Over the Peak

Training plans, especially long course plans for an event like Ironman, are designed to allow your fitness to peak.  Hopefully you will peak at the right time and have a speedy and pleasant race.  There is always the chance you can peak too early and run Ironman through an injury or over fatigued or over-trained.  I feel like I peaked at the right time and pulled together the best race possible for the day.

What I didn't expect was that the peak is actually the top of something.  That means you have to come down the other side.

Two weeks post ironman I think I'm feeling "recovered", whatever that is supposed to be.  Tuesday I can finally get back in the pool after waiting 2 weeks for the tattoo to heal.  Last week I did not work out Wednesday Thursday or Friday to rest up more.  Saturday I got in a slow 3.5 miles and Sunday was a slow 12 miles.  In Ironman training "slow" or "easy" meant an 8:00 per mile pace.  This weekend it was more like an 8:40 pace.  Here's my take on it:

• My heart rate did not rise very high and I never got really out of breath, so my aerobic capacity is still pretty high.  
• I was still able to cover 12 miles at a steady pace without stopping so I still have some muscular endurance
• My legs and right knee did feel less than great.  Not bad, just not great.
• The lower part of my neck and upper back muscles started to fatigue after about 10 miles.  This could be a form breakdown, and I likely need to go visit the chiropractor.
• Today my muscles are very sore.  I need to drink more water.

I need to accept the fact that I am on a downhill slide called the offseason, but I didn't really lose much "fitness".  The speed will come back so I can put up a sub-3:30 marathon time in the new year.  Next weekend's long run is 19 miles according to the marathon training plan.  We'll have to see how close I can actually come to that when the time arrives.  We'll also have to wait and see how close I can come to knocking those 19 miles down at 8 minutes each.  I think I'm ready to go back to regular training working out 5 or 6 days a week, but I know I still have to be conservative for another week or so.  This is not the week to try and regain all of the ironman speed and endurance, I have to focus on just getting the body back to feeling good at regular training intervals (not trying to make gains).

Great Weekend!

The family had a fantastic weekend.  On Friday Bigun received a special recognition award for Kindness.  It was so sweet!

The cute thing about this picture is that Evil Genius is also holding up two imaginary certificates.  Adorable!  That's Bigun's BFF in the middle.  Too cute!

Later on that day Bigun had her first sleepover with friends.  We made up couchbed and got them all snugged in watching movies.

Saturday morning I made pancakes for the lot of them and we all got to play outside.  It was 70+ degrees and sunny all day saturday and sunday, very unusual for this time of year in NC.  Everyone had a really good time, including Kelley and myself!

One final picture to share.  Thursday night we all went up to a local shopping center that was having a Christmas festival thing.  I guess they want us to get primed for Black Friday, but it sure did put the girls into the holiday spirit!  Just listening to the pure innocence that is your kids singing Christmas carols really warms the heart.  We got a family pic with santa:

I don't know why blogger refuses to maintain picture orientation, but EG sang him this version of the carol:

Smack you around?  that's why we call her EG. Santa indicated that he would have to have words with Grandad about that one, but he still laughed.

Big congratulations to all the marathoners this weekend, you know who you are!