Pink Kona
09-23-2005, 10:26 AM
So the race season has officially come to a close and my coach gave me the month of September off from the bike. He said I should only be riding for fun. Oh yeah - that's what originally got me into racing! I sort of vaguely remember what that's like! :)
Taking time "off" and being away from such intensity is proving much harder than I thought it would be. My first week off I still pedaled over 200 miles and felt guilty for not getting in the same amount of intensity. Since then it has slowly tappered off.... gone are the days of double workouts and long, above threshold rides and intense races. Hello to eating again and restoring balance into my life - if only for a short while. In the off season, it's really important to work on the muscles that aren't used during the seaon - imbalances can lead to injury. Which translates to working that weak upper body (my raisen puny arms!) and less focus on the legs. And gaining a few extra pounds is not a problem - especially considering the cold winter months ahead where any extra blubber is a novalty. :)
I ran into a fellow racer on the Burke-Gilman trail recently and we both admitted to the guilty pleasures of not racing as much. Being creatures of habit this off the bike nonsense was for the birds! But the advantages will come later - in a couple of months when I'm riding while it's drizzling on a cold 45 degree day I'll think to myself, oh how wonderful those off days were!!!
Cycling seems like such a collective experience. You build on memories, not only muscle but mental as well - and store them away. So when the time comes, and you need to pull from your reserve to tackle a big hill, sprint, or push to the finish line - it's there like a comforting old friend ready to be used to your advantage. I highly recommend keeping a journal or blog while training and racing so you can remind yourself when you need an extra boost of motivation what it felt like then and how far you've progressed.
Well - I have only one more week of "off" time. Training resumes in October. Until then I'll be in the climbing gym and cooking up a storm in the kitchen (since I have the time to!). I hope all is well in your neck of the woods!
Taking time "off" and being away from such intensity is proving much harder than I thought it would be. My first week off I still pedaled over 200 miles and felt guilty for not getting in the same amount of intensity. Since then it has slowly tappered off.... gone are the days of double workouts and long, above threshold rides and intense races. Hello to eating again and restoring balance into my life - if only for a short while. In the off season, it's really important to work on the muscles that aren't used during the seaon - imbalances can lead to injury. Which translates to working that weak upper body (my raisen puny arms!) and less focus on the legs. And gaining a few extra pounds is not a problem - especially considering the cold winter months ahead where any extra blubber is a novalty. :)
I ran into a fellow racer on the Burke-Gilman trail recently and we both admitted to the guilty pleasures of not racing as much. Being creatures of habit this off the bike nonsense was for the birds! But the advantages will come later - in a couple of months when I'm riding while it's drizzling on a cold 45 degree day I'll think to myself, oh how wonderful those off days were!!!
Cycling seems like such a collective experience. You build on memories, not only muscle but mental as well - and store them away. So when the time comes, and you need to pull from your reserve to tackle a big hill, sprint, or push to the finish line - it's there like a comforting old friend ready to be used to your advantage. I highly recommend keeping a journal or blog while training and racing so you can remind yourself when you need an extra boost of motivation what it felt like then and how far you've progressed.
Well - I have only one more week of "off" time. Training resumes in October. Until then I'll be in the climbing gym and cooking up a storm in the kitchen (since I have the time to!). I hope all is well in your neck of the woods!