Ironman Recovery

Recovering from an Ironman is never easy.  It's especially hard when you went through the things I did over the past week.  I am not surprised as to how I'm feeling, considering what I put my body through while fighting a sinus infection.  That was one reason I actually tried to "take it easy" over the course of the day.  I didn't want to feel worse than I presently do.  The Ironman recovery cycle is pretty typical, having gone through it now fifteen times.  The first few days can actually be somewhat of a high, as the endorphins remain high.  But, the endorphins drop, and this tends to coincide with the maximal damage done to the body.  This experience is no different.  Yesterday was not a good day.  My allergies continued to bother me, which meant a lot of mucus production.  The soles of my feet have blisters, which is not that bad, except for the pain when walking.  My muscles weren't particularly sore, but they are tired, a fact borne out when my low back went into spasm while putting air in the tires of my wife's car.  Dealing with back spasms is one thing, but dealing with them while the rest of your body is relatively weak and you feel somewhat miserable, is no fun.

I'm not complaining.  Far from it!  I did this to myself and I take responsibility for my actions.  I expect no one to feel sorry for me, nor do I want much in the way of help or assistance.  In fact, I'll tend to while awhile in suffering and self-pity until I'm feeling a little better.  The self-pity comment was a joke, by the way!

I got a pretty good night's sleep last night, which is a good sign.  Sleep is critical to recovery, and initially, can be very problematic.  I'm feeling a bit better today, and will have to see how the next few days play out.  The hardest thing to do is to truly take care of myself.  We push and push and push and can forget to do the basics.  Healthy eating, hydration, rest, and some gentle recovery movement. That's important, though my feet are making it a bit challenging!

One of the hardest places to be during the Ironman recovery is in ones head.  It can get pretty dark, and combining the physical feelings with being a physician, I often start thinking that I'm getting a terminal illness.  Somewhat fortunately, my sinus infection has come to the rescue this time!  I know that feels miserable, but I also know that it's self limited!  Funny how the universe conspires to take care of us.  I'll maintain my recovery process over the week, and take care of myself.  Next week is the beginning of a whole new chapter in my life!