August 27-September 2: You Mean There's a City Here?

Eight months of training later, and Ironman Louisville is gone. 

Now what? I mean, I already wrote an excruciatingly long race report. 

I suppose it's time to spend time doing things in DC that don't require running shorts, spandex, a bike, or goggles. 

For example, did you know that on Sundays, if you aren't riding your bike all over Poolsville, MD for 4-6 hours, there are farmers markets to explore?

I did, for once, get a chance to check some of these things out last week as my training schedule was short, open, and easy. But that doesn't mean I sat on my butt all week.

Monday: After flying back from Louisville, an easy 1500 yard swim at my building’s pool. Came out with much looser muscles than I had at the start.

Tuesday: Total rest day.

Wednesday: Another recovery swim, this one up to 1800 yards! Also included 2 miles of walking to and from meetings to keep the legs moving and avoid becoming a blob.

Thursday: Another total rest day. No extra walking. Total blobdom embraced for the day.

Friday: My coach suggested an optional 30 minutes of easy spinning on the trainer, if I felt like it.

I looked at my bike and decided that I did not feel like it. Instead, I went to my gym for the first time in weeks, kind of moved my legs around on the elliptical trainer for 40 minutes while watching the morning news and then spent 20 minutes on PT exercises, core work, and stretching.

Then, in the evening, I put 4 miles on my walking shoes going to and from a chocolate tasting event, which you can read about on my other blog.

Saturday: 2500 meters of swimming with DCRP Masters, the main point of which was to show off my IM Louisville swim cap. A good 6 miles of walking around DC doing errands in the afternoon.

Sunday: The schedule my coach set up again suggested an easy bike ride, but with the disclaimer that I was only to do this if it would be fun. And since looking at my bike evoked memories of the last 10 miles of the IM Louisville bike course, complete with bumpy roads and a nasty headwind, it didn’t sound like fun.

But what does sound like fun? Hoofing over to the Dupont Circle farmers market to buy cheese curds and log yet another 5 miles in my walking shoes.

I’ll be getting back into a semi-regular routine with more running and biking this week. But in the meantime, it’s nice to have the freedom to be active (or not) in whatever way sounds appealing at the moment.