Athletes at every level know that the basic tenant of increased performance is train hard and rest well. Our bodies only get stronger following periods of sustained training and then adaption during a rest phase (sorry to all coaches for this crass over-simplification). This formula is repeated over many weeks, months and years thus explaining why the world's best endurance athletes tend to be in their 30s. Clearly this doesn't account for the skills we require to perform at the highest level but skills have never been my forte so lets brush over them for the time being.
This is all very well but often the mind is simply not willing; this last week I had my first real experience of this. Following a tough block and a particularly rough week with some average performances I awoke on Monday morning and simply had no desire to train, unusual for me but I decided I had earned a rest day, all I was missing was a medium intensity swim, "I'll wake up tomorrow and nail it!", I thought. Around came Tuesday and the prospect of the pool was once again about as appealing as gastric flu. I went through the motions of breakfast and coffee and sat down to watch BBC AM news. Next thing I know I'm asleep and when I wake again the news is still on, shame it's the one o'clock news.
On Tuesday evening, after another day of not training I got some pretty crappy news which only made me feel less motivated, Wednesday followed with 35 minutes in the pool and a 35 minute run, hardly big mileage. Thursday was the same (only without the swim!) and on Friday, as I looked at myself in the gym mirror I saw that 4 days of heavy eating and light training equals man breasts and a muffin top, yet still I approached a swim I had loved every second of just seven days prior like a condemned man on his way to the gallows.
Thankfully help was at hand! On Friday I drove with Martin, an old partner in crime from my rowing days (and a pretty handy oarsman at his peak) to Keswick in the Lake District. What followed was 72 hours of big, unstructured training, and I loved every second of it. The sessions went as follows:
1. An 11 mile trail run around Derwent Water. Racing each other up the short, sharp climbs and a 500m "sprint" (I'm an Ironman, he's an ex-rower) finish to the car.
2. A 3:30 mountain bike ride in the snow. Big vertical gain, plenty of spills, even more mud and a barrage of colourful language at the slushy surface which seemed determined to make every incline, decline and flat an exercise in suicide. I felt so good after I went for a transition explore. Not so much a run as me scrambling up a hill behind the Youth Hostel for 30 minutes.
3. An epic run. We just ran. Our planned route was abandoned at 1300ft when it became clear Hellvelyn pass would have made the mountain biking look as safe as bubbled-wrapped polystyrene and so we just followed the trails for about 3 hours. Occasionally stopping to look at the map or admire the view we eventually made it back to the car tired but oh so happy, very much looking forward to our well earned Sunday lunch.
My iPhone died so I can only apologise for the lack of photos but suffice to say I am looking forward to my last strength block with an eagerness I would not have thought possible just four days ago. It is often said "the mind is willing but the body is weak" but this is not always true. Sometimes it's your head which needs the break and a phrase which has always made sense to me is "a change is as good as a rest". Damn right it is, I shall be entering March with an all too appropriate spring in my step.
Autumn Race Highlights 2.0 - 12 December
3 years ago
