Weeks 11 & 12 of Ironman training - vacation

Everyone needs a little time off from work and working out.  When I was growing up, about every other year, my parents would load all of us kids into the station wagon and drive to CO to one of the ski resorts.  So in the spirit of reliving my past, I loaded my parents up into their SUV and drove with them to Breckenridge, CO this past week for one last family ski vacation hooray!  Most of my family and their families made the trip and we had a great time together; I was even able to get in a few workouts.  Thanks to others that have trained for the Ironman race before me I was able to take their advice to just enjoy myself and family while on vacation and not get too concerned with not getting in all of my workouts (5 months to go so there's plenty of time to make it up).

The few workouts that I did get accomplished, both on the trip and right when I got home, made me feel a little more at ease with taking the vacation.  For the most part I didn't notice the thin air in CO during my runs or while skiing, where it really hit me was in the pool.  I could hardly swim 200 yards without feeling like I was going to drown.  Now that I'm back I'm refreshed and ready to attack the next 5 months of training!

I guess the message of this entry is that it's OK to take some time away from work and working out to spend with your family and show them your true appreciation for their support.  After all, what are you more likely to remember, the great day of skiing you had or that great 5 mile run you got in?  I'm not saying you need to abandon your workouts altogether while on vacation, but you could certainly dial them back to make sure you spend time appreciating those around you.  I do like to get a few workouts in while I'm away from home mostly to justify the food and drink over consumption that is bound to happen.