Getting the fire to burn....

So it's 5 days to Christmas, a little over 4 weeks since Ironman Arizona, and 291 days to Ironman Kona....hard to be motivated right now!  The table at work is covered with sweets, coffee is back, but at least the weight is staying off!  Not that I'm concentrating on my weight, but I'm sure I could gain 10 pounds in a week if I didn't watch it!  Yesterday was my biggest day of training since IM...75 mile "base" ride and 3500 yards in the pool, and I felt it (on the bike...).  I've been prepping for PF Changs Marathon here on January 16th, and I think the running is wearing my ligaments thin...I must be getting old!  I've added a lot of stretching and rolling into the mix over the past two weeks (including a couple trips to Physical Therapy for hip alignment issues); maybe some of this is post IM stuff, but I also haven't been taking my First Endurance Products as religiously as I should...duh!  I did a 12K race last weekend---didn't feel my best as I ran the night before and was not "fresh," but I managed to finish 5th overall (out of 1022), won my age group by 5 minutes...so I'll take it!  That in itself may be why I've been sore...duh again!

So it looks like we are ramping things back up on the training calendar...I've been running often, but not necessarily long (most runs are 45-60 minutes).  I think this next week we will see a big jump there as a final "prep" for the marathon on January 16th...although part of me wants to bow out and do the 1/2 marathon...we'll see.  I'll be busy in February with a 5 day training camp in Tucson (did this last year...awesome!), then following that up with the Ragnar Relay Ultra Race 4 days after...nonetheless a huge training block with no less than 300 miles on the bike and 50 miles running in 9 days...ouch!  I guess I'll get an idea of what kind of shape I'm in, and if I'm not, I will be after!

Looking forward on the calendar...I wonder how I will be with IM Hawaii then IM AZ 6 weeks later...I hope I'll be "fresh and loose" enough on November 20th.  I think the 6 weeks in between will be all about recovery, but how do you re-set to peak while in recovery?  They seem like opposites, but I'm sure I will find a way!    Maybe it will be a 6 week taper.