B2B Reflections...Five Days of Letting it Set In

Its always interesting to me letting a few days pass after an Ironman, Marathon or any other endurance event that requires months of physical training and mental focus. Inevitably, for me, comes what I believe to be a significant chemical reaction in the body. It usually means I'll be irritable and confused in a way hard to describe. This post-Ironman is especially confusing because, after completing three Ironmans in 15 months (two in the last 100 days) I have committed not to do an Ironman distance race in 2009. There are definately three marathons on my schedule in 2009 which will allow me to keep some focus on training and staying fit. But it really is different to me.

Thankfully, post-Ironman week also brings some brief freedom. Freedom from having to figure out where to fit 90-120 minutes of workout in almost every day. Freedom to embrace the "eat whatever you crave" concept. Today I ate beef chili for lunch. Yesterday it was a chocolate milkshake in the airport. I've eaten ice cream every day this week. Maybe not crazy to you. But to me its a bit of a stretch. But nice.

I also have had a few days to reflect back on what I learned at this event. I learned a lot and will certainly not capture enough here.

1) Being cold and/or in pain, as long as you know it will come to an end, is not so bad. The mind quickly forgets pain when triumph results afterwards. Perhaps this is a mini version of what mountain climbers feel after summiting then returning to safety at base camp. I hope my mild Ironman cold and pain helps me grow and be stronger.
2) Sometimes its the small things that leave the biggest impression. I will never forget changing into dry clothes at the end of my endurance events. Taking off those shoes is such a pleasure.
3) Body Glide, vaseline, or whatever lube you have should not be used sparingly, regardless of the weather.
4) The people who surround you (family, friends, other competitors) are the biggest part of what makes an event (or life for that matter) great.
5) Eat everything you can get your hands on and can keep down in the run. I'll always swear by this one.
6) Someone else out there is having a harder day than you are. In some cases many others are.
7) Talking and smiling makes for a much more manageable event.
8) Stop to say hello to your family if possible. This is the first race where I've really done that and I don't regret the minutes I gave up. I'll always remember my son offering me a sip of his bottle of water and my wife frantically trying to take my picture as I kissed my daughters.
9) Stay in the moment. The past is gone and the future does not exist. Focus only on the moment right now because that is all there is.
10) Finish with a smile.

I hope to do another Ironman. I hope to do things that are bigger than Ironman. With some real focus I think I can trancend my own definition of success. Success is here defined as raising my kids, being a good husband, and pursuing activities that enable me to grow physically, mentally, and spiritually.