It is the week of the XXX Olympiad in London. It has been a very proud week to be British. Yet, it also makes one that lives out the country a little homesick. How I would love to be at home right now, with the opportunity to get to an event. In particular the Triathlon event in Hyde Park.
However, without that opportunity, we headed out this morning for a swim in Cedar Lake. It was another glorious morning for such a thing. Although the early mornings are sometimes reluctant in bearing their qualities, once you get swimming, the water is fantastic. They have cut back the weeds in the lake as well, which makes the experience less stressful. Ever since being stung by the jelly fish during Ironman Nice, I have found my courage lacking in the open water. Hoping that my continued practice of yoga will help with that. There is no doubt that the qualities which are promoted during yoga practice that are then subsequently put to use in a stressful environment are very helpful. This is particularly useful in large open water without a leg to stand on.
The training is certainly more relaxing and enjoyable now that the main event is out the way. There is now more time for enjoyment of being out there and the opportunities to push myself a little, albeit smartly.
This week provides a good opportunity to accomplish a good bit of training with a concert thrown in for good measure.
Good luck to us all!
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Recovery, the fourth discipline
Since I last wrote, I have allegedly been "recovering" from the Ironman race, which was about a month ago now.
Recovery from such an event is unique in itself. One feels that, traditionally, as long as the legs no longer hurt, the recovery is complete. However, the minute I walked out the door for a short run about two weeks later, it was clear that recovery was far from over.
We raced about 3 weeks after the Ironman, but was in fact slightly slower than the year before in the same race. The race was the most fun I had had with triathlon for a while. No self imposed pressure. Just the enjoyment of triathlon which I hadn't experienced for a while. Having been caught up in all the training and racing, I hadn't truly felt the smiles and enjoyment of a race since the last hundred yards of IM Nice.
Since that race a couple of weeks ago my legs have been heavy and although I have been out the door training, I have always had to force myself out the door. This all culminated it getting sick last night after my 40miles of riding and subsequently being hold up inside, completely spent, facing two more days of recovery. It's like they say, recovery is the fourth discipline of triathlon. How true they are this week.
Napoleon's birthday on Sunday should finish off the recovery nicely.
Good luck to us all!
Recovery from such an event is unique in itself. One feels that, traditionally, as long as the legs no longer hurt, the recovery is complete. However, the minute I walked out the door for a short run about two weeks later, it was clear that recovery was far from over.
We raced about 3 weeks after the Ironman, but was in fact slightly slower than the year before in the same race. The race was the most fun I had had with triathlon for a while. No self imposed pressure. Just the enjoyment of triathlon which I hadn't experienced for a while. Having been caught up in all the training and racing, I hadn't truly felt the smiles and enjoyment of a race since the last hundred yards of IM Nice.
Since that race a couple of weeks ago my legs have been heavy and although I have been out the door training, I have always had to force myself out the door. This all culminated it getting sick last night after my 40miles of riding and subsequently being hold up inside, completely spent, facing two more days of recovery. It's like they say, recovery is the fourth discipline of triathlon. How true they are this week.
Napoleon's birthday on Sunday should finish off the recovery nicely.
Good luck to us all!
Monday, July 2, 2012
More to come
It's has now been a week since we competed in Ironman France. Can't believe that this time last week we were all completing an epic journey through the sun and hills of Nice. The only lingering recovery signs from that sunny day is the continually repairing and itching sunburn that still leaves a peculiar pattern on my back.
When those that have competed in Ironmans describe to me the symptoms that follow such a long endurance battle, it takes on the guise of "ironman depression". I can certainly see how this develops. Even during the week following the race, as my legs begin to return to normal, there is an itching, almost a restlessness, to get out the door and fully enjoy a run, or bike ride, or swim, knowing that you can go out there without purpose, to simply enjoy it for what it is. For me, this feeling then turns in to the question of how I may be able to improve on past performances. This could certainly be described by some as a sickness! A mental one. An inability to be fully content with enjoying an outdoor activity without a specific goal in mind. At least as this applies to me, I find it to be true. I need some form of structure, not to simply go out and do "something". Which has led me to enter some additional races for the season. Not nearly as time taxing as the Ironman training was. There might actually be time for house and garden work and even socializing!
There is the Olympic distance race for the triathlon team in two weeks. The next race following Lifetime triathlon in Minneapolis will be a revisit to Square Lake. A half Iron distance which was significantly smaller and a lot more fun, albeit hot, than the mass pandemonium of the start to Ironman. Then, for good measure, I thought I would see how my stand alone marathon time would fare at the Twin Cities marathon in October.
So, should keep me busy enough to maintain the fitness I have gained and enjoy the summer. At least once this burn repairs itself. There will be updates from time to time, but I will try and challenge my boredom elsewhere, so it does not impact yours so much.
Time to get back to the day job.
Good luck to us all!
When those that have competed in Ironmans describe to me the symptoms that follow such a long endurance battle, it takes on the guise of "ironman depression". I can certainly see how this develops. Even during the week following the race, as my legs begin to return to normal, there is an itching, almost a restlessness, to get out the door and fully enjoy a run, or bike ride, or swim, knowing that you can go out there without purpose, to simply enjoy it for what it is. For me, this feeling then turns in to the question of how I may be able to improve on past performances. This could certainly be described by some as a sickness! A mental one. An inability to be fully content with enjoying an outdoor activity without a specific goal in mind. At least as this applies to me, I find it to be true. I need some form of structure, not to simply go out and do "something". Which has led me to enter some additional races for the season. Not nearly as time taxing as the Ironman training was. There might actually be time for house and garden work and even socializing!
There is the Olympic distance race for the triathlon team in two weeks. The next race following Lifetime triathlon in Minneapolis will be a revisit to Square Lake. A half Iron distance which was significantly smaller and a lot more fun, albeit hot, than the mass pandemonium of the start to Ironman. Then, for good measure, I thought I would see how my stand alone marathon time would fare at the Twin Cities marathon in October.
So, should keep me busy enough to maintain the fitness I have gained and enjoy the summer. At least once this burn repairs itself. There will be updates from time to time, but I will try and challenge my boredom elsewhere, so it does not impact yours so much.
Time to get back to the day job.
Good luck to us all!
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