The predictable let-down

The week after my incomplete Ironman I was excited, urging Coach Steve to load me up, eager to get out and work out.

But then I kept blowing off my work-outs. Perhaps it was my blood donation, but I just didn’t feel like working out. On Friday, the triathlon e-mail list I belong to had a thread on Genevieve Jeanson. At the end of a post I tacked a note, “Still in a kind of let-down or something post-Ironman.” In response, an experienced Ironman wrote:

Hey Richard - welcome to the world of post-Ironman blues. Whether you won, never start, finish or PR, we all have the same feelings afterwards. Give it a few more weeks - you'll come around. You worked non-stop for the last 6, 9, 12 months toward one goal and now that goal is no longer there... I pretty much define myself by my goals & associated workouts. Needless to say, I've been defining myself as Huge Slug for the last few weeks, but am starting to get the itch to get back in the saddle (literally).

Did you sign up for IM WI again next year? What about a more short-term goal (not necessarily a triathlon) - have you got some of those that you can focus on??

Since Friday, I’ve embraced let-down-ness. I just ran some errands yesterday, lay in bed, and caught up on my reading. Today has started similarly.

Tomorrow is an important day. Tomorrow I sign up for Ironman Wisconsin 2008. I’m getting a bit excited just typing this! That will be the end of my off season, I expect.

Photo “Melancholy” copied from www.georgiabyte.com.