Life after Ironman

I guess I could also title this post, "What I did on my summer vacation." 

Life after Ironman has been interesting.  Many people say they go into kind of a post-ironman depression.  After months of training and the anticipation of the big day, there tends to be sort of a letdown, or a “now what? “ feeling.  Naturally, there is a void!  I mean, you’re no longer spending 2 – 3 hours per day training during the week, no 6-hour Saturday bike rides or 3-hour Sunday runs, and you’re not seeing your tri-training peeps all week long…what do you do with all that extra time now that the race is over?

I definitely think I had a bit of that, but to be honest, I didn’t have time to dwell on it very much.  You see, I was laid off from my job the week before Ironman Texas.  The downside? You’re about to go into the biggest physical challenge of your life and you’re told you’re no longer needed.  Sure, it can take a toll on your confidence.  If you let it.  I decided to focus on the upside.

I know what you’re thinking - the upside? 

I now had time to prep for and focus on the race. I packed my special needs and transition bags (this was more time consuming than I expected!), I went to  my local bike shop and running store for last minute gear (more than once), I attended a couple of pre-race events, I checked in my bike, etc.  Of course, having too much time to think about what lies ahead can be bad, too.  So, I tried to balance things out – I had coffee with friends, I visited a friend and her new baby, I had lunch with my kiddos at their school and attended some school functions.

Enjoying the kid's honor roll celebration

Time to present projects....

Once the race was done, I stayed busy attending the kid’s end of school year events (there were quite a few), including the Kiddo’s 4^th grade graduation.  I also tried to meet up with friends who had been neglected during IMTX training. 

Walking the stage at 4th grade graduation...on to Intermediate School!!!

Two weeks later, the kids were out of school and summer had begun!  To be honest, being laid off was a bit of a blessing in disguise, because I had the most amazing summer.  The only summer where I’ve been able to stay home with the kids.  We planned some fun activities (with some job searching squeezed in) and never looked back.

We spent a lot of time at the neighborhood pool….

We took advantage of all the summer programs at the library…

We found cool events at our local nature center…

We checked out our first Houston Dynamo game…

We went to the beach…

We went for walks…

And bike rides...

We checked out a few movies (including the $1 Summer Movie Club..hey, it’s cheap)…

We even took our goofy dog on walks…

We made a bird feeder and mug cupcakes…

We built a living room fort during a (weak) tropical storm…

We played in the rain...

We played board games...

We had lots of snow cones…

And some ice cream, too…

And (I saved one of the best for last), we went to the Texans Training Camp (thanks to my friend, Vic, for the tickets!)...

Riley getting an autograph from Alfred Blue!

Me and the Munchkin enjoying the sights and sounds of training camp

And yes, we did see J.J. Watt up close...

Overall, it was the best summer ever!  My kids are growing up way too fast, so spending this time with them (when they actually still want to hang out with me) was a gift! 

So that’s what I’ve been up to.  I have been running, but it has been difficult to get in bike rides and swims with the kids at home.  And that’s okay.  At first, I was determined to keep training for a couple of races in August and September…I was trying to get in a swim with the kids at the pool and bike after the Hubs made it home from work.  Then I decided that I didn’t really HAVE to train for anything right now. I had the opportunity to just enjoy the summer WITH the kids. 

So, that’s what I did.

Sure, I ran early in the morning, before the Hubs left for work and did a little biking on the weekend…but that’s it.  I figured I’d have more time for biking and swimming when the kids started school, along with more time to focus on my job search.  I’m so glad that I did this, because the races will always be there!  My kids, on the other hand, will continue to grow up and will be off to college before I know it.  Carpe diem, dammit!  No regrets here!