The weeks immediately after an Ironman are always a series
of ups and down….kind of like a roller coaster. While I haven’t done many Ironman Distance races, IM
Louisville was my 5th, but it has been enough for me to notice some trends in
my recovery and mental state.
Based on that, here is a summary of my past weeks between Ironman
Louisville and Pocono 70.3….
Post-IM Week 1:
For me, the key is purely recovery. I always took a few days off and
started some light training. First
with swimming and biking, then some running once the soreness had been gone for
at least a full day. Usually this
seemed to work, and I would end up with about 5-7 hours of easy training by the
end of the week. Compared to
pre-IM training this is nothing.
However in a post-IM physical state, I would feel good for 2-3 days,
then get sick. No doubt is was
from doing too much too soon. This
time was a little different. Due
to work commitments, I was forced to take a full 4 days off of training, then
eased back with easy sessions over the weekend. While it seemed like I was taking off too much time and
wanted to get right back it, in reality, I was just listening to my body. Looking back this was the right
decision, because when I started training again, I was mentally ready to start
the process.
Post-IM Weeks 2 & 3:
Now is where regular training starts again, and the roller
coaster ride begins. At this
point, the general soreness, general fatigue and tiredness is gone. Mentally, I am ready to go, but deep
down my body is still recovering.
This is really noticeable when trying harder efforts or longer
intervals. I start out feeling
great, but slowly and surely my power falls off, my pace creeps up and by then
end, I am left with a very unsatisfying workout and frustrated. I didn’t hit my plan, but I didn’t feel
tired….my body just wouldn’t perform.
I know the answer, but sometimes it’s hard to comprehend. So I take an easy day, and try again
later in the week. Bingo! More rest was the answer, and my power
and pace starts to get closer to normal.
This time my recovery seemed to progress about 1 week ahead of my past
IMs. By the end of week 3 I was
about 90% of pre-IM fitness, based on my bike power and swim and run
paces. Part of what makes this so frustrating
is that you know it going in. I
know it will take this long to recover….but mentally when you are feeling good,
you expect your body to perform, and when it doesn’t, well….it’s just
frustrating to put it politely.
Highs and lows, just like a roller coaster!
At the end of Week 3, the volume is also starting to creep
back up. I had a great 3.5 hour race
rehearsal brick on Saturday and followed that up with participating as the
cyclist in an Olympic tri-relay fundraiser. The race rehearsal went perfect for the ride and run. My power in the relay was lower than I
wanted, but again was about 90% of my pre-IM for that type of effort. Not bad for me. As far as running, this takes the
longest to get back to normal. I
have had great runs of over an hour, but when I get close to 90 minutes…. I can
tell I am only 3 weeks into recovery.
How you might ask? Things
start to get sore that didn’t prior to the race. For me this is IT bands and hip flexors. Time for more recovery, and back to the
foam roller!
Post-IM Week 4:
By this point everything is getting closer to pre-IM
levels. Endurance and intensity
are back up and are my RPE is starting to feel “normal” again. I know I am still a little off of where
I was pre-IM, but I’m close. This
far into my recovery, I know I can push my training sessions without feeling I
am on the edge of injury, but I still pay close attention to my body. If I’m feeling tired, I’ll take it a
little easier, but if I feel good, I know I can push it.
In the days leading up to Ironman Pocono 70.3,
I won’t know for sure if I am completely recovered until I race, I am feeling good
going in. Over the past 5 weeks, I
tried to be patient and listen to my body, but when the gun goes off on
Sunday, only then will I truly know how my body is doing!
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