If you read my Ironman 70.3 Oceanside race report, then you will recall that my legs did not feel particularly strong during the bike and run legs of that race.  It is now almost three weeks later, and I am still waiting for them to fully recover.

The amount of time that this recovery is taking, is very frustrating and also a little confusing.  I don’t feel like I went super deep into the well at Oceanside, so why is it taking so long for my legs to recover?  I have been gently rolling them, and using my Normatec recovery boots. This hasn’t seemed to help. My only explanation is that my age is catching up to me.

It is generally accepted that older athletes take longer to recover from hard sessions and races. I guess I did struggle with recovery after Ironman Chattanooga last fall. I had assumed that was because it was a full Ironman race, where I had pushed hard through a lot of cramping. Given how I feel after Oceanside however, maybe this is the new normal for me after races.

Sleep is the best method of letting the body heal itself, so I am planning on early nights until I feel better. I don’t want to be still waiting to fully recover when next Monday rolls around.  That is when my next big block of training starts and I want to get after it.  My next race is in just over four week’s time.