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OPINION
Be Realistic Ask the Impossible: I'm Not Down...
Tue, Mar 01, 2011 21:56
1
This week finds me listening to The Clash and trying to galvanise myself following another underwhelming and frustrating period of negotiating training obstacles...
Last weekend's flu continued well into the week, and was combined with a few brutal 16hr shifts at work that couldn't be passed over, leaving me totally exhausted by the time the weekend came around again to the extent that my turning 28 was marked by little other than a celebratory whiskey and an early bed (I did buy myself a Sufferfest vid as a present too though...) It seems that so-far the biggest part of my journey to the foot of the alps has been psychological as opposed to physical, as with the amount of rupture and setbacks I'm struggling to spur myself forward with any belief at the moment...
Not much to do if you're ill though, is there? I did my best to keep reading up on training plans and serviced my bike, so it now has a glittering clean drivetrain and new cables, and have had a couple of turbo sessions this week and can do little other than try to make the most of them until Saturday comes around again and I'll hopefully get back out onto the road again.
In the meantime I'm consciously trying to stop myself getting uptight and frustrated-it seems weeks are flying by to have the time to build up the core fitness I'll need to reel myself up and over some of the toughest slopes the Alps have to offer. I suppse I just need to continue to remind myself what my initial objectives were and how far I've come since I signed up, both figuratively and physically-I've definitely shaken myself out of the rut I was in, I'm in a new city and getting ahead with work, I have a definite purpose and drive to accomplish my aims, and even if my fitness hasn't had a chance to improve as much as I'd have liked, I'm still fitter than I was and am well on course for my minumum skinnying down target of 65kg...
It's just easier said than done when I've now not had a good long ride in over 2 weeks ;(
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1 comments
Don't worry. You're allowed a short hiatus now and again. I traded in my turbo for rollers and if you can find a 2nd handpair from Ebay they are so different to turbos they will reinvigorate your indoors training guaranteed. Two of my club mates have got them and they are so tricky to master and maintain balance on at first that the training hours fly by. Sweat loss from fear alone is substantial.
This is the time of year to avoid flu. Train at home if you haven't time to get out on the roads. You'll do some good with 50 sit ups and press ups 1st thing in the morning and last thing at night and 45 mins on the turbo than flogging down the gym. I know, I sound like a National Service PE Corporal, but it just works. Drop in a bit of core flexibility (Road.CC's own yoga films with the lovely Tony are useful here) and you'll find yourself feeling limber at Easter break and ready to put in the miles and hone your form for July.
Try to lay off The Clash. All that psuedo working class angst doesn't help. Rock the Casbah was their only decent track. I suggest The Who to improve your mood.