- I hate down time.
- I hate tapering.
Even the day after a rest day I don't feel right. Its only the end of October and already I am thinking about my next race and how I am going to survive.
despite all of these feelings a solid, prolonged down time is an important part of your year. For me the end of sept. And if not all of Oct., for me, is gonin to be spent with no alarm clocks, lots of wings, football, weekend vacations and a few beers.
While letting the body fully recover from a long hard season is important, this break is also a mental break as well. Racing and training is a huge mental stress. Early mornings, rain, cold water, soar legs and the drive to push your self is as much a mental workout than some of us realize. Having a break from training which is long enough to make us start to really want to "train" again is, not only a good idea but in my mind, necessary for a long successful season. Catch up on work, go on vacation with your friends, and/or significant other. Give back to toughs people that drove 3 hr's to get up at 4:30 and stand around for 5+ hr's while you did your first 1/2 ironman. This is also the best time to reflect on your season and plan for the next. This planning session is normally where people go out for a big ride the next day getting excited again. And, if your that pumped up about, go for it. Beware of jumping in to quick. Stick to your plan. Often I will have a month or so of relatively unstructured training. Or, "relaxed training". Had a long run planed but its raining. Don't go. This extreme flexibility keeps me fresh and ready to push hard and be disciplined when I really need to.
GO pats!!
