The effects of the Tour de Cure 100-mile ride didn't hit me Monday. In fact, I went to the gym and performed my scheduled workout without issue. The ride hit me on Tuesday. My legs felt like lead and I knew it was in my best interest to take a recovery day. Foam rolling, gentle stretching, but NO hard training.
I decided to try again on Wednesday and went to the gym. I did my warm-up run, got halfway through my weights routine, and realized it just wasn't going to happen.
This feeling was very different from the "I don't want to" whining I've been doing lately. When I train, I like to call it "flipping the on switch." You start off not wanting to do it (the switch is in the "off" position). And then, after you begin the workout, you hit the moment when the "on" switch is flipped, and you're focused and driven, ready to push until the end. Some people call this getting into "the zone." I call it flipping the switch.
There was no switch to flip yesterday. Or rather, someone ripped the switch from the wall and there were dangly bits of ripped wires and shrapnel where the switch should have been. I actually WANTED to train. But I had no gas. I could not push myself. So, rather than risk injury, I bagged the workout and headed back to work.
Today I was able to do a little more, but I'm still taking it easy. My legs are sore to the touch. So I'm using this week as a recovery period, letting my body rest and get stronger, so I can return to my Ironman training next week. I rationalized this by telling myself, in true personal-trainer fashion, that it's better to be under-prepared than over-trained...or worse, injured. Plus, I'd rather rest and then hit it hard than hit it pathetically all week. This should also recharge my batteries in time for the Hudson Crossing sprint triathlon on Sunday.
Just a few weeks of hard training left after this!
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