Updates

After nearly two weeks with virtually no riding, I was back on the bike this weekend. Saturday was an easier paced 3hrs of climbing - Munns Rd, Finlayson Arm, Malahat and a return past Goldstream through Langford; followed on Sunday by a longer, faster ride, about 3:45, along the same route but including the Shawnigan Lk loop. The legs felt strong, as did the entire aerobic system. I avoided any group riding to ensure that I was riding mostly under my threshold, albeit with a few harder efforts on Sunday.

For my time off, there were two days of no training at all (Tues, Wed, two weeks ago, after the Kelowna race) followed on Thursday by a day of very easy jogging on the treadmill for 20mins with some light weights and core strength exercises. Friday was another day of no training. Saturday I went for a gentle 45 min run, followed on Sunday by another easy run around Elk/Beaver lake. I ran up to about 9km and walked the last km, as there was no need to push through the tightness building in my quads.

It is my experience that this sort of cross training is a legitimate form of rest. Intuitively it may not seem that running in this way is a rest from cycling, but it is my view that because a different neuro-muscular system (the running system) is engaged, the body is forced to recover in a way that speeds the recovery process from a sustained period of training another neuro-muscular system (the cycling system). This works for me, I believe, largely because my body is very accustomed to switching back and forth between running and cycling, and for a cyclist who has not done much running in the past, it may not be as useful to use running as a form of recovery. For me, this kind of short term cross-training is better than doing nothing for two weeks, although some might argue otherwise.

In any event, through this period, I had also made a more regular regimen of push-ups and sit ups - everyday, rather than once every two or three days. I’d like to maintain good solid core strength exercises through September, and throw in some extra weight training sessions too. I’ve realized that, while I’ve been reasonably consistent with core exercises, I’ve neglected some lower back exercises that I think will improve my out-of-saddle power just a bid.

Last Tuesday I decided to try a short tempo run to open up my aerobic system. I knew that my legs would not last long, but the idea was to get the lungs working hard without riding the bike. So, with almost 20minutes of running at my anaerobic threshold, my legs locked up coming down the far side of King George Terrace. The quads would take me no further and I walked for nearly an hour to get home.

Fortunately the next day the soreness was nearly gone, and I went for an easy spin on the bike for an hour. On Thursday I did some weights and core work, and on Friday I did no training, followed by my two longer rides this weekend, which begins the resumption of regular training on the bike.

Today, as a transition day between two jobs - having resigned from my paralegal position with the Legal Services Branch on Friday, to begin my position as an adjudicator with the Office of the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles tomorrow - I threw in an easy 1hr20mins of spinning on a considerably cooler day than the last several.

I’m not sure if I’m up for the Sidney TT tomorrow - may opt for some hill intervals instead - will see how I feel come tomorrow.

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