Limping To A Rest Day.
There's basically two approaches:
The first is to rest when you're tired.
The second is to push harder when you're tired, until you're completely exhausted.
The first way appeals to me, because it's so much easier to find excuses to quit when everything isn't 100%. The longer you follow this thought process, the less often you're at 100%, so you can quit pretty much all of the time. That means more naps, and I like me some naps.
The second is less fun. Gutting through a workout with dead, sore legs and a heart rate brushing your max is not a lot of fun. You don't hit any incredible numbers, and any post-workout endorphin rush is blunted by the persistent ache and fatigue. On the upside, properly applied strain makes you stronger. As long as you don't grind yourself down to a nub, and make an effort to recover properly, the body adapts.
The last couple days have been a grind. I peaked during a long workout this weekend, really pushing all 135 of my watts to the max. I pushed longer and harder than I had in a while, knowing full well that I would pay for it. Some days you just have to throw caution to the wind.
The next two workouts were brutal slogs. I struggled to make my time and power goals, drenching the floor under the trainer with sweat and leaving my legs barely able to climb stairs afterwards. Because of my work schedule, I delayed my rest day, making a bad situation worse. I was dragging at the end, but I finished it off.
Now I need to put my legs up and see if they recover. If they do, I'll start overdoing it all over again.
The first is to rest when you're tired.
The second is to push harder when you're tired, until you're completely exhausted.
The first way appeals to me, because it's so much easier to find excuses to quit when everything isn't 100%. The longer you follow this thought process, the less often you're at 100%, so you can quit pretty much all of the time. That means more naps, and I like me some naps.
The second is less fun. Gutting through a workout with dead, sore legs and a heart rate brushing your max is not a lot of fun. You don't hit any incredible numbers, and any post-workout endorphin rush is blunted by the persistent ache and fatigue. On the upside, properly applied strain makes you stronger. As long as you don't grind yourself down to a nub, and make an effort to recover properly, the body adapts.
The last couple days have been a grind. I peaked during a long workout this weekend, really pushing all 135 of my watts to the max. I pushed longer and harder than I had in a while, knowing full well that I would pay for it. Some days you just have to throw caution to the wind.
The next two workouts were brutal slogs. I struggled to make my time and power goals, drenching the floor under the trainer with sweat and leaving my legs barely able to climb stairs afterwards. Because of my work schedule, I delayed my rest day, making a bad situation worse. I was dragging at the end, but I finished it off.
Now I need to put my legs up and see if they recover. If they do, I'll start overdoing it all over again.
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