Today was my final long ride in Ironman training, marking the end of a seven-month journey. I still have light training to do, but am officially in taper so my life is about to drastically change. I'll be able to sleep until 7, stop carrying a huge bag of training gear everywhere I go and have one weekend where I won't be on my bike for endless hours.
So how do I feel about it? I'm experiencing mixed emotions. I wanted to arrive at taper looking forward to resting and recharging, but instead I've arrived battling an injury that could crush my Ironman dream. I've babied my foot and seen dramatic improvement since Friday, but if the race were tomorrow, I wouldn't be able to do it. I am thankful I have two weeks to keep on the path to recovery and I'm trying to stay optimistic. On the flip side, I'm incredibly proud of what I've accomplished. When I set out to do this I promised myself I'd give it everything I had and I did. I have no regrets and even surprised myself with the level of commitment I made. It has been incredibly rewarding.
I spent the weekend riding on Long Island with a friend so it made it feel less like work and took my mind off the challenges. I wasn't feeling 100%, particularly on Saturday, but I definitely felt good and don't feel I've lost any fitness. My foot was relatively pain free today and I was able to take some normal steps with my heel on the ground. I'm hoping to continue seeing improvement each morning.
I'm not sure what I'll do with all this free time. Maybe I'll embrace it and get the rest my mind and body desperately need. Or maybe I'll settle into taper madness by Wednesday and wish I had a six-hour ride on the schedule. It should be interesting to see how things go.
Biking (Saturday)
Distance - 32.41
Time - 2:07:48
Biking (Sunday)
Distance - 71.28
Time - 4:38:27
Forgot the sleeping in part, did that this morning too. Sounds like you've got everything under control. Personally, I'm hoping for a drama free couple of weeks. Not betting on it though.
ReplyDeleteThe taper is hard - but work the plan!
ReplyDeletegood luck! you have done the work! don't go too craaaazzzzzy!
ReplyDeleteYou said that you've seen drastic improvement since Friday - and that's only 2 days. Keep resting and healing. You did great with your training! (IMMOO is Sept 13, right? your tracker says 43 days away!)
ReplyDeleteRest and heal your foot. We are so proud of what you have done! Looking forward to seeing you in Madison. You will be fine come race day. You are to strong to let this injury stop you now. Remember the BOOT! Dad.
ReplyDeleteListen to your dad!
ReplyDelete:)
The hay is in the barn as they say! So its time to rest and let your body heal! The taper is an interesting beast, but trust me and your dad, rest! I'm leaving for Mad town next Thursday and my group will be swimming at the Gatorade Swim on Friday morning. It's been awesome finding your blog after meeting you in the sign up line and following your training! You WILL be awesome and I am excited to be on the course with you!
ReplyDeleteGood luck,
Eric