Where To Go From Here

I planned to write a Timberman race report two weeks ago but I haven't gotten around to it. My lack of motivation to do so has a direct connection to how I'm feeling about the sport right now. I have no real desire to swim or bike and my motivation for running is only driven by a previous commitment to the DC Ragnar Relay next week. I've got three legs in two days for a total of 20 miles. And it will be a slow go since I still can't kick the tendonitis in my Achilles heels.

Perhaps there is such a thing as post-race depression. My disappointing showing at Timberman begged the question, why do I crumble at the half-Ironman distance? I figure I had unreasonable expectations to begin with. If I want to be a competitive age grouper maybe I need to do more training. But with my training volumes typically in the 8-10 hours range I don't see how I could fit more in.

Time is not the only issue right now. I have come to accept the life of a triathlete means I will ache from something; a knee, ankle, shoulder, back, groin, hip, calf, arch, or some combination of them. I can't remember the last time I wasn't in pain. My mind has finally caught up with my body and said, "Enough! Let's take a break."

I'm going to take a few months off to heal and rethink what I want from the sport and what I can actually achieve given my constraints. I may need the services of a coach to maximize my limited time. And then I may just keep to the shorter race distances for a while.