Empty Nest, Life after Ironman, Next Ironman

While we were whooping it up and suffering on the race course  in Whistler, Riley launched herself.  Her original plan was to move in August to Santa Cruz and start at Cabrillo Community College in September with the intent to transfer to UC Santa Cruz.  After her last "scouting" trip to SC, departure of her best friend and becoming tired of making pizza at Round Table until midnight every night she escalated her timeline. Without a place to live, she let me know she was planning to leave the following Friday.  With a bit of me freaking out and insisting she have a place to live  planning she was resourceful and sublet ted a place for 2 months and decided to move up there with what she could fit in her car. And she decided to move while we were out of town....   The conversation went like this.  Mom " Riley we will be home in 3 days, can't you wait and we can do this together?"  Riley " Mom, I am packed, gave notice at work, my entire room is boxed and I am ready.  I'll be back to get the rest of my stuff in 2 months"  Mom " um ok"  meanwhile crying and thinking really, really she cannot wait??  Meanwhile Riley is packing her car.

But I get it now- she was ready and determined and I am so incredibly proud of her for her integrative and courage to do it.  So she is gone..... it's odd.  I miss her like crazy but did not cry for 2 weeks like I did when JD left.  I honestly think I am so incredibly happy for her and her next phase of life that it overrides my sadness.

And frankly....I really enjoy sleeping all night and not wondering where she is and when she will be home.  When my kids are under my roof I worry.

So our house is crazed with 3 dogs and is a circus most days peaceful and quite without the kids.  As for John and me. We are grand....no empty next issues there.

IRONMAN

So after that incredible feeling of "I did it" I qualified for Kona there is the $850 payment on demand and then the sinking feeling of OMG I have to do it all over again in less than 3 months.  Standing there with bloody toes, toenails that are glued on and quads that do not work really it is a bit overwhelming....

For me it was 6 days of NOTHING, as in NO training.  Not triathlete "no training" which  really means ez bikes and swims, it was zero working out.  And this was key for me, I think.  The day after Whistler I flew to Boulder for Training Peaks University so it was easy to take time off, being out of my normal routine.  6 days later I did an ez swim and 30 min run, the another swim and run and after 8 days and ez 2 hour spin and eased back into it.  The next 7 days were aerobic recovery. 30-45 min runs, 1 hour swim and 2 hour rides but zero intensity.

So by week 3 I was ready to get back at it with volume and intensity.although my idea of intensity and coaches are a bit different  I am feeling pretty good so feel like the recovery plan went well.

My Ironman hick up had to do with registration,  You pay on site at the awards and you get a letter saying you will receive an email within 2 weeks to link you ACTIVE.com to officially register.  Les got hers and mine was MIA   I waited and figured spam? checked spam and nothing. So I emailed qualifer@ironman.com as instructed and the email bounced. I figured I must have misspelled it- so I recheck and send- come right back, So I open a "ticket" at athleteservices@ironman.com.  2 days and nothing.  I open another ticket and then 4 more (ok I am totally panicking now)  I am NOT registered and it is 3+ weeks post race.  I reach out to Jen who works at Ironman and plead for help - this poor girl gets requests every day form her "friends" - I let her know she could put my previous request of Bugles on the run course on hold to help get me registered.  I was in the voicemail hamster wheel for 40 min trying to leave a message at athlete services and finally did ( and maybe left 4 messages)  Meanwhile Les reaches out to Andrew Messick ( yes the CEO) via Slowtwitch and another friend of hers all with the message " help me register!!!) please

Well...24 hours later I had 11 emails " click here of your registration to Ironman World Champoiships"  I am covered now... and don't pay attention to the 11 Julie Dunkle's currenly on the start list.

Shit now I have to race :)  

As for 70.3 Worlds on Mt Tremblant- I qualified and want(ed) to go. But with the expense of Kona, a week of travel to DC this week it just did not make sense 1- money has not started growing on my money trees 2- the time away is too much 3- its far away and I am just not thrilled.  So I'll do the Giro instead 105 miles of riding with over 10,000 ft of climbing including Palomar!  

I really want to get ot Mt Tremblant...but not this year,  Maybe 2015 Ironman? hard to say- but possibility

As for DC- 5 days done and I am en route back home.  Travel + Ironman training is hard, but I did manage to run every day and do 2 solid 90 min runs. Running through the monuments by the White House was just too much fun!  

Tomorrow..... 113 miles and over 10,000 feet of climbing + a little run- WELCOME back to reality!!!  Yeah baby....