It's been a couple weeks since I ran my very first 26.2 at the 2016 Twin Cities Marathon on October 9th. It was an incredible day that I will always remember as one of the best moments in my life. I could go on for a long time about all my thoughts and feelings from that day, but I wanted to do a different type of blog instead of a race recap. (Plus most people that know me have already had to listen to me talk about my race! Even if they didn't want to! Muhahahaha)
(Crossing the finish line, grinning like an idiot)
Every runner is aware of the fact that on the heels of finishing your "A" race for the year, soon comes the inevitable recovery weeks. Most people would say, "shouldn't you be excited to bum around, not working out for crazy hours, or watching what you eat meticulously, or even having the stress of a race right around the corner?" Well, those people are clearly not runners. Because frankly, this sounds like my nightmare. I love working out. I absolutely thrive off of the competition of racing. And I feel like garbage when I put junk food in my body, so the appeal of "pigging out" is very short lived in my world.
(My brother/coach biked around in a Unicorn costume to support me that day. Best coach ever.)
However, I do understand the benefits of relaxing for a bit, recovering and hitting the reset button on my body and gathering perspective on my goals for the year. My coach always has to talk me off the ledge of doing too much, and I wholeheartedly trust his advice. He's led me to finishing my Half Ironman races, as well as crushing my time goal for my first marathon. He knows his stuff.
So, as I embark on the next two months of less structured training, I have compiled a list of things I think sound fun to keep my brain and body occupied. I know once January hits, I will be dedicating myself to the beast that is Ironman training for IMWI 2017. I will enjoy my time leading up to that training, and I am going to enjoy the hell out of training to become an Ironman. But right now is the time to have fun and try new things and get out of my comfort zone. I always say that the second I stop enjoying pushing my body to it's limits, is the second that I need to reevaluate why I am doing this.
There will be many hard times on this journey I am taking, but the pot of gold at the end of that rainbow is going to be the most epic finale I could ever dream of. But for now, hooray for cross training and new adventures!!
Things I should I do Before I Devote My Life To IRONMAN WI 2017 Training:
1. Yoga. My hips will thank me later. Plus, I think my foam roller needs a break.
2. Zumba. Why not spend an hour looking like an idiot with complete strangers? I anticipate a lot of Pitbull being played.
3. Get lots of tattoos! Ok, not fitness related. But this is the best time of year to get this done. I have the luxury of skipping time in the pool for the healing time tattoos need. I started by a Phoenix tattoo (pic below), and my next one is a Harry Potter themed upper arm sleeve. I hear tattoos make you faster. Just sayin.
4. Research Tri Clubs/Cycle Clubs. I want to find all my local clubs and immerse myself in them! I am going to make so many damn friends this year. Whether they like it or not!
5. Trail Running. This is a no brainer. Fall in Minnesota is incredible to run in. There are tons of trails that I frequent like Lebanon Hills, Lake Elmo Park Reserve, and Murphy Hanrehan. I will be running the Great Pumpkin Chase10K this weekend at Lake Elmo to get in the Halloween spirit!
6. Barre Classes. I keep hearing how great these are. I can only picture LuluLemon clad housewives doing this class, but I'm willing to try. However I may get booted when they realize I don't like Pumpkin Spice Lattes and I would rather talk about Game of Thrones than the Real Housewives of something something.
7. Flyfeet Running classes. This is a new facility in Minneapolis that specializes in strength training and running classes. I take my first class this week and can't wait to see what it's all about!!
8. Rowing. I want to make gains in the water this year, and getting my lats built up should do the trick!
9. Dressing up, doing my hair and going out in public. I think we all know that once tri season starts, we multisport athletes become slobs. Or at least I do. Now is the time for me to go out, socialize, drink beers, and not have to be the Debbie Downer that leaves at 8 pm because I have a 3 hour brick workout the next day.
10. Lastly, taking the time to reflect on what I want out of 2017. Time flies by so fast, and I want to make sure I am taking it all in. Before I know it, it's going to be September again, and I am going to be on my way to becoming an Ironman.
As they say, "It's not about the destination, it's about the journey."
(Badass Phoenix tattoo courtesy of Jerred Kincaid at Tiger Rose Tattoo.)
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