This Horse Needs a Race

I've been racing since age 12, and I have always struggled with the off-season. I feel directionless and the phrase "at loose ends" seems about right.

Maintaining my balance has always required a certain amount of physical activity. I am never more content than in the build and peak phases of any training cycle. I sleep like a baby, eat like pig, chill like a yogi, and poop like a rock star. Of course I do just the bare minimum cleaning, laundry and cooking to keep us functional, and happily make lists of all the important "big" jobs I will do once my season has wrapped up.

When all my leisure time outside of work is consumed by training I fantasize how easily all those projects will get done during my off-season. But once this time without a race on the horizon arrives, I am lost. My ADD goes off the rails.

"What should I do? Let's look at the list. Why did I think that cleaning the garage was important? Hmm, maybe I'll watch some videos on how to grind the rust off my jeep. What's this Triathlon Taren, just 1 of these. . ." And I've wasted hours and done nothing useful.

Once I read that if you want something done, ask a busy woman to do it. It certainly seems counter-intuitive but, legit, give it a try. I am more likely to get shit done when time is tight and I am forced to be very deliberate with my time, and efficient with my energy. When I have all the time in the world, I spend too much of it trying to decide what to do with it. The urgency of race season takes the indecision out of the equation.

Over the spring and summer as I was training for my first full Ironman, I taught school until June, graduated my son, planned and threw his party, completed my course to become a certified personal trainer, studied for and passed my test, and taught and lived at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp for 2 weeks. I didn't make any significant home improvements, but I did maintain our home and yard, and kept us fed.

Now I am in the second week off following the last race on my calendar this year, and I've got projects, but I am finding it a challenge to complete anything or stay focused. I've wandered away from this post numerous times. This lady needs to sign up for a Turkey Trot, and even if it is light training, I'm building myself a plan, tonight! I've got to be working toward a goal.