Between-season? Pre-season? Ironman season? One sure thing: It's holiday season!

Ironman is 220 days away. Not that I'm counting. Seriously, I'm not, yet. I just put that in there because I couldn't think of a better way to start this post. :) But now that we're on the subject, 220 days seems like a long time, doesn't it? It also means that Ironman training is right around the corner. Starting December 1st, my coach has me swimming, biking, and running at least twice a week each. As well as doing strength training, yoga, etc. Right now, I'm doing about 7 hours a week of activity. This will increase to 10-12 hours in a week or so. Thanksgiving will be my last "non-training" week until July. All hail Thanksgiving!!

So I'm not quite sure where I am now--hence the title of this post. My anxiety about "taking November off" subsided on November 2nd and since then I have officially fallen in love with my gut-driven workout schedule. What my workouts this month have lacked in quantity has been more than made up for in quality. Way back in September, I outlined my plans for this between-season, so I wanted to reflect on how I've managed.

• hit the yoga mat, at least twice a week: thanks in no small part to my dear friend Jen at work who holds classes in the office once a week, this has been easy to do. Her classes, coupled with the great DVDs I have at home, have opened the joints and loosened the muscles a bit.
• start strength training again: I think I've found the cure to my intense aversion toward strength training. It's a class at my gym called "bootcamp" but it really should be called "get-over-your-big-bad-athlete-self-exercise-in-humility." Rather than weights, we use straps, our own body weight, steps and inclines, plyometrics, and anaerobic intervals to recruit the entire body. Not a single muscle is allowed to slack off.
• do the mental and psychological planning for Ironman: Yes! This is what this journal is all about. You all have played a large part in this, as have my books, articles, and online communities. I have connected with several other gals doing Coeur d'Alene and we have plans to train together.
• experiment with race and recovery nutrition: I never thought I'd say this: I love Gu. Gu is that otherwise-disgusting goopy stuff that athletes suck down in races. It's a 100-calorie injection of sugar and energy. That I can tolerate this stuff is good news for Ironman training and the race itself--according to Ironman veterans, I should be prepared for my digestive system to revolt against anything I have to chew.
• keep up my regular massages: Kathy, my massage therapist, probably has been enjoying this break from my hard-core training as much as I have. I still see her every two or three weeks, but rarely does she need to bring out the big guns to steamroll the lumps and knots in my muscles. Massage has been a life-saver for me--the reason I recover so quickly from 100-mile rides and half-marathons is because of Kathy's TLC. We have a pretty simple relationship: I break down my body, she puts it back together. And she does it without complaining about how difficult I make her job--at least out loud. :)
• enjoy not hitting it hard day in and day out: Check, check, and check.
• read relevant articles and books: My Ironman binder already is busting at the seams. If I'm not careful I will obsess. I imagine it's similar to preparing to have children--there are so many books full of what I'm sure is terrific advice on what to do, what not to do, potential problems that may arise, etc, that it's easy to get overwhelmed. To say nothing of the competing information naturally borne from this person and that person having different experiences and opinions on what works. I have found a few trusted sources and I stick with those. And then for final approval I run it all by the most trustworthy source I have: my body.
• read for pleasure: I have rediscovered the joys of reading for no reason other than I love it. Since the 2010 season ended, I have devoured the Millennium trilogy by Stieg Larsson (you've all heard of "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" and it's two sequels), "Open" by Andre Agassi, "101 Places Not to See Before You Die" by Catherine Price, and "As Good as Gold" by Kathryn Bertine. All of which I would highly recommend. I'm currently looking for the next great read--any suggestions?

And so now approaches the holiday season. I love everything about this time of year. The shopping, the family visits, the lights, the energy in the air, the time off work, the planned and impromptu get-togethers, the expressions of love. I hope your holiday season is off to a bright, warm start and continues to nurture you in ways you deserve. I'll be in touch throughout the season--I hope you do the same. And please send book recommendations!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.