One Year Ago
| July 24, 2012 | Posted by Emily under Uncategorized |
365 days ago, I got all kinds of sweaty for 140.6 very special miles.
In the 12 months following my Ironman, I’ve kind of broken up with the sport. I’ve ridden my bike a whopping 3 times and the only reason the pool has seen more of my sweaty face is because pulling with a buoy was the only form of cardio I was permitted to engage in while stuck on crutches with a broken foot.
In the last 52 weeks, I’ve also very gleefully received a refund check from the one 2012 triathlon I signed up for, that was very fortunately (for me) cancelled, and deposited it into the bank account I use to fuel my marathon travel. Emphasis on the word “marathon.”
While 2012 has been delightfully lacking in multisport training, it almost was quite the opposite. In the immediate aftermath of IMLP, while still all high on wetsuit strippers and midnight finish line parties, I very nearly did something very stupid. I came thisclose to signing up for IMCdA. A gaggle of my training friends were all taking the plunge, and it seemed like the right thing to do. The only thing that stopped me from making this terrible decision, was the guilt I felt for neglecting my boyfriend-at-the-time through an Ironman training cycle. After months of planning our relationship around my training and racing needs, I thought it would be unfair to put him through another stretch of embarrassingly early bedtimes, Friday nights spent with my face in a bowl of pasta, and date nights built around my need to wear compression gear at all times.
While I normally embrace my selfishness and resent planning anything around members of the opposite gender, I’m really quite grateful for this one occurrence. While I watched my friends spend the winter and spring gearing up to swim/bike/run through Coeur D’Alene, I never once thought “gee, I really wish I was doing that 100 mile training ride instead of heading to a bottomless brunch right now,” or kicked myself for missing the opportunity to show up for work with goggle indentations three times a week. NOT ONCE. The people are great, the training…less so. Instead, I looked gratefully at my Hokas day after day, and laced up for run after run.
After having my fall marathon season stripped away from me by a broken foot, I resented that 2011 turned into the year of triathlon. Sure, I liked the whole swim/bike/running thing, but I never felt truly comfortable calling myself a “triathlete.” I was a swimmer, turned runner, turned injured runner dabbling in triathlons to stay healthy, turned Ironman trainee because why not challenge my athleticism? But never a triathlete. And when I lost the ability to train and compete, it was running that I missed.
Fast forward a year and I am exceedingly happy with the goals I’m chasing and how I’m spending my days of training. Sure, I still need to figure out if I like trail running, or road running, or long running, or short running, or fast running, or fast long running best, but the bottom line is, I like running and I never hesitate, or feel out of place, calling myself “a runner.”
When chatting with friends who are getting into running or racing, they’ll always say apologetically, “but I don’t think I like marathons that much, I like half marathons.”
My response is always, “okay…so don’t do them. Do halfs.”
Everyone has a happy distance, or a happy sport, or a happy event that makes them feel fulfilled as an athlete. Too often, we get distracted from what that is by the desire to do the same thing our friends are doing, or succumb to the pressure to race something because “everyone is doing it” or because we feel the need to show how awesome we are by constantly one upping a race distance, or each other. This culture seems to be especially noticeable amongst us internet crazed endurance athletes.
Some people’s happy place happens to be the Ironman. And that’s awesome…for them. It’s just not mine.
I don’t for one second regret doing IMLP. It was one of the best and proudest days of my life. Working my ass off for a training cycle, managing the insane lifestyle, and completing every mile of that race was an incredible experience that taught me a lot about myself and my capabilities.
But for now, I’m happy leaving the Ironman phase of my life in 2011 and embracing the fact that one of the many lessons I learned during that time is that I’m just not happiest when I’m training for an Ironman.
I kicked off the celebration of my Ironmaniversary with a 13.1 mile run this morning and I’ll continue the celebration with some more quality time in my hokas later today, because really, I can’t think of a better way to spend July 24th, one year after Lake Placid.
Great post! IM is an incredible accomplishment. I imagine that after completing that, one feels like they can do just about anything!
How liberating to achieve something at a high enough level to recognize that after putting everything into it, it doesn’t give you everything in return. Yay for self-awareness!
I’ve followed for quite some time, but never commented before. But this:
“Too often, we get distracted from what that is by the desire to do the same thing our friends are doing, or succumb to the pressure to race something because “everyone is doing it” or because we feel the need to show how awesome we are by constantly one upping a race distance, or each other.”
…just begged for a “HOLLYLUYAH”! I’m still a new-to-all-things-endurance right now and discovering my happy place, but I refuse to let the accomplishments of others dictate that for me. Their goals are not my goals, their abilities are not mine. Maybe I’ll see a few internet based faces on a race course or two, and that would be great, but I won’t be planning around it.
I’ll be honest, I felt a sense of loss NOT being there this year, and not because I wasn’t racing, just NOT being there. Weird.
I remember looking at the clock @ 7:05 on Sunday and saying to myself, “This is when I crossed the line exactly 1 year ago. And I feel sad?”
It was a good day we had out there.
I am calling it quits on the 140.6 distance next year, and maybe even longer.
Like you said, everyone has their distance, and my body (and especially my mind and training time) LOVES the 70.3 distance.
But! Triathlon still has an opening for ya anytime you wanna come back!
I love this! I have talked about that with so many of my friends – it doesn’t matter if you ever do a marathon – no where in the book of life does it say that is a necessity – run 5ks – or halfs – or hike instead! Whatever makes you happy!
Do you run before work to beat the heat and humidity in DC? I can’t imagine getting in a half marathon distance before work.
Oh and I almost forgot, I love this post. You’re totally right, it is important to be happy with the sport/workouts.
Ha- I hear you on the goggle indentations. I went to work like that today (again) and always feel the need to tell people i was swimming and don’t just have crazy big bags!
You have the bragging rights of saying that you did an IM, so it doesn’t matter if you do another one.
Which is why I haven’t jumped on the marathon wagon! I’ve zero desire or passion for it.
You can admit that you were jealous of my 5 hour indoor trainer ride on Saturday, really, you can, because I know you are.
Train for – and do – the races that make you happy. Endurance sports are too much work to be miserable. Besides, even if you never get on your bike again, we can still wave at you while you run around the point.
I certainly spent some of Sunday thinking about last year at Lake Placid and all the highs and lows as well as my extreme pride in how you did.
Absolutely. You have to train for and do what makes you happy and fills you up inside. For some it’s triathlon and other running. I personally go back and forth.
I spectated at IMLP again this year and was moved by the people out there. Somehow I’ve been suckered into IM Lake Tahoe. So I suppose we’ll find out whether it’s for me or not next year.
Girrrrrl, it’s okay if you never do another triathlon. But it’s super awesome that you finished an iron man! Way to go!
we need to make bumper stickers that say:
I DO WHAT I WANT!!
also, bottomless brunch? *ears perk up*
Wow, I seriously can’t believe that IM was one year ago! Such a great post & recap of what’s been going on 365 days later :) I know the feeling (even though I didn’t do an IM) about triathlon/kinda being over it. You’ve done amazing things since IMLP, like rocking out a shiny new 26.2 PR! Can’t wait to see what’s next!
What a great post. So important (and sometimes, so hard to do) to remember we are doing this because we are supposed to like it.
I agree that you have to do what you love! Some of my training partners are all about doing another Ironman after CdA but for now I want to focus on running and strength training. I’ll get back into triathlon when I want to, and if not, oh well. We don’t train to put food on the table so we can afford to just do the events we love!
I love this post and yes, I totally agree on doing the race you like (for me it’s halves these days with my bambinos sucking the life out of my time) but I draw the line at doing what I want around athletics or I’d sit around and eat fro yo all day too which won’t help me reach my goals ;)
Love this post! You’ve put into words exactly how I feel about my IM experience. Did my first in September and almost signed up for IMKY this year because all my training partners were doing it. It took a lot of soul searching / internal debates to realize that IM training is just not what makes me happy. I’ve been a runner for almost 20 years and have always, always, always enjoyed it. I can’t say I felt the same way about IM. So….this year has been a hiatus from any triathlons and “just” focusing on marathons instead. Me and my shiny new marathon PR don’t regret that decision at all ;)
Great post! I did an Ironman 11/2010, got pregnant 1/2011, placed on complete bedrest on 9/5/2011, healthy baby girl born 10/6/2011. Bedrest took away every bit of fitness. On my Ironanniversary I couldn’t run 2 miles! I had a whole new appreciation for what I had accomplished.
[...] about chasing every tough workout with a fruit/protein smoothie. This habit died along with my biking and swimming habits last year. It might be time to consider picking it back up again, if I don’t want my muscles to rebel and [...]
I’m the exact opposite, but I totally get ya and respect that you’re doing the races and training YOU want to do. Happy Ironman-iversary indeed! Hope to be there one day!
I get giddy for tri season and tri training and I LOVE the swim/bike/run training. I signed up for a marathon (my first) this year, six weeks after my 70.3 (also my first), because I think the endurance I’m banking will get me through it and the idea of a full marathon training cycle doesn’t appeal to me. I tried to get through it this winter and all I did was long for tri season to start… I do love running, but I feel like more of a triathlete at heart.