T-25 weeks: "Last full off-season week in DC"

Dear Papa, and dear Reader,

This was the last full off-season week in DC! Only 2 weeks left until I start feet first into my Ironman training plan, and 1.5 of those weeks will be in Germany, on your old stomping grounds! We're leaving here on Thursday evening, and the day I return here will be day 1 of hyper-focused full Ironman training. Wow! That is wild, time flies!

Not much to report on this week, but it was a solid week with about 8 hours of training. I did two swims (5,000 yds / 4.550m in 1:30h), two bike rides (60 miles / 95km in 3:00h), two runs (20 miles / 32km in 3:15h) and a very short strength session of 15 mins - AND one round of golf (9 holes), which was essentially a 2h walk. I did two long runs (10 miles each) instead of mixing it up, as I hadn't done my long run last week and had to catch up. Originally I had planned to go to the pool at least 4 times and get a ton of swimming in, but then... I skinned my left leg!

On my first run on Tuesday, about 6.5 miles in, I tripped and fell! I looked up immediately to see if anyone had seen me, and luckily no one had - I must've looked pretty dumb. It didn't hurt too badly though, all the joints were okay, and only the leggings were ripped up a bit, so I decided to get up right away and fall back into my trot so that my body would just suck it up and keep going. When I got home though and took my leggings of, I saw that I had skinned my knee and my left shin EXACTLY in the place that still has some light scarring from my injury during the Lula Lake 10k Trail Race in Chattanooga last year. Well, at least no new scars, haha. It wasn't all that bad, but the wounds were open for a few days, and so the swims I had planned so eagerly didn't end up happening. Not sure I will get to my desired 15% swimming / 48% biking / 37% running balance of total off-season workouts before Christmas, but I will try. Germany has pools, too.

The swimming that I was able to do was great though. Katy is back from Mexico and could join me for one of the workouts. I am still finishing up a swim form class that I'm taking online with workouts to correct posture, catch, balance, etc., and I feel like it has been helping some. I've been missing running with Rachael and Katy - both of them are dealing with foot injuries, and although I'm very grateful I don't have any such injuries, I miss the added accountability and fun factor of running with those guys a lot. Can't wait to at least have Rachael back on her feet by the time I get back from Germany.

Next week will be exhausting. We will be flying into Germany on Friday around noon, and Saturday and Sunday we will be traveling to the Dutch border to see Opa. It is quite the intense travel schedule, but I think Opa feels lonely since you've been gone. You did the 4h drive to go visit him so often despite it being tough to get to him, and he doesn't get a ton of visitors now. But this weekend, it will be Jim, my brother Tim, his daughter Isa, my uncle Rainer, his wife Yani, and their son Leno. Wow! He is already nervous and excited about that, and I'm glad we're able to go see him.

I also can't wait to go visit you and see your tree! It has been 5 months now since I've been there last, and back then, it was summer and warm. Now it will be freezing cold. I hope you keep warm there. One of the things you used to say was: "Jacke ist Luxus - jacket is luxury," as in, no one needs a jacket, don't be a chicken! Typically you. It's something I think of everytime it gets cold, and even my friend Kara learned how to say it - in German (!). She told me when you passed that she will always remember that! See how you live on in even the lives of people you've never met!?

I also had a conversation with a young friend from California who recently lost his twin brother in a tragic helicopter accident. He too wants to now do his first full Ironman in his memory, and he will attempt to do IM California next year! He had seen that I'm doing my Ironman for Papa and reached out to see what he could learn from what I've been doing. It's wonderful to be able to pass things on. Endurance training is such a fantastic catalyst for processing grief. I'm not sure where I would be with things without it. And I'm so glad I get to remember you like this every day I put my running shoes on, pump up my tires, or pack my pool bag!

My favorite picture of the week is one of you and Mama when you first started dating. You are both babies, wow - so young, in your late teens, and so in love. It's such a great shot, and I kept looking at it throughout the year. If anyone sees this, no one will wonder where all of us kids got our curly hair from. How could we NOT be curly? I also love your smile in this picture. You look so relaxed and happy. I hope you are wearing that same smile right now.

That's it for this week, Papa! Next time I write, I will be writing from your house! I will be looking out of the window you liked to sit at with your morning coffee and watch what was happening out on the street. It will be good to be back there. Like last time, I will feel you around every corner there. You will always be there, and I'm so grateful we are able to keep the house and your memory intact there!

I love you and miss you! I can't wait to do the last two off-season weeks before the start of the hard training on your trails, in your pool, and on your roads! It seems fitting.

With a big hug and all of my love,

Kathrin

P.S. Dear Reader, if you have comments, questions, memories, or thoughts to share, please leave a comment (and leave your name in the comment so I know who it's from). I would love to hear from you!

Go to the full list of blog posts or read more about the project Ironman for Papa