feeling down after a big race...

[Veronica]

I'm planning a tri a month through at least Oct. I just signed up for September's. This next one is a Sprint distance. I haven't picked October's yet. Mostly, it's to keep focused on training and to have a stress outlet for when I go back to work.

Plus I'm working towards a RUSA R-12 award, so I'm cycling a 200 K a month. I'll be doing that through Feb. when it will be time to really crack the whip to get ready for "The World's Hardest Tri."

V.

[han-grrl]

I totally understand that feeling

the "now what" stage.

I did my solo 24 race
I raced Master Expert in the provincial cups

I wanted to work my way to elite, but i want to have a life too

so i'm not sure what racing i want to do..

I've joined a five person mixed team for the next 24 race...I really want to be around people again. A lot of my training left me riding alone. and LONG.

I am hoping to find a team to race regularly with, who are competitive in a fun way...

[Kimmyt]

I get this ALL THE TIME. And the weird thing is, I'm beginning to think that if I don't catch it early, it is bad even when I have goals still to meet.

Example. The only Tri I had scheduled was in June. I started getting the lowdowns after I completed it, so decided to schedule another tri for August. Except then I lost all motivation to do anything, and am currently feeling, well not depressed, but not in top shape. So I'm doing the August tri this weekend on a really crappy amount of training, and I'm just not caring. I think maybe I need to schedule my tri's all at once and have them in a progressive build so that the most important one is last of all, because there's something about completing an event that just has me wanting to change gears (get ready for my winter/fall sports, etc) and not mess with it anymore for the year.

After this I've told myself I may or may not do the originally planned half-marathon, depending on how I feel. Or maybe I'll just climb a whole lot and do the half marathon next year. *shrug*

[Wahine]

RNR - brilliant idea starting this thread.

I think the important part here is recognizing when this feeling is going to hit. If you keep having goals and being able to work towards them, maybe you'll be fine but realistically, our bodies will put up with so much and everyone needs an "off season". My off season comes in Sept and runs all the way to Dec and I definitely plan for it. It works out much better if I have things set up before hand to help me through and allow me to escape the temptation to just keep pushing. So this year I'm going to windsurf, I have a trip planned to Hawaii and I'm planning on doing a lot of food prep and freezing during the fall harvest season. It's also a great time to host dinner parties and reconnect with friends.

[Tuckervill]

As you all know by now, I don't race at all. But I feel your pain!

I have several large projects and trips that I complete every year. By the end of the biggest project, I'm enmeshed in a deadly love/hate relationship with it, and I'm so worn out! One year an ovarian cyst burst in my abdomen at the exact moment that I handed out the last trophy of a tournament, which signaled the very end of my youth baseball season! Then the next week I spend it all depressed and unable to get out of bed. Same thing with big trips--I'll be gone the whole month of September (as usual) and in October I'll be a basket case.

It's a loss of focus, as well as the anti-climax that happens after any goal is reached. There's a vacuum in my life, with nothing to fill it. I'd say it is pretty normal. I need that rest time, too, to get ready for the new season or the next trip. Then the preparation starts all over again.

I guess if you never stop training (working towards the goal), you might never experience that letdown? I always NEED the rest, though.

Karen

[rocknrollgirl]

Glad you guys are enjoying the chat.

gnat, I found last season that a week off was not nearly enough. I did periodization training for 10 months, and what I really needed was a real off season.

I knew this in my heart, but getting myself to cooperate turned out to be a whole separate issue. That is why this year, I drew a line inthe sand, set a date for the last race, and then...off season. My race buddies keep trying to push the date further in to the fall, but I am planning on holding firm.

Yoda...they windsurf here, and I soooo want to learn. I can get a 4 hour lesson for around 100 dollars. I think I might treat myself before it gets to late in the season. I love to go fast.

[colby]

I'm honestly not sure what got me through my post-Ironman phase. I don't have anything on the schedule between that and mid-August (next weekend), which is something like 8 weeks. The first few weeks I was okay, I could tell myself that everything was hard because my body was recovering. That argument works for a while, but the next couple of weeks I started to worry, even though I knew it would happen, if I would ever want to do it again. I'm just coming out of it now, and excited for the next race, even though it's short in comparison (different kind of challenge!).

I also felt like I was talking about it all the time, but that was relatively therapeutic, too. Might have been annoying for those closest to me, but I appreciate that they didn't just put up with the training, but the post-Ironman "training" as well. I read about feeling down after the race, so I did expect it, but it really felt... empty. I'm a pretty "go with the flow" person, suck it up, adapt, and move on, but there were a few days I was really down.

I don't have anything else scheduled this year, but I'm thinking of adding some stuff in September if I can find it fairly close - maybe that Federal Way race someone else pointed out in the PNW thread (that's the formerly-Subaru womens triathlon series, I think?).

I have been running the Seattle Marathon, which is after Thanksgiving, and actually keeps my "down time" to about a month - the month of December, basically, which is usually miserable and busy anyway. I do whatever I feel like doing and try to get back into it... in time to start early Ironman training for June. When I wasn't doing Ironman (this was my first, duh), I did feel that same feeling of lack of direction.

I've discussed with my husband (and 'wife') what crazy personality trait it must take to do Ironman... but maybe it's something more than that, that all endurance people, focused people, and people who just really enjoy what they do, have. A feeling of lack of focus that is almost disorienting when you're so used to being focused...

[gnat23]

This is a very interesting post, thanks for bringing it up!

I was intrigued when I first flipped through Charmichael's book on Fitness Nutrition, and it brought up the whole concept of periodizing training throughout the year, which was new to me.

Here are some of the notes I took:

Foundation or Base
Coming out of winter, on the trainer, etc. Foundation strength, places a little more stress on the muscles to prepare the body for the heavier weights and greater forces to come in the next two periods.

Preparation or Pre-Competition
Using drills to increase strength and power, then speed using those strength gains. Increasing mileage and altitude.

Specialization or Competition
Strength Maintenance, with appropriate recovery. Peak time! This is where the big race or ride goes.

...And then, of course:

Transition or Off-Season: Aerobic
Recovery, light weights, faster cadence. Usually on the trainer.

After the big peak race with nothing else nearby on the horizon, maybe it's worth not pushing yourself too much. Take a week off, have some beers, relax, acknowledge your accomplishments (admittedly, I have the most trouble with this part). Looks like this is as much mental as physical.

When you're ready, start the cycle again, pick the thing you want to work for next year, and using the gains you've made, start light and build up that aerobic base so you can be even better next time.

-- gnat!