I’m feeling a little better about the marathon and already started thinking about what I would do differently for the next training cycle (more to come on this in a later post), though I don’t know when that will be yet. I guess it also helps being in London and Athens over the last couple of days to help take my mind off of it.

With that said, here are some of my favorites since we last caught up –

Rehab for the London Marathon – thank you to everyone who read my blog, read my text messages, and listened to me hash out my disappointment in the race. I needed that, so thank you. Here some good reads that also made me feel better about the race – 34 Crazy Guinness World Records Set At The London Marathon (I saw some of these runners on the course. Maybe I should have tried to set a crazy record than racing.) and NYC Running Mama’s post on Women’s Running. Also, at the Acropolis Museum, we saw the Breal Cup awarded to Spyros Louis at the first marathon race in the first modern-day Olympic Games in 1896. Pretty darn cool!

London sights – we took the extra couple of days after the marathon to do some sightseeing in London. We did everything we didn’t do last time we were in town – tea and cake with friends, Chinese food in Chinatown, The British Museum, eating fish and chips, and going on the London Eye.

Greek salads – I’m eating my way through London and Athens, but one of my favorite dishes so far is the Greek salad. I love them at home and I love them even more in Greece. You can’t go wrong with fresh vegetables and feta cheese. I think I’m eating my weight in feta cheese.

Milk Bar gelato – I’m sad to leave Athens because of this place. Milk Bar is located on a side street in the Plaka district of Athens near the Acropolis. Ever since Croatia, I cannot pass up gelato while on vacation and I’m so glad we stumbled upon Milk Bar on our first night in Athens. Their gelato is incredible and I love the woman who works in the shop. She is the absolute sweetest and so hospitable. I am sad to not be able to go back every night and am convinced she should open a location at home.

Lots of walking recovery – I’m enjoying this not worrying about running while on vacation thing. I am also glad that my post-marathon soreness is starting to subside a little which makes walking up and down stairs so much easier. My recovery plan calls for a couple of days of cross training this week which is a little tough to do while away (I wasn’t as specific about needing a hotel with a gym in it this time) but I am making up for it in a lot of walking and my morning yoga routine (I might have Brett Larkin’s YouTube video memorized by now). We walked all around London and in Athens, we followed a 4.5 mile walking tour of the Acropolis and ancient Athens.

Have a great weekend everyone! We’re off to Santorini!

Recent marathon finishers – What are your recovery plans? Anything you would do differently during your next training cycle?