Post Race 'Down' Time and Recovery

Ironman Chattanooga was 12 days ago, on September 28th. It was a culmination of many things: a year of fundraising, many months of planning, and 10 or 11 months of training for that one race. For 4 1/2 days after the race I was able to relax, not have to fly on a plane, not have to get back to work, and simply have some fairly unstructured down time. It was quite a luxury. The only "work" I did was to communicate with the athletes racing Silverman the following weekend.

I was surprised to find that I wasn't nearly as sore after crossing the finish line as I had been for past Ironman races. While my quads hurt during the race they seemed to be in fairly good shape afterward. Yes, the they hurt the next day but negotiating hills and steps wasn't as bad as expected. Going DOWN a step or an incline or even a curb is always the toughest. It did get worse before it got better. For 2 days the struggle to go down steps was obvious to anyone who saw me. But by Wednesday things were remarkably good and I was very mobile. I mostly spent the days sitting or laying around. Because I'm prone to "cankles" I wore compression socks all day every day.

Friday was our travel day and we flew from Atlanta to Las Vegas to be with the athletes racing Silverman 70.3 half Ironman. Once we arrived Linda and I quickly shifted into coaching mode. 15 athletes, all Team Challenge members, were there to race on Sunday. For all but 3 it would be their first attempt at such a distance. We did our best to help any way we could, including logistics, mental preparation, and race day advice,

Race day Sunday was hot, dry, and sunny as expected. Everyone had worked hard to get ready for the race and now it was show time. The challenging course and conditions make this the toughest 70.3 in North America. The "memorable climbs" on the bike course, along with the weather conditions, took their toll. The run course was no piece of cake either! In the end 3 of our athletes had to drop out while the other 12 managing to cross that finish line after a sometimes grueling 6 to 8+ hours. Everyone put themselves out there and nearly everyone struggled at times. Many goals were achieved even by those who didn't finish. For Coach Linda and I it was a remarkable and gratifying day seeing everyone perform. We were proud of ALL of them.

We flew home on Monday. When I walked into the house I was instantly reminded that I'd left stuff everywhere. Two weeks before Ironman Chattanooga I'd begun to organize and pack my things. I had to pack for TriRock Triathlon coaching over the first weekend, then leave directly from there to head out to Georgia and Tennessee for Ironman Chattanooga with everything I needed for that race plus the days surrounding it on the second weekend, and finally packing for Silverman 70.3 on the third weekend. All the stuff I traveled with, plus the stuff I left behind at home, now had to be put away. What a mess!

The unpacking is coming along but not finished yet. Working out has been minimal to none. Tuesday I was feeling recovered and wondering how I could use my training and accumulated fitness to race something else, especially because I felt I should have been faster on the run portion of the Ironman. I looked up half marathons and found one that was close by taking place this Sunday. I emailed my Chattanooga coach and he said go for it if I felt up for it. I registered and was excited to have a running race on my calendar. That night I looked at the emailed receipt only to discover that the race was in NOVEMBER, not this coming weekend! I was disappointed and felt more than a little stupid.

Wednesday I did my first run workout: a casual 35 min run at lunch. The first mile felt good and easy. The 2nd and 3rd miles felt... NOT good. Quad soreness and general body fatigue told me that I really wasn't ready to run, let alone do a half marathon on Sunday! The timing of the November half marathon isn't good so I may not end up even doing it but the timing of when I THOUGHT it was would have been even worse!

And I DO know better. An Ironman or half Ironman is a long, difficult event. The body requires time to heal and recover. The run portion in particular takes its toll. All that impact, all that pounding, causes damage. The repair of all those little muscle fiber tears, etc. takes more than a day or a week. I know that for me it's a good idea to take 2 weeks or more off of running before starting back. And if the race is at the end of the season, 3 or more weeks off is a really good idea. Swimming muscles are a different story. So are cycling muscles. They tend to recover faster because, even on the bike, there is really no weight bearing. The exception to that is if something happens to you on the bike like it did to Randy at Silverman. Some oblivious rider swerved into him and he went flying over the handle bars and onto his head and shoulder. Now THAT is weight bearing! Even without broken bones, "just" scrapes, bruises, and a broken helmet, it will take weeks for him to fully recover.

So to my Silverman 70.3 athletes, give yourself time to recover! Even if you intend to race a sprint or Olympic tri this month, slowly ease back into the running. Go ahead and train for the swim and the bike but deemphasis the run until you get closer to the race. Instead take advantage of all the run training you did to prepare for Silverman. It will not be completely lost. You may not feel as sharp but you may still surprise yourself.
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Kat (my awesome Team Challenge manager) wrote an article, How to Handle Post Tri-Matic Stress Disorder, for Active.com. Yesterday I finally began experiencing symptoms. My post-race depression took extra long to kick in because I had a bunch of Crazy Trainers to support and cheer for just a week after my own "A" race. My focus and emotions shifted to them but now that it's over and even though I'll be racing the Life Time Fitness Olympic distance triathlon in just over 2 weeks, I'm feeling the let down. It's natural after being so revved up and on such a high for so long. But now I'm feeling it. The routines and concerns of normal, non-triathlon life are front and center. With the lack of physical activity, structure, and race goals, and with a less than excellent diet and a "to do" list a mile long... well, I hate this part.

I know it will pass soon enough. The plans, goals, and renewed excitement, the new and returning athletes to coach, the new ideas and a fresh calendar will get the juices flowing again. In the meantime I'll tolerate this inevitable down cycle I'm in and know that there will be something new just around the corner.