off-seasoning.

10/24/2014
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Ahhhhhfffff-season.

Helloooooo, recovery, no structure and some fun! 

But, it hasn’t all been fun. The post-IM blues… the struggle was real the first couple weeks following IRONMAN Wisconsin. It’s tough to go from 20 hours of swimbikerun for weeks to almost none. SO MUCH FREE TIME. And, what to do with all of it?! For months, ironman training was all consuming – a beautiful distraction – which made it quite easy to ignore everything else in life. After ironman, you’re suddenly faced with all that stuff you brushed off. Without two-a-days, you actually have time to think about life – and, sometimes it’s heavy. 

That heaviness has been hard. I’ve been crabby and edgy and twisty and blah. Definitely not myself, and I’m sure pretty unpleasant to be around; I haven’t even liked being around me! But, after some serious soul searching (more on that soon), I am relieved to say the fog is lifting and I’m starting to feel more like my happy self. 

Thank god

Anyway, on the recovery side, there’s been zero structure and no workouts in TrainingPeaks (there was withdrawal, however). Instead, I’ve been biking as much as weather and daylight allow, swimming sporadically, meditating on my yoga mat, and after six weeks off, returning to running. It’s been so refreshing (but I’m ready to get back to it)! 

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Other off-season fun: catching up with friends over dinner and coffee, cheering at Twin Cities Marathon, celebrating the marriages of a good friend (congrats, Julie + Chad!) and my cousin (congrats, Ben + Jenny!) and hanging out with my family (can’t get enough of Finley!). In photos… 

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dinner with these beauties, gal pals from grad school.
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the TC 10-Mile in front of the Saint Paul Cathedral.
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Twin Cities leading ladies… so strong + fast. 
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typical… 🙂
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happy wedding day, Julie + Chad!
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a night out with cousins!
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my grandparents have been married 66 YEARS on October 18! ♥
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cutest niece ever!
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little copycat.
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the weirdest vizsla ever.

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16 Comments

  • Reply Jessie 10/24/2014 at 1:38 pm

    ah! The vizsla pic at the end is the best.

    Random question, but does your sister brush Lucy’s teeth? We really struggle with that 🙁

  • Reply Kecia 10/24/2014 at 2:34 pm

    I have such mixed emotions about the off season…I HATE not having structure and focus, but I LOVE getting the opportunity to try new things. This off season, I too have had WAY too much time to think and soul search…

    I love all the pics and congrats to your grandparents on 66 years!!!!

  • Reply Katie Morse 10/24/2014 at 2:45 pm

    super cute! I LOVE all the photos! Off-season can definitely be tough sometimes, but it also can be amazing, like look at all the cool stuff you are doing?! Love it!

  • Reply Corey 10/24/2014 at 3:12 pm

    The off-season is HARD. As much as I look forward to all the free time to do “new things” and sleep-in, when it arrives, I usually don’t love it. I love training for races so when that is over, I feel like I have lost all structure in my life and I crave it back. I know it is good to take a break from between cycles, but it is hard to let it go and I find myself not really knowing where to start with new classes at the gym or fun new workouts. I end up going back to just doing yoga and (the little) running that I am allowed during recovery. I keep promising myself that this off-season will be different 🙂 Maybe this time it will! I am looking forward to hearing more about your soul searching…you have been kind of hinting at some big changes so I am excited to hear about it! Also, that viszla!!!

  • Reply Amy 10/24/2014 at 3:40 pm

    I’m happy you were able to find some peace after your Ironman-I can’t imagine how tough it was to train for something for so long and then…done! Eek. Thanks for sharing so many fun pictures 🙂

  • Reply Jen (The Hippie Triathlete.com) 10/24/2014 at 10:03 pm

    “Crabby and edgy and twisty and blah.” EXACTLY ME. These things go in spurts, don’t they? And when the happiness comes again, it’s so much sweeter.

  • Reply Leslie @ TriathleteTreats 10/24/2014 at 10:23 pm

    Sounds like life is slowly getting better! So exciting that you get to start running again! I like the off season to do different stuff and not be so structured. Even though i have been marathon training i am looking forward to not running for a couple of weeks before starting the “on-season” again! Can’t wait to hear what is next for you and maybe sparkle some fire under me to do something else with my life! 🙂

  • Reply Julia 10/25/2014 at 3:41 pm

    Hey Chica! That’s my butt:) Glad you are back running and enjoying this GREAT fall we are having. The leaves have been so amazing. Update me when you can on getting out of that rut; Anything i can do i am happy to do. Chat soon and keep on smiling!!

  • Reply Kristen @ Glitter and Dust 10/25/2014 at 8:28 pm

    It sounds like you are really doing some soul searching right now. Sometimes we need a break from the things that “fill” our time, in order to face our thoughts head on and make the changes that are long overdue. I hope that what ever is going on in your life is only temporary and that you are opening your heart to other opportunities that make you happy. I completely understand feeling stuck or lost in the day-to-day stuff. You are a strong woman and will make the right decision for you – I have no doubt! Glad to see you are enjoying the off-season. Always with a beautiful smile on the bike and with your friends/family!

  • Reply Change of Pace 10/26/2014 at 5:46 pm

    Sounds like you’re doing a good job of filling your time now! I love how often you still bike- so happy!
    And little Finley has to be one of the cutest things!
    The end of a huge training period and an even bigger race can always be a bit of a letdown. Sometimes that time is needed to take a good look at everything else in life! Glad the fog is lifting and you’re feeling more like yourself.
    When does your next round of training start?

  • Reply Kristin (@SweatCourage) 10/27/2014 at 8:28 am

    The struggle is SO real with the post IM Blues! I went through the same thing and it was HARD for weeks on end… You are forced to face reality head on with all the free time and honestly, it kind of sucks. You saying ‘life is heavy’ sums it up perfectly. As you know, I’ve been doing some soul searching too i.e. trying to figure out what to do with my life! I am excited to hear what you are thinking lately;) Looks like you are doing well and are in a good spot now!

  • Reply Nathan 10/27/2014 at 10:22 am

    I hear you on the non-structured off season… so hard to figure out what to do with yourself after months of intense focus. I did nothing productive for a week after TCM. Thanks Erin – nice to hear someone else going through this. What’s next?

  • Reply Brittany 10/27/2014 at 6:59 pm

    Love reading your posts & esp your bike photos as always! So glad you are feeling like your happy self again 🙂

  • Reply Candice 10/28/2014 at 10:26 am

    Erin! Smiley face wall= fab

    Enjoy the no structure…perhaps we can get in a yoga sesh? xx

  • Reply Valerie 10/28/2014 at 11:01 pm

    So glad the fog is lifting and I got to see you for coffee!! We’re back from Nepal next week – we’ll connect again to share stories…..

  • Reply Luv What You Do 10/29/2014 at 8:54 pm

    So much fun! I love watching your bike rides on Instagram!
    Love seeing you the rest of life too! Stay warm!

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