Now that I have finished my race in Lake Placid, it's time for me to start thinking about the future. When I say recovery, I am not talking about the kind where you put your feet up and drink a protein shake. I am talking about that kind of mental and metaphysical recovery required to transition successfully from being an athlete preparing for a race to an athlete dealing with his or her athletic future. Sometimes I think that the amount of work it takes to prepare successfully for a race such as an Ironman, is so large, and so monumental, that many people are unable to transition back into their regular lives.

This is an experience that I myself had when I returned from the Peace Corps in 1999. After spending 2 1/2 years in Central Asia, I found it very difficult to come back to the everyday lifestyle of America. It was hard to go to the supermarket, it was hard to eat at restaurants, it was hard to do my laundry in a washing machine, etc.. Basically, the everyday tasks that I had once taken for granted, which became foreign to me during my time in the Peace Corps, actually took some time to relearn. After about a three month period of being uncomfortable, I felt like I had made the transition back okay. But it certainly wasn't easy.

I think the transition back from an Ironman is very similar. You start out as an athlete, someone who trains anywhere from four to six hours a week. You have friends who train, you have some equipment, perhaps a bicycle, and a good collection of running shoes. In other words, if someone were to sneak into your house at night, they would think to themselves: this person is an athlete. But then, one day, you signed up for a triathlon. All of a sudden, you need to learn how to balance swim, bike, and run workouts in addition to your other activities and social responsibilities. As you make this transition to becoming a triathlete, you start to refocus your life, you start to reprioritize what is and is not important to you. Along the way you start doing additional triathlons that involve more time and more distance. And before you know it you're doing a half-or a full-Ironman. By this time all of your friends are undoubtedly triathletes. If you don't see people when you're swimming, biking, or running, they probably don't fit into your category of friend.

As you start training for a full-Ironman, things become even more focused. It's hard to believe, but it's true. The 12 or 16 weeks leading up to your race are perhaps the most hectic weeks of your training life...you have key swim workouts you have long bike rides you have challenging runs, you are an exercising fool. And to top it all off, you have to deal with the race. If you are like other triathletes, your focus on your Ironman-especially your first Ironman-is incredibly intense. You think about it when you're sleeping, you think about it when you're eating, you think about it when you're working out with your friends; there is simply no end to thinking about this race. And this feeling only intensifies over time as the actual race date approaches. For some athletes, they focus so intently upon this race that they actually make the race into something more than it really is--just another race. Sure the Ironman is a life-changing experience, but it's not the only Ironman. There will be more races next year, and the year after that. I think it's very easy for some people to lose perspective, and this is never more apparent than the week before the race. People have traveled from all around the country to a particular city to prepare for their Ironman race, bringing their friends, family, loved ones, etc., and all they can do is think about swimming, cycling, and running. You can tell who the true athletes are by seeing how people actually behave at this critical window. The real competitors are those who have the true perspective on the race and how important it is. They are the ones who are relaxed, joking with people, and in general having a good time. Only when you are this relaxed can you truly perform to your potential.

But I digress. So you get out there and you do your Ironman. You have the race of your life, cross the finish line and you're stoked. You go home, you change your clothes, you get some good food, he had back to the finish line to cheer your friends and the other racers. Or maybe you don't. Maybe you go back to your condo, and after taking a shower you simply go to sleep. Whatever you do, I can guarantee that your experience is the same one that everyone else who has finished that race is experiencing: you are lost. After months and months of training, you have nothing to do. You have no goals. You have no benchmarks. An Ironman race is so big that 99% of the people out there can't see beyond the event itself. So, while you can relax a bit knowing that you are not alone, it still doesn't help you. So what do most people do? They sign up for the race again! :-) From my perspective as a coach, this is the last thing that an athlete should do. But I will save that for another post, at another time.

To help you with your transition back to The Real World, and prevent you from re-upping simply b/c you don't know what to do, here are a couple tips to guide you:

Minor Goals: As you begin your training build-up, I think it is an excellent idea to actually have a set of minor goals in place. These goals can range from a road race, to a fun triathlon, to a relay race with your friends or family, to simply doing a bunch of chores around the house that you have been neglecting. Whatever it is that you set as a minor goal, it should be something that you are passionate and excited about.

Clean Up: now that your race is over, you have no excuse to not clean up your exercise equipment. This is actually a very cathartic activity, and one that I wholeheartedly recommend. The best way to do it is to take all of your equipment and dump it to the center of the room, divided into piles of what you want to keep and what you don't want to keep. Take all the stuff that you want to keep, clean it, pack it up nicely, and put it away. Take all the stuff that you don't want to keep, cleaned it, pack it up nicely, and give it away to a friend or sell it to eBay.

Review and Plan: With your big race behind you, it's important to evaluate how you did. Race results don't lie, so there's no hiding. After you write your big, emotional race report, take a moment to actually evaluate yourself from a third-party perspective. How did you swim? Did you pace yourself well on the bike? Was your nutrition plan effective? Try to create a short list of bullets and be sure to include a few things you would change for the next race. Keep this exercise to 15 minutes. No more. This document will be a great tool as you prepare for your next event.

Keep Exercising: I know, it sounds counterintuitive, but it's really the best thing you can do at this point. Think about it. If you spend 15 to 20 hours a week training, that was a lot of time that you were not doing other things. Now that you have all this extra time, you actually have to learn how to do other things. This means a lot of sitting around, and thinking about doing other things. This will drive your spouse and your friends absolutely nuts. Nine times out of 10, they will want you to actually go out and exercise. :-) so take them up on it! Note: Just keep it to a reasonable amount.

As you can see from all this writing, I too am having a difficult time transitioning back. :-) it must be time for me to get back out on my bike!

Thanks to Patrick McCrann.