not training, there's no carrot on a stick dangling in front of you. It's. Just. You.

Mr. Shrinking Knitter was here yesterday to help ease the transition from spending the weekend with my daughter and her family and 30,000 of my closest running buddies. But he's gone today and it's just me and the dogs and the mop and the lawnmower.

The thrill is gone. Heh.

I'll answer a couple of comments about the future, and then I need to get back to Normal Life.

Jeannie wanted to know how many miles I was going to do this week; ws remarked on the fact that as soon as I hit the finish line I was planning next year's strategy, and Mariah asked, "What's next?"

I was rather surprised at myself that I'm sooooo going to do this again. I remember after Lainey finished her first half she said she was so over long-distance running. [But not running! Oh, no, she's already training to be part of a relay team for the Edinburgh Marathon!] I really loved the discipline of training, the excitement of race day, the sense of accomplishment when I finished. Nothing I've ever done – ever – has made me feel the same. And being the kind of girl whose favorite drink was More, I think More Races are inevitable.

John "the Penguin" Bingham says in the book that if you're older than 40 you need twice as many days to recover as the number of miles you've just run. That means 26 days, but it doesn't mean a month-long slugfest. I walked almost two miles yesterday with Mr. Shrinking Knitter. I'll walk again tomorrow and Friday, hopefully for four miles each day, and start running again next week, if my knees feel okay. Today and Thursday I'll start a serious weight-training program, eventually adding a third day. M@rla, I'll be in my garage, thinking of you! It's not so gloomy and awful with the door open. [I can't help but think of Kevin Spacey in American Beauty when I lift weights in my garage. And my favorite line from that film? "I rule!"]

I usually wear patella straps when I run, but I forgot them for the race. No harm done, but after a short, leisurely walk yesterday my right knee was very painful. I need to remember I'm 55, fercryin'outloud! It feels perfectly fine this morning, no "clicking" sound when I bend it and no tenderness or pain going up or down stairs.

Next will be another half in the fall, probably in Huntington, WV, in November. I don't relish training in the summer, but early mornings are cool here even in August, so all I'll have to do is rearrange my blog-writing schedule and get used to busting my ass at 6 a.m. instead of sitting on it. I also want to find some 5- and 10K races around here this summer.

Y'all have been great ... I couldn't have done it without you. And now, we return you to your regular progamming.