Half-Ironman/Ironman Recovery

You have earned a couple days at least!  Enjoy them...  In fact you NEED them in most cases.

I like to take 2-3 days completely off for sure after an HIM then ease back into it.  Just do what sounds like fun.  Usually it's an unstructured ride or run.

After my IM, I was too sore to barely move for the next 2 days much less do any training.  I think I took one week completely off, then got back into it lightly at first after that.  Again, nothing to intense or structured.

Of course, it is individual.  But here's what I did: after a HIM last spring (for which I was, alas overtrained), I took a full week off.  I needed it physically and mentally.  After an IM (for which I was trained about as well as I could have hoped for) I took several days off and then began unstructured, strictly zone 1, workouts for several days.  2 weeks later, I am beginning to do some harder efforts, but no way am I completely recovered yet, and it is still mostly zone 1 stuff.

I'm taking 2 complete weeks off. No questions, no remorse. I've been training since last Winter and just need 14 day for me! I was at Lake Geneva as well doing the 1/2 IM for my season closer. Pretty balsy course, especially on the run! I walked like a gimp for a few days afterward.

HIM = 1 week mostly off, no real training, some recovery junk all short no intensity (30 min swim, 30 min bike, 30 min walk).
IM= 2 weeks off 2 weeks very very lite, slow build starting on week 5. 

That is my general strategy.  There is usualy something around the house that needs doing during recovery.  If you have nothing to do ask your spouse for suggestions 8). 

Do you have any more races this season?

If not you may want to take an off season now and then start training again in a few weeks.

Most triathletes don't take an off season where they don't s/b/r for awhile. I did IM 3 weeks ago and haven't done any s/b/r yet and won't for another week.  I will lose fitness but it will come back. It is allowing me to fully recover and get a break mentally and physically from training. Once I start training again I will do it on what I feel like basis for another month. I will race cyclocross most weekends, some training races, and work on my cross skills.

When I get back to training with a plan I will be refreshed and ready to train again.