1 Month Post-Ironman

“Nobody ever does 2 Ironmans. You either do one to check it off the bucket list, or you get hooked.” — a wise man

It seems like it was yesterday that I was flying across the finish line at Ironman Kona. But my fake Ironman tattoo has faded, my sunburn has turned to freckles, my muscles have healed, the high has worn off, and now the race is simply a fond memory. I can’t believe it’s been a month!

After Kona I really wanted to continue my healthy lifestyle and avoid falling down the same spiral as post-Ironman Cozumel last year: overindulging, feeling lazy, losing fitness and gaining 10-15 pounds.

I was on a healthy track this month (albeit with some serious indulging) and right when I was ready to get back to an exercise routine I got sick with a nasty cold. Meanwhile, I was juggling a very busy period at work (remotely) and getting ready for a business trip on the East Coast. It felt impossible to stay healthy, motivated and fit during these couple of weeks. The off season is hard! 

On the positive side, the CEO of my company (Electronic Arts) acknowledged my Ironman Kona accomplishment in front of all 8,000+ employees worldwide. I couldn’t believe my ears and it was a very special moment for me. I’m so grateful to work for a company that recognizes and supports hard work inside and outside the organization. Love my job!!

Honestly, this off-season time has been very eye-opening for me. It made me realize that I’m actually the most energetic, happy and in-balance when I’m training for Ironman. Yes, I’m actually more in balance when I’m in training mode, which might sound counter-intuitive. I really enjoy the process of having a big goal, working hard everyday to achieve it, and seeing progress along the way. It’s extremely motivating. I love to sweat, to connect with friends, to explore the Bay Area from my bike, to get outside at sunrise, to breathe fresh air, and to run our beautiful trails. I don’t love sleeping in on the weekdays and sitting in rush hour traffic, overeating, feeling hungover, tired, lazy, and having zero plans for the weekend. It just doesn’t seem interesting to me. And that’s partially how the last month felt.

There were some seriously awesome things that happened this month, though — we celebrated Mark’s birthday at Cookhouse, we went to a beautiful wedding on Tinsley Island, I traveled to Boston and NYC, we hung out with my niece and nephews, dressed up as Star Wars characters for Halloween, finally got to watch some Michigan Football, cheered Nike Women’s, and re-connected with old friends. It was fun but I’m excited to plan 2016 and get back into a routine.

OK, so what’s next? I’m excited to announce that I just registered for Ironman Mont-Tremblant! There are a ton of Golden Gate Triathlon Club members doing the race (including my amazing boyfriend!) so it’ll be fun to have a group to train and race with. From race reports and videos it looks like a spectacular race in Eastern Canada with beautiful views and a calm, lake swim. Before Ironman I’ll do a bunch of smaller races including the Paris Marathon and Boulder 70.3. For a full list check out my Races page.

To wrap it up… I’m glad I had this time ‘off’ but I’m even more excited to work hard this year and to have some fun training with some awesome GGTC friends.