More Recovery

Since this recovery/offseason thing continues to eat away at my well being (not seriously, I’m just bored), I’m going to write up another post complaining about it.

First, I’m running on a much lower endorphin count which can’t be good for anyone. I was so accustomed to my daily training-high but now I’m forced to make do without even a speck of brain/nerve rush or whatever they say endorphins do. Granted, I’m having plenty of fun slacking off and enjoy the company of good beer and good friends, but I’d still like a healthy balance of the two when possible.

The next problem has to do with the physical effects caused by my lack of exercise. As everyone knows, I have one of the biggest sweet tooths around and despite my greatest efforts, I’ll never be able to kick the vice. It’s just a burden I’ll have to live with for the rest of my life. Sad, I know. But the biggest dilemma here is that I can no longer inhale cookies with impunity. Before, cookies were a great (ahem, delicious) way to pack on the carbs after long training days. A few cups of sugar and butter from cookies didn’t really have any impact when I was burning off over 1500 calories per day. Fortunately, my post-IM goal was to add a little sugar/chocolate weight during recovery but I’m realizing more and more that I depend on endurance training to ensure my sweet tooth freedom.

Lastly, and worst of all, my right foot has a slight bump that doesn’t seem to want to go away. Don’t worry, it’s nothing serious – most likely some bruising/cyst from the footing knocking against my shoe the wrong way during the race. But even though it’s just a minor pain, this is the main reason I’m out of commission and unable to be as active as I’d like. While it’s not throbbing, it still hurts enough and is noticeable enough to keep me sidelined for another week or two, especially as I get ready to start my marathon training. Who knows, maybe it’s a good thing because I know that without it I’d most likely be hitting the pavement and that would probably cause further damage to my minor aches and pains. Either way, it’s frustrating and I look forward to the day when my feet and legs are back to normal.