Tuesday Shakeout: Shutting Down

When the offseason comes early

Having run out of new ways to say the same thing, it seems that it’s finally time to accept the inevitable. My 2024 racing season is over and the JFK 50 will have to take place without me. If last week felt like watching my fitness set on fire atop a burning pyre, this week felt like attending my own wake. 

They say acceptance is the final stage of the grieving process. After working through anger, denial, and bargaining, I’d just as soon skip depression and head straight toward a full-on embrace of the offseason. 

Let’s be honest, it’s not like I have much of a choice. You can’t fake a 50-mile race. Even if I was healthy, five weeks just isn’t enough time to prepare for that long of an outing. At some point, the decision making process needs to be ruled by logic rather than emotion. 

Which doesn’t mean I’ve fully come to terms with shutting things down for the year. Without getting too deep into the mental weeds, I’m working through a lot of internal stuff that will hopefully make more sense with the passage of time. Anyway, this is how last week looked from a (non)training standpoint.