Blog

California bound

Training continues. And it continues to go well. Tomorrow morning (if you call 4:30am morning…), we’re headed off to California for a week of family, fun and hopefully sun.

I won’t be able to spend any time on the bike while we’re away, so I was on the bike the last four days in a row. Unfortunately, it was all on the trainer. My longest ride was 1:10 and that’s really not enough time to get in a meaningful ride from home. Also, it’s been pretty darn cold here and getting all dressed up for a relatively short ride just didn’t feel worthwhile. I will definitely have to get used to putting on the cold weather cycling gear again for my weekends rides in the New Year. I have to admit that I’m actually excited to get all kitted up and be out there freezing my tush off doing laps in the Park. In my head at least, the winter rides last year – lap after freezing lap in Central or Prospect Park – toughened me up for the spring and summer riding.

It’s all been pretty easy sailing for the last few weeks. For the first few days after the JFK50, I felt on top of the world – if I could have started training right away for a 100 miler, I would have been all over it. Then, a little delayed, the fatigue set in. Comparing it to the post-Ironman feeling I can see some differences: my post-Ironman high didn’t last as long. I was more physically beaten by the Ironman than by the 50 miler. After the 50, I was excited to start running again, even if I did take my time off to let my legs heal. After the Ironman, it wasn’t just my legs that needed healing, it was my entire body; I was physically trashed. I think I did “active recovery” better after the 50 as well. That’s definitely a lesson: I can (and need to) take time off after a big race, but I also need to have some structured training to keep motivated. I couldn’t bear to get back on the bike so I avoided it. I didn’t sleep as well and my stomach was a mess. Those are predictable after-effects, but I think I controlled them both better after the 50.

It took me longer after the Ironman to recover emotionally also. Ironman week was just that a week-long experience that took me to a really high high and kept me up there for day after day. Coming home from that was a let-down. The JFK50 was a little more “business-like” – get in, race, get out. I definitely had to get over the high from participating in and completing the race, but I didn’t feel like I was leaving the same community that Lake Placid provided. Not having that community experience at the JFK meant I didn’t feel I’d lost it after I was back home. Capiche?

I’m glad that I’ve had this chance to ramp back up training in all three disciplines relatively slowly, but in a structured way (thanks, John!). I’ve been working hard to set myself up to start base training. I’m feeling pretty recharged and ready to go. Our trip to California will hopefully get me warmed up and rested and prepared to start hitting it hard. This has all been vacation time – the pre-season really starts in 12 days!

Swim – December 15
Distance: 2,100 yards
Time: 47 minutes

Bike – December 15
Time: 1:10
Average heart rate: 121
Indoor ride

Bike – December 16
Time: 42 minutes
Average heart rate: 114
Indoor ride

Run – December 16
Distance: 3.5 miles
Time: 30 minutes
Average heart rate: 143
Course: Greenwich Village
Conditions: Cold (low 30s), rainy, windy… fun!

Bike – December 17
Time: 30 minutes
Average heart rate: 127
Indoor ride

Strength – December 17

Bike – December 18
Time: 1:00
Average heart rate: 118
Indoor ride

Bike – December 19
Time: 1:00
Average heart rate: 121
Indoor ride