musings of a mulisport momma

after Ironman, I didn't know what to do with myself. It's a weird feeling to accomplish a goal - The Goal. there's this saying that the hardest things to deal with in life are failure and success. I would go to the gym, wander around, get in a workout --- but nothing with real purpose. I ended up doing a 100-runs-in-100-days challenge, which was fun, especially considering some of it was during snowmegedden 2010 (early winter 2010 - so hard to believe that was 2 1/2 years ago!).

so what did I end up doing after IM Cozy? I got pregnant! The race was November 29 and I found out February 13 that I was pregnant.[iIt wasn't a surprise, but I think that kind of news is always shocking.] so, yeah, that's what I did post Ironman. Had a baby.

my buddy, Deb, who said at the finish line at Cozumel that she wasn't doing that again -- is racing IMFL next month.

what do you do after Ironman? how do you go back  to "normal life" after those kinds of highs and lows?

maybe it's the rosy colored glasses, but I miss it. I miss the feelings of accomplishment after an early morning swim or a 100 mile bike ride (followed by inhaling large amounts of McDonalds, natch) or a long run through the city. I just felt like I was working toward a goal -- a goal I could measure in logs and numbers and miles and meters and minutes and hours. Being a great parent and raising a great kid is, of course, a goal - a Big Goal -  but it's a different kind of goal. and maybe I just miss it because it's easy to look back on Life's Big Events and only remember the good [hell, I can positively reminisce about Bar Review, and that was terrible!].

every time I get the itch to register for a race that requires a lot of time, energy, and/ or money (although usually one means all three ;)) I stop. I work full time, and I see H about 2-3 hours per day during the week. I can't and I don't want to justify a 3 hour run when I could be watching Micky Mouse Clubhouse, making pancakes, and playing trains. Not training for anything Big means that I don't have to follow a training program, and that means that if all I have time for after story time is a quick three miles, then I run three miles and don't feel guilty because there's nothing to feel guilty about. He's two and he's hilarious and this time is so short. It doesn't feel short when he's screaming his face off because I won't let him play with a hot iron (I know, lulwat?) but everyone says that They Grow Up So Fast and holy cow my baby turns two next week. I'd rather watch him run around then point to the bookshelf, say "BOOK! UP!" and then read him "Oh My, Oh My, Oh Dinosaurs!" for the third time that day while he sits in my lap and takes pride in turning the pages than do, well, anything else.

and here we are: after I got back from a run, I was stretching, and he ran up to the wall and mimicked me. "streccchhh"

so this need to balance training and work and wife and mommy meant: I needed to find a way to both satisfy the athlete part of me and the mommy part of me. I decided, as I think I stated in my last post, to stick to "middle distance" races - half marathons and 10 milers - and shorter races (5ks and 10ks) and trying to get fast back to my pre pregnancy speed. [I'm almost there]. the half marathons and 10 milers feel Big Enough, and it's actually kind of fun now to go balls-to-the-wall on the shorter distances.

I'll get back to marathons and maybe even Ironman. When H says, "mom, you're annoying. please give us food and then leave us alone" I will clip into my bike and ride from Easton to Tilghman Island and back. twice.