Joy in Life Without Ironman

So I started this morning paralysed by indecision - to do a running race? Or go for a swim? I need to maintain and improve  my running in 3 weeks for the Whinlatter Extreme. I also need to actually get going on regular swimming before Slateman in around 10 weeks. It was too late to do one and then the other (in any sensible order). With the run race at 11, I shouldn't have still been in my Jammies at 9.30 to do both. For a while it looked like I wasn't going to do either, such was my drive to become a part of the fell running crowd but my intense enthusiasm (finally) for the idea of taking a swim.

I suddenly realised that I am really lucky to be a multi sport athlete. Most people only get to decide whether to train or not. I get a choice of what to train at.

I decided to go with my gut, scratch the fell race and get myself swimming again. My biggest fear was finding out that in the 2.5 weeks I have been out of the pool, I would find that I have gone backward. I mitigated this with the sound reasoning that at least I would have got that first swim out of the way (again).

The new swim venue was perfect again. Temperature and space all good. I chewed through 26 lengths, feeling knackered but ready to tackle 20 more to make a mile. I knew I had slowed down but before I knew it the last 2 laps were done and I hardly knew what to do with myself. I am still not fully weaned off ironman training and keep wondering what to do with the left-over time.

Showered and back at the house I do bike cleaning and gardening. EmVee has been rusting in a muddy layer in the kitchen all week. The garden is disappearing beneath weeds. Leaving ironman behind has given me so much life back and being poorly last year has reminded me to use every second wisely. My job has taught me to appreciate the simple pleasures of being at home so I took joy from working alongside Andrew in the garden. He built things and after I had cleaned my bike I tore down last year's waste and planted out stuff - including putting the wedding rose in its forever place.  It would be sad if (when) we move but without being liberated I feel it may wither and die. It's probably true of marriage as well as roses.

I can't do anything by halves though and I worked on the garden until it got dark.

I then cleared up with a head torch on. It was exhausting but I went to bed ready for sleeping and looking forward to enjoying the view from the kitchen window in the morning.