Date: April 10 and 11Mileage: 19.1 and 38.5
April mileage: 286.6
Temperature: 44 and 38
It's a bit late to be blogging, but I feel like I need to unwind a little after a crazy "weekend" of Folk Fest. The Alaska Folk Festival happens once a year and the whole town shows up. Even a lot of people who don't live in this town show up. It's pretty much the only time of year that Juneau is visited by other Alaskans who have nothing to do with the Legislature or cruise ships. It's also the only time of year I "go out" every night for several nights in a row. Tonight was old-time Creole followed by Salsa and Fusion Celtic. I don't think I've danced like that since I was 17. Seriously. I was about to pass out and my friends still wanted to hit up the Rendezvous and The Alaskan afterward. Sometimes the endurance of people amazes me.
It's been a bad weekend for bike riding. The Folk Festing for all hours of the night doesn't help, but it goes beyond that. Geoff and I huddled beneath of canopy of rain-drenched trees this afternoon as I tried to talk him out of completing a planned 80-mile ride. Finally, I just announced, "Either way, I'm turning around. I feel like I'm on the burn-out track and I don't want to push it too far." That's the first time it hit me. I haven't given my off-season much time to actually be that. If anything, I was pushing even harder before the weather took a seasonal turn for the worse. I think I need to dial it back a bit. It will be hard, because there's not much else to do right now besides road cycling. But I think if I take the rest of April and spend more time hiking (i.e. snow/mud slogging), going to the gym (i.e. reading adventure nonfiction on an elliptical machine), and "fun" biking (i.e., beach and snow biking where and when the opportunities arise), then I'll be a happier person come summer. Once May begins, I hope to restart a fast-track endurance training program ahead of the 24 Hours of Light. I rode this race last year on a barely-healed knee injury and almost no training, and had a lot of fun. This year, I look forward to going hard. That is, if I don't burn out first.
It has to be said putting the hurt on yourself during a race and feeling it in the latter stages (due to minimum training)
ReplyDeleteis infinitely more satisfying than nannying yourself throughout because you have an injury that you may/may not make worse. The former is also making you fitter. Sometimes an intention of simply enjoying a race can lead naturally to a good result...given expectations may be relatively average (rather than ambitious). Every race does not have to be a big one. It may simply be a simulation for bigger things to come.
Stay healthy above all else. Since it is spring "down under" (south Pacific) I recently got sick thanks to going out on the town till 3am the night after a 3hr road race. It knocked me and I'm thinking it was not a smart move. 4hrs dancing amongst 100s of germ ridden students.
;p
oops Autumn...and change of season is seemingly when the weak get colds.
ReplyDeleteWahoo to hiking!! Look forward to reading about your adventures on foot!
ReplyDeleteAlthough, I just found out I don't owe taxes this year, broke even...and since I don't owe $1000 like I assumed I would, and I have been thinking about that bike...
It is hard to resist...I really need to save for moving to Alaska though.
Seriously. I was about to pass out and my friends still wanted to hit up the Rendezvous and The Alaskan afterward. Sometimes the endurance of people amazes me.
ReplyDeleteGuess you're just getting too old to keep up with the young pups! LOL.
I joke! They couldn't hold a candle to you in endurance.
The "relative rest" you are talking about is probably a good idea. It is wise to incorporate 1 week of rest ,or lower intensity work, into a program and 1 month of every three for the lower intensity. The idea is to not burn out but, to peak at the right time. A simple burnout test is to take your pulse every morning as soon as you wake up as part of your training. If it starts going up, especially accompanied by "bad" feelings and decreased performance, you are overtraining.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, you've got to get going on that novel.
TG http://tuesdaygrimpeur.blogspot.com/