When it hits, it really hits. Yesterday was the 5th day after the Ironman World Championship in St. George. The immediate post-race euphoria waned, and some typical life contemplation and reflection led to a serious emotional nadir. The irony is that I've recovered physically from this Ironman faster and better than any other that I've done. Hopefully, the emotional nadir, which I believe is hormonally induced, will pass quickly.
It's not to be lost that one of the things that my wife doesn't like about Ironman are the emotional ups and downs. The post-ironman nadir is the worst. I was hoping that it wouldn't hit me, but it did. Oftentimes, it's associated with physical feelings that make me wonder if I've developed an incurable and terminal illness (the vagaries of the post-ironman nadir and being a physician).
I woke up today feeling better, but it's probably too early to tell. I'll have to see how the day goes. My weight is also down to less than pre-ironman levels, which isn't necessarily bad, as I've been maintaining a healthy diet and avoiding the usual post-ironman non-stop buffet! I'm not sure what my true ideal weight is, although I certainly don't want to find myself skimping on necessary calories and nutrients as my body recovers from one of the most stressful things I can push on it. Nevertheless, empty calories never help, especially someone like me, where any extra sugar is immediately turned into fat, fueling other hormonal changes as well.
As a physician, I do love the physiological intrigue of the post-ironman nadir, and I'm sure that I can find previous blogs from my other fifteen Ironman's that correspond to this feeling and experience. That's for another day. Today, I'll just try to finally begin my real recovery from the most recent Ironman, and do my best to take note of the post-ironman nadir.
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