2016 was an epic year for me. In my first full year up off the couch, I finished six triathlons: two internationals, one duathlon (when my first race of the season was abruptly changed from an international distance tri to a dua when they canceled the swim), two sprints and then an IRONMAN 70. 3 in October. After that race, I felt that I had fully earned an off-season and spent 2 months doing yoga, short runs, group bike rides and Netflix binge watching,
2017 was less than epic. Some recurring knee and foot and ankle injuries derailed all my grand plans for the year, I did some long bike rides, including two metric centuries and a 24-hour event, and I did one sprint triathlon in August, but no big races, no big events and it was a totally different kind of year. The only real success of the year is that, despite the lack of racing, I did succeed in staying up off the couch. So, in that sense, it was a great year.
U.S. National Whitewater Center, Summer Outdoor Yoga Series. The perfect start to the off-season.
But it does beg the question, as to what the off-season really means when I had no real “on-season”. So I have come to the conclusion that this year’s off-season really ought to be the same as last year’s off-season. Last year I looked at the off-season as a “reward” for a lot of hard work. When I slacked off and did 35 minute zone 2-3 runs instead of 2 hour long runs with pick-ups, I felt that I had “earned” the right to do a 35 minute aerobic run. But really, I had it all wrong. The off-season is a period on the calendar between the season just ended and the season about to begin, with all of its grand plans and hopes and aspirations. Last year, in addition to being a few months on the calendar it was also time for some much-needed recovery from a really big year. This year, I don’t need that physical recovery. But I still do need some time to take stock of the year, what worked, what didn’t work, and how I handled the very different kind of adversity that came with this year’s own unique challenges. I have big plans for 2018, including my second half-Ironman and my ongoing battle with weight loss, success in which will be necessary if I am to meet my goals on the hilly course at IRONMAN 70.3 Mont-Tremblant in June.
Busted plans this year make for big plans next year.
I am trying to shift my mindset as an adult-onset athlete who is still fairly recently up off the couch. Nothing is really “earned” or “not earned”. I don’t make a living at triathlon and never will. This is all just part of the games I play with myself to keep me interested and motivated and up off the couch. So I will choose to enjoy this off-season. I am on my way to yoga now for the first time in a few months. Then I will do my assigned 70 minute run-walk, which will include plenty of walking. It is all a process, so no matter whether you succeeded or failed at the goals you made up for yourself, don’t lose sight of the fact that the power is in the journey, not in the medals and race t-shirts and data on Training Peaks. Staying up off the couch is its own reward and success.