Post Race Week of Gluttony!

Yeah, fighting gluttony is a lot like a boss battle

Well, now that I have proven to the world that I am an Ironman, I can stop behaving like one and start eating like a 300 pound lady.  There is nothing quite as freeing as the post-race week.  I have enjoyed pizza, beer, red vines, eating out, ice cream, and pie!  My body feels like shit, but mentally, it is great to not have to say no to everything that I want.  My body is pretty unhappy right now.  Aside from just the stomach issues that come with switching to such a large and sugar-loaded diet, I am also feeling extremely tired and sluggish.  Going out to eat with friends and feasting with family this week was absolutely wonderful, but I am ready to return to some more moderate eating (for both my body and my wallet - meals out are expensive!). 



Oh, they can't wait to be a part of my diet!



So, what's next?  2012 will be a little less distance, but, if all goes well, a little more speed!  I have a marathon scheduled early in the year, February.  I will be doing this one with my brother, and it will be his very first marathon!  He is a good runner, but a busy guy.  It is tough to get endurance training in when you are working on a PhD!!  He is doing well at the 1/2 marathon distance though, and I will need to build up some speed to keep up with him for the marathon, I think :-).  I am going to do the tour de mesa bike race again, and hopefully I will have company on this.  Other races are up in the air, but there are a few sprint triathlons I want to do.  I would like to do the Seattle rock 'n' roll marathon, and I would like to do the mountain man 1/2 IM distance triathlon.  There was also a mention over Thanksgiving of doing a Warrior Dash! 



Like that, but less killing

Aside from races next year, I have a few fun things planned.  I didn't do as much hill training on the bike as I would have enjoyed (since IM was pretty flat).  I have a few rides that have been asking for me to try them.  This includes Mt. Lemon in Tucson, and Snow Bowl in Flagstaff.  Of course, my life does not have to revolve around swimming, biking and running this year, since my overall distances will be significantly less, and I have decided to do some more yoga and weight training to round out my fitness.  Yoga has been a big help with my mental health in the past, and I think starting back into my practice will help me deal with any of life's little stresses.



Yeah, this warrior don't dash. . .

 It is strange to be done with the race I've been preparing for all year.  I was sure I would feel kind of empty without having it to look forward to.  I enjoy having a purpose to my training, and I enjoy facing new challenges, but this next year, most of my races I have done before.  I do not feel purposeless, though.  I feel relieved.  I faced the hardest endurance race of my life, and I did fine.  I wasn't even all that sore.  For once in my life, I am happy with what I have accomplished, and I can relax (relatively speaking).