The Vegan vs. The Castrated Sailor
They (the rain drops) tried to stop me. They couldn't! Why? 'Cause me and my bitch (weather.com) are too fast, too quick, and too sharp.
At lunch time there wasn't a cloud in the sky, bright sunshine and I was super geeked to get back on the road bike. But, being that my office building has no windows, I had no idea it was storming outside at quitting time. F!
So I drove home more than a little pissed and decided just to hit the trainer. But first I checked out weather.com. Good news, according to the radar this was just a small storm and should be gone soon. Sweet!
You would think that I could see the signs to rest. Last Saturday I spent 11 hours in the saddle racing for 100 miles in the mud. I then drive 4.5 hours home in the middle of the night and get little sleep. Sunday I eat pizza, drink beer, and watch cycling and baseball on tv (hey I'm not riding so I'm resting and recovering right?) Monday I do "active recovery" by doing yard work. Tuesday I have a sore throat and chills so no ride. Wednesday I 'm not feeling too bad so I do an hour on the trainer and feel pretty good.
So tonight despite the Cycling gods giving me a huge, blinking red light sign to rest in the form of a random thunderstorm, I go for a 2 hour ride covering 35 miles and hitting some steep climbs. I'm an idiot.
Once I learned to ignore the protests from the pimple/saddle sore in my ass-pit the ride wasn't too bad. I alternated between feeling great and my version of "The Cannibal"- Eddie Merckx (which I call "The Vegan") and suffering like a castrated sailor in a Chinese brothel on all but the easiest climbs.
Like I said the ride wasn't great, but it wasn't completely bad either I mean I was outside riding for 2 hours riding my bike and that's pretty damn sweet, but damn I MUST LEARN HOW TO RECOVER AND REST!!!
I've read the books and magazines about resting. I know what I SHOULD do, but I'm alway so damn affraid of gaining weight or losing fitness I won't let myself go too long without putting in some workouts. In the long run I'm most likey doing more harm than good. Plus many of those recomendations are for pros and riders that are working out 6 - 7 days a week. I need some rest/recovery help for a mid packer like me.
I need to figure out how to do some rest recovery that doesn't make me feel like a lazy thigh rubbing fatso. Anyone got any Ideas for some recovery week workouts or routines?? I'm all ears.
Finally, on the way home I drive past an ice cream stand and there are these two hot girls eating ice cream by the road. As I roll by I look and I see them look back at me, so I'm feeling all Joey Lawrence cool. Then I quickly realize I'm a 34 year old married man with a two year old son, driving a car/van that looks like a black bread truck with a baby seat in the back, a bike on top. I'm sporting a cycling cap, a jersey with dalmation spots on it, and have several mis-blown snot rockets on my sleeves. Yeah, they were looking at me alright. Jesus, I'm an idiot.
I gotta get some rest.
Later.
posted by Jason @ 10:41 PM
6 comments
6 Comments:
I always hate taking a week off of the bike. The key I've found to recovery on the road is to find a loop that's flat - or at least relatively flat. I get out with plans on being out for 30 - 90 minutes and never get out of my small ring. It's a Jekyll and Hyde thing though - you've got to keep "The Vegan" in check and keep from taking off. I know that's the hardest part for me. 15 - 20 minutes in I start feeling great and want to kick the pace up... when I do, 5 minutes later I'm sufferring.
Another thing that seems to help me on bigger distance races/rides is to get out the next day and do a spin. Normally on the short side, and definitely something stupid easy. I'm there's some actual science behind the active recovery, but I like to think it's just me telling my legs I haven't forsaken them - completely :-)
Thanks Travis. I do the same thing. I have big plans to just ride the local flat Rail Trail by my house. I get there and say NO WAY and hit the road or look for side trails and end of ephing my plan hard.
The Vegan is strong! He must be stopped!
the wk after a hard enduro, i end-up doing the same thing as the week leading-up. sleep lots, eat lots and ride for 25-30% less duration than normal, limited hard efforts. but if the legs feel good on one of those days will throw-down a hard effort.
it' weird, after a hard race, the legs feel like poo when off the bike, but feel fine when pedaling. here's to pedaling!
No no... you've got the wrong idea. The Vegan must be used, not stopped. You keep him caged inside Jason until you get to the starting line, then let him out to rip the legs off everyone else on the line. Just make sure he doesn't rip yours off too!
Jeff, I had the same issue the first marathon this year. My back was killing me Saturday morning when I woke up, but once I got in the saddle I was fine. Guess it's that drink from the fruit that bit you thing...
I got ya, I was referring to the rest week Vegan. HE must be stopped. Other weeks it's full Vegan Balls out :)
Later
I found a good way to recover...instead of biking try doing sit-ups, push ups and stretching for days till you shake like a 90 year old arthritic patient!
This week has sucked weather wise - only got out on the whip once on Thursday.
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