In Recovery

It has been two weeks since I finished my first Ironman.  In doing my research for the event, I also looked into how much time I needed to spend recovering after the race - this is just as important to plan out as the initial training plan leading up to the race - if I hope to avoid burn out or injury.  Most of the literature recommended a month to recover before returning to intensive training or racing.  Today marks the halfway point.  I must admit, it feels strange to have such a reduced training schedule, considering my hectic plans in the months leading up to the event. 

The first week after IMMT, all I did was a short post-race swim in my friends lake the day after, and then just walking for the rest of the week. The first weekend back I did a 5km run, and I made it to the pool a couple times that week, for short 30-minute swims. The low impact activity in the water felt really good.  

However, the first real wake-up call I got that my body really wasn’t healed yet was when I laced up my grass cleats and went back to playing with my ultimate frisbee teams on Tuesday and Thursday evening.  Normally I’m a good reliable sprinter for my team, but as soon as I started chasing the disc down the field, I could feel the tightness in my glutes and hips.  I was nowhere near my regular running intensity for an interval type run workout.  Several times I had to back off a deep cut because I just didn’t have the legs.  This was very frustrating for me.  But I know I just have to be patient and I’ll be back to my normal self in another couple of weeks. 

My poor performance on the ultimate field convinced me to go see my massage therapist on Friday.  Overall, my legs were not as bad as when I finished the Boston Marathon this spring.  (Which I chalk up to the difference in running intensity for the two events. My marathon pace is typically between 5:00-5:30min/km depending on the heat, but the marathon portion of IMMT was a much slower 6:43min/km). But there were definitely some knots in my calves and right hip that still needed to be worked out.  I think I felt more bike-sore than run-sore.  Which makes sense as I have more running experience than cycling experience. 

What surprised me most about my recovery from IMMT, was how tired I’ve been feeling.  I’ve been dragging myself out of bed in the mornings, and long to return to it throughout the day.  There is a general sense of fatigue that is hard to shake.  I know it must be from completely emptying my tank the day of the big event.  But usually taking a few days off and catching up on sleep does the trick. But the fatigue is still lingering after two weeks and I’m hoping that I will shake it soon as my body recovers.  I'll be spending a a lot of time catching up on my sleep on the Labour Day long weekend. 

I have yet to get back on my bike since IMMT. I must admit, I was really happy to get off my bike after that 180km of hills, and I wasn’t in any rush to ride again so soon.  That being said, I am planning on riding this week though, especially since I have to stay out of the pool for the next two weeks.  Why is that you ask?  Because I got my new ink done yesterday:

I really wanted to get some new artwork done to celebrate finishing my first Ironman.  It was a huge life goal for me, and signified how far I have come in both my physical and mental training as an athlete and person.  The m-dot symbol is the iconic race image, and the words ‘Strength, Endurance, Joy’ written below were the words that really summed up the entire process for me, all inscribed on my right forearm. 

Strength - I had to develop so much physical and mental strength to complete the event. I never want to forget just how incredibly strong I am. 

Endurance - This type of long course event, the enduring training of, has helped me come so far in my life, both professionally and personally. I love the feeling endurance gives me.  It gives me a sense of calmness and clarity that I've otherwise had difficulty finding in my life.   

Joy - I recall the moment of pure joy and bliss that I had running down the finishers cute and how happy it made me feel.  But I also remember how joyful running has made me feel and when things get tough I wanted a reminder of how much joy I felt. 

How appropriate, the tattoo hurt like hell while it was being placed on my arm, but the more I look at it now, the more I love it.  And it will take another two weeks to fully heal.  But it was something I truly earned and will have with me the rest of my life. 

So now, as I get ready to get back on my bike and slowly return to normal again, I will have a reminder when things get hard again, that I am strong enough to see the course through.   

So what lies ahead for me now?   Of course re-qualifying for another major marathon is on my list. But for Ironman, more specifically, I'm thinking about Ironman 70.3 Muskoka (July 8th, 2018) and Ironman 140.6 Lake Placid (July 2019).  We'll see what the journey brings.