Friday 26 June 2015

I Finished My A race of the Season... Now What?

"Joe Shmoe...YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!"


These are the words that most long-distance triathletes want to hear. Or at least something fairly similar. We've trained for months, often in the winter while cowering on trainers watching Netflix because of the weather. We've drag our asses out of bed at 4 something in the morning to head to the pool, jump into the freezing cold water, and bang out a workout. We went through enough running shoes to put a post-Spartan race donation pile to shame. We've eaten right 80% of the time, and snuck in a few Oreo's during the other 20%, because that's what our coach told us we need to do in order to hit our goals. Yup....we've done all the work, we went to the race, and regardless of how the big day went, it's now over. We've drank our victory beer. Uhhh...ok beers.

The A race is over.
ALMOST DONE!!!!!


This is a "problem" that I'm going through right now. I finished my big race for the season and now I don't know what to do. I took a week off from training altogether. I ate some stuff that I normally wouldn't have, let myself be lazy, and got my wife to put loads of aloe vera on my insane sunburns.

I don't have any more races planned this season. Due to family commitments (I'm becoming a daddy in like...a few days maybe!), I haven't committed to any more races this season. So the big question is; Why should I keep training?

To be honest, I hated my week off. I loved training because it gave me something to work towards. It gave me a goal and a finish line and a reason to wake up before the rest of the "normal" world. It let me eat absurd amounts of food, and laugh at my MyFitnessPal daily balance of needing to somehow cram in an extra couple thousand calories each day. Damnit, I like to sweat! Pretty much the only thing I don't like about it is not having as much time to spend with my family. Oh, and the laundry. Oh god, that laundry just never ended.
Truth.

I've started "training" again after my week off. My workouts aren't quite as structured, and I'm trying to fit in more crosstraining. At least for the time being, I'm staying away from my typical triathlon training schedule, because I can. But the important thing for me is that I train. I didn't get into triathlon just to be able to say that I did it. I got into it for the medals baby!!!  Joking...I got into triathlon because I love feeling healthy, and it's constantly an awesome challenge. And yeah, ok, also the medals. Just because my race schedule is a little more in flux than I enjoy, why should that stop me from training? I'm gonna keep training, and when I find myself with enough time, money, and bravery to sign up for another A race, I'll get back into my normal schedule.

So what do you do after your race? Do you sit back on the couch, or get right back on the saddle? Let me know, and as always...

Keep Tri-ing!

1 comment:

  1. I feel your pain!!! After Patriot I did nothing for a few days. That, combined with a lighter week at work...it was so weird to get home by 7:30 and not have anything to do. My only other race is the nj sprint so I still do have 3 more weeks on my training schedule (from my coach). I'm scared that now my A race is over, my motivation is sliding! Especially because I eat like I have a tapeworm. Also I'm scared to have this much "free time" because it will be that much more painful next year when I do it again. I'm trying to get back into "training mode" again but it's hard!
    And congrats to you guys btw!!! Any big news yet??

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