It occurred to me today that tri-bloggers like me seem to share a lot about the lead-up to a race and the exciting crescendo of the race itself. But then we don't say a whole lot about what happens afterward. It feels like a rapid deceleration from all the excitement, a bit like a meteor coming through the earth's atmosphere. High speed, then flames, then breaking up and crashing!
I'm told I follow a bit of a predictable pattern after these bigger races. Do you?
Immediately upon returning home: Catch up with family. Then unpack completely, start laundry, sort mail, gawk at empty refrigerator, assess state of home and family. This part feels like a race - how fast can I get this *#$)% done? I pretty much can't go to bed without being unpacked. (OCD? Perhaps just a little)
Day 1: Coast on adrenalin. Catch up on work and family stuff, and do the post-race stuff like upload Garmin files, look at race stats, email Coach, gather and distribute photos, write a race report (which takes a while), etc. Think of 2014 already and how to raise my game!
Day 2: Exhaustion hits. Feel like overly tired child with underdeveloped coping mechanisms. Happy to sit in front of computer, work, and be reclusive. Fall into bed early and sleep like a log.
Day 3: Back to normal. After a good night's sleep I'm firing on all cylinders.
That was pretty much exactly how it went this week. BTW, I flew in late-day Monday into the same airport my husband had flown out of earlier in the day. We waved mid-air. Coincidence or wise planning on his part? Hmmm.
Training
Wednesday I had a short spin and "social" swim on the calendar. This meant I was forced to put my bike back together but you know, thanks to some patient coaching on that front, I think I finally have that down! I had some additional incentive to get out on the bike because I received a Champion System/Endurance Films Racing Team cycing kit and I was anxious to try it. It's ultra light and very VERY comfortable (photo above).
The swim...well....I pushed that off to Thursday. I was in no mood and it was not that warm out. Mainly I was exhausted. And in no mood. Did I mention I was in no mood?
Thursday was an easy run and the swim I had delayed. I hit the treadmill at the gym just to get out around people and I felt pretty good. I continued to procrastinate the swim since it was barely over 70 degrees out and I am a wimp, but our pool is heated and the water was 82!!! It felt amazing.
post-treadmill at the Weight Club
hard to have a "social swim" when no one else is in the pool.
Friday (today) is a swim and a very easy upper-body gym session then a visit to ART practitioner Dr. Steve Dowell for some maintenance work on my legs.
The rest of the week is fairly low-key in terms of training intensity but it ramps up again come Monday. I will be ready and after the recent races, I am highly motivated.
Anyway, that's what the other side of a race looks like, at least for this mom triathlete. Thank you to my family and good friends who extinguish this meteor's flames and welcome my exploded pieces to earth!