After-effects

After having finished the IM two weeks ago I still have to assimilate what happened. Here are some of the different moods and experiences felt during the last week:
1. Feeling great: Some days I am just happy. When I have time to think about life I smile. The IM was a great experience always to be cherished.
2. Unreality: Did it really happen? Did I do this? Unbelieveable - even for myself. It took my three years from a big(!) couch potato to an athlete.
3. Confidence: Now facing daily troubles again quite a lot of them seem to be really unimportant and only worth a short smile.
4. Humble Thankfulness: Even with the confidence, there is something else inherited now in myself. It is a deep thankfulness, that I was allowed to pass that challenge.

After all - what is next? I am not sure. Today I recieved an interesting email from my trainings-program (www.2peak.com):
"Negative effects while over-reducing the training 14 days after a competition:
* -21 to -75% loss of the ability to use fat for energy-provision during workouts
* - 20 to -39% loss of the ability to store glycose in the muscles
=> An endurance-athlete will need 10 years(!) to reach the full potential."

So I better start training again! :- )