T-34 weeks: "You're a stronger climber than you've ever been!"

Dear Papa, and dear Reader,

It's officially off-season for this triathlete over here! No training plan. No structured workouts. Just whatever I feel like doing for a few weeks.

The funny thing is that I can't quite let go. My recovery after the race was incredibly fast: My legs were back to basically normal after only 3 days, and I had to hold myself back not to push it too hard this first week after the race. A lot of it I actually attribute to my compression boots which I've used almost every day, but I also just feel super fit and well adjusted. Which is part of my internal restlessness: I don't want to lose the fitness that I've built up over all of these weeks and months! On the other side, I really should take a bit of a break. Training will be crazy next year. My body, as well adjusted as it is now, has no idea what's about to hit it.

Off-season also means I have to keep a promise: Play more golf with Jim. A few months ago, we joined a club. Jim loves golfing, and despite my journey of deep and authentic frustration with it, I seem to at least have enough talent to give it an honest shot. While the timing wasn't 100% right with training schedules both past and future, we felt like it would be a great opportunity for me to get a bit more serious about it, for Jim to be in his element on the course more often, and for both of us to meet more people in the area. He has been and continues to be so incredibly supportive of my triathlon journey that I owe him this effort at the very least. Because if I don't go golfing with him, he doesn't want to spend so much time away from me outside of work, so he ends up not going either... Can you believe how sweet this man is? I know you can, because I know how much you loved him as well. He is my everything.

This week, I chose a plan for my Ironman training for next year. I'd been shopping around for a while, and now I've found one that feels good. It's quite an ambitious one, and the training will likely be pretty tough, but I want this to be right and do as well as I possibly can in Hamburg. I can tell you more about it in upcoming blog posts.

I'm working with a platform called TrainingPeaks, and it essentially gives me all the data I need to know about my training and my fitness. This year, you can see the impact of what happened with you, Dad. I started my training in mid-December. Between your accident in early January and your passing in mid-March, I had almost no means or energy to train. The only bike rides I had during that time were between your house and the hospital in Hamburg. But boy, was I grateful to have a structured training plan after your funeral end of March. I threw myself into it with everything I had, so happy to have something to hold on to and remember you with. You can also see the little steep spikes (the races) and the slowing climb of the graph (the tapers). Interesting to look back on it now, to say the least. What a year this has been.

So, long story short: My goal is to give my body some well deserved rest, but not to fall all the way back down to where I built up from this year. I'm also having so much fun working out now! At the pool, I'm now doing 10 weeks of form practice, drills, and exercises to work on my technique. Biking will be so fun to do with Jim now, as we finally can just do whatever we feel like, which usually pushes me quite a bit harder than even my plan would allow - and Jim is all for it. He's a machine on the bike! On our ride this week, when we went the hilly route, I got a few cups on Strava, meaning I was one of the top 10 cyclists ever to climb those hills. Jim was super impressed, which says so much coming from him! "You are a stronger climber than you've ever been," he said, beaming with pride. It's so fun to have him so excited about my progress. And for running, well, I just take it easy and go whenever the weather invites me out, and I'll sign up for a few fun runs with the team as the year closes.

This week was 1:15 hours and 3700 yds / 3.4km of swimming, 2:45 hours and 16 miles / 26km of running, and 5 hours and 95 miles / 150km of cycling. This is a pretty solid recovery week, and I guess I should also add 2:30 hours of golfing, haha. I'm saying this because I only recently learned that you and Angela had picked up some golfing! I found your German golfing license in one of your wallets. What an interesting image, you on a golf course! You were always a tennis guy for me, but now that I think about it, I could see you growing into liking it. I also assume that, in many ways like me, it would frustrate the heck out of you! How fun would it have been to all go golfing together some day. Do they have golf courses up there? You have to let me know!

Tomorrow, we will be flying to Colorado Springs for a work engagement. You always loved the Rocky Mountains. Any mountains really, and any nature. I'll think of you when I go for a run out there.

Speaking of nature: One of my favorite memories is our epic hike up North Dome and back around the long way down in Yosemite National Park. What a magical day that was, and how much fun we had. You were always up for an adventure, no matter where we were. And remember how we saw a black bear mama with a cub in Sequoia National Park? I've never felt so much Adrenaline coursing through my body! I always think of that when I'm on a trail in the mountains now.

We've had so many adventures, Papa. The memories of and with you are around every corner! Take care up there, and don't forget to keep visiting me: In my workout, memories and dreams. I'm so grateful every time you show up in my life!

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