Afterthoughts - Ironman Lake Placid

It has been almost a week since this year's Ironman Lake Placid and I've had plenty of time to sit and think about the race, and how I feel, and what's next - in between eating large quantities of Four Seas ice cream and hot fudge and chocolate covered cranberries. Vacation is good for the soul :)

- Last year after Placid I was not excited about doing another Ironman. I was happy to know that I'd be in good company at the race with so many friends also signed up, but after a number of IM races not going according to plan and the run feeling like a death march, I was thinking that maybe it simply wasn't my distance.

- I know one good race doesn't automatically make me an expert or guarantee that future Ironman races will go as well as this past one did. However, I am excited to race another one next May in Texas (the heat will be the wildcard factor there). I'm also excited to try pushing my limits and really racing. I raced this past one, especially on the run, but I am curious how hard I can push the bike without ruining the run. Probably not much - I only went eight minutes slower on the bike this year compared to last year. Either way, I'd really like to someday become competitive at the Ironman distance.

- I like my race pictures from IMLP. Miracles do happen.

- I'm still on cloud nine from last weekend. Sometimes I still can't believe my race went so well. I know overcoming adversity and having a decent finish despite hitting some roadblocks during the course of a race makes completing the race that much more admirable and exciting, but it felt awfully good to have a perfect race too.

- I know I worked harder at IMLP this year compared to last year. Last summer I was tooling around Cape Cod on my bike less than 48 hours after crossing the finish line. This time around I have not touched my bike and only put my run shoes on for the first time Friday for a slow and painful 2 mile jog to the ocean and back. The mere thought of biking or running earlier this week was enough to make me cringe and that Ironman marathon was just as painful as an open marathon, which is something I've never said before.

- I've enjoyed my ice cream-hot fudge-chocolate covered cranberry-fueled week off from training, and I know I'll enjoy another week or so of light training consisting of doing what I feel like doing (probably swimming and bike commuting). It's a good mid-season break. I'm looking forward to having shorter training sessions and doing MORE racing since the shorter stuff takes less recovery time.

- In August I have a sprint and an Xterra (yes an Xterra requires a mountain bike and THAT is what I'm picking up from Tri360 this weekend, yee-haw!) and then in September I have 70.3 Worlds, maybe another half or maybe just an Oly, and then October will have Beach2Battleship half as well as at least an Oly, maybe another sprint if I can find one. The end of tri season will be here before I know it and I want to pack in as much racing as I can between now and then.

- I loved Ironman training, but I'm glad the long stuff is over and now my bike rides won't be longer than 3-4 hours at most and my running won't be much longer than 2 hours, if that. I will have my weekends back!