Last week was my recovery week.  It was fantastic.  It’s funny when you are closing in on your need for recovery…..and the idea of a run or a bike ride makes you want to cry.  You start wondering why you are doing an Ironman, when you hate training.  I was definitely in this low dark place before last week.  Then coach prescribed a recovery week, and after two days of sleeping in, with light workouts I was REARING to go again.  Loving my sport….craving long runs and rides, with extra swims!  It is really amazing what a few days of recovery can do to you.  By Friday I was BACK (the person who loves training, who loves taking her body to it’s limits) but, I was still recovering.  Friday’s training was a 1 hour bike with an evening swim, I was so sad turning around on the bike after only 30 minutes with my friends.  I toyed with the idea of just making it a 2 hour ride…I mean I felt good after all.  Then I reminded myself how I felt the previous week (completely smashed!), and how I knew coach would take me to that place again soon enough.  So, I turned around like a good girl.  I came home and had energy to clean, cook, do laundry, and crafts and was still excited for evening swim practice.  It was wonderful, I was a new girl.

The rest of my weekend was just as exciting and energy filled!!  Saturday’s workout was a DAY OFF.   Yep! I didn’t have to work or workout. WHAT?  Yep, day off off. These happen pretty rarely during IM training because of my 12 hour shifts, I usually get my day off of training on a work day.  Some work days are like marathons themselves, so it’s not always a “day off”.  Saturday was though, so the puppy and I went for a 5 mile walk, and then I spent 2 hours doing yard work in the beautiful sun.  I couldn’t let that sunny day go to waste just because I wasn’t training. (The funny thing about the yard work is how SOOOORE I was the next day!  I must have done 100 squats picking up leaves, etc!)

I spent the rest of the day working on some crafts.  I have this little purse that my brother gave me for Christmas probably 8 years ago, it’s been through a lot to say the least and the ink stains were finally the kicker. I thought I’d have to put the ol’ thing down.  After trying to throw it away several times I finally decided maybe I could just patch it….or save it as a pattern and remake one.  So I started taking it apart, as I took it apart I realized I really just needed to add new front pockets to it. In then end it became a refurbished purse!  (I’ll post pics of the finished project later).

Another project I was diligently working on while recovering was my “project quilt”. Which is a quilt I’m making with squares from all my scraps that are left over from my projects.  I’m about 3/4 of the way done with the top of the quilt.  I think I’m going to put a flannel backing on so it’s SUPER duper cozy!  It has been really really fun getting out old fabrics and remembering what I made with them.  Most of them are from purses and aprons, but I’ve done some other fun things.  I even put the OLD fabric from inside the refurbished purse on there!   Jess (Brett’s sister) and I have been making hair flowers and head bands I’ll post some pictures when I actually finish one.  We had a really fun crafting night the other night with some of her friends.  Jess was on a roll finishing bags she promised her friends for their birthdays’ last year….I kept eyeing her fabrics hoping she’d have leftovers that I could craft with (she has good taste).

Tags: recovery week, triathlon training

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