Make the hard days hard, and the easy days easy! I'm still trying to learn this lesson. Your body does not get any stronger from working out, but rather from the recovery after working out. If you don't allow for this recovery, not just are you missing out on the benefits of the hard session, it may actually be counterproductive as your body will break down as opposed to building up. It's the primary reason that Lance and all his buddies use drugs, so that they can recover quicker.
Like I say I'm still working on this. I have a tendency to try to hurry things up by putting 2 or 3 tough sessions together on successive days. You can get away with it to some degree by cross-training but cycling and running are too related to be able to string them together too often. Today was an easy day but it was sorely needed. The previous 3 days were hard bike, long run and long bike. Recall also that my Tuesday hard bike was only 48 hours after an even tougher ride. I think I was fortunate that on Wednesday I had to stop my run at 19 kms because of a cramp in my calf. That probably saved me from an even bigger mistake.
So it was a swim only day and even that I did at a leisurely pace. I swam 2500 metres in 52 minutes which although it's a bit slow even for me I'm totally good with. It's nice to know at this point that I'm practically ready for the swim and I won't put a lot more effort into it beyond stretching out one longer session each week, building up top the 4000 metre mark.
Tomorrow is the last official workout of my indoor bike program which also gives me reason to take a few more easy days in preparation for my final test ride next Tuesday. Then it's hammer time again with a brief interruption for a little triathlon in Woodstock next weekend. I'm really looking forward to that event as Old John, young Samantha and I think even Grampa Kyle will be joining me. Should be a hoot!
"We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid."---Ben Franklin
Love
Peter
Like I say I'm still working on this. I have a tendency to try to hurry things up by putting 2 or 3 tough sessions together on successive days. You can get away with it to some degree by cross-training but cycling and running are too related to be able to string them together too often. Today was an easy day but it was sorely needed. The previous 3 days were hard bike, long run and long bike. Recall also that my Tuesday hard bike was only 48 hours after an even tougher ride. I think I was fortunate that on Wednesday I had to stop my run at 19 kms because of a cramp in my calf. That probably saved me from an even bigger mistake.
So it was a swim only day and even that I did at a leisurely pace. I swam 2500 metres in 52 minutes which although it's a bit slow even for me I'm totally good with. It's nice to know at this point that I'm practically ready for the swim and I won't put a lot more effort into it beyond stretching out one longer session each week, building up top the 4000 metre mark.
Tomorrow is the last official workout of my indoor bike program which also gives me reason to take a few more easy days in preparation for my final test ride next Tuesday. Then it's hammer time again with a brief interruption for a little triathlon in Woodstock next weekend. I'm really looking forward to that event as Old John, young Samantha and I think even Grampa Kyle will be joining me. Should be a hoot!
"We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid."---Ben Franklin
Love
Peter
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