So I talked about the ups and downs of cycling, and now a post about the ups and downs of training.
We all wish we could blast through our workouts with 1000% energy and feel great afterwards, every time. But the reality is that our bodies can’t sustain that kind of effort over time. In short bursts we can go all out and do great; but over time our bodies slowly wear down and need extra time to recharge. This is both physically and mentally.
This last week has been a weird series of ups and downs. A combination of stiff muscles, not enough sleep, and hard training days in weeks prior have left me drained for this week. But instead of dwelling on the negative, I take it in stride. This has happened before and I know that if i back off this week, I won’t lose fitness and next week will be better.
My coach has already recommended that every 4 weeks or so, you reduce training by about 20-30% so as to recharge and let the body heal. It’s probably time for that right now.
It also applies to winter recharging and the off season. Your body remembers how much fitness it had when you entered the off season, and getting back only takes a few weeks of easy training to get the muscles primed for harder efforts.
So I glide through this week, knowing that my energy level isn’t as high as it could be, and patiently wait for next week.