Some testing resting

Last week, as I explained in a previous blog, was my ‘easy’ recovery week. It still involved around 10 hours of training (compared to around 20 during hard weeks), but the intensity and distances were all dialled down a little. I usually find easy weeks frustrating but I really enjoyed last week – I got stuff done, and was feeling really fit and strong.

I also focused on the stretches and exercises that Dr Charles the chiropractor gave me – my back pain has definitely lessened, my posture is much better and I feel much more ‘balanced’ if that makes sense. Both a cause and result of my back issues has been massively reduced strength in the glutes (the muscles in my butt!) and a couple of my exercises are aimed at the glutes in particular. As these muscles play a key role in both riding and running, it also makes sense that working on them will lead to improvements in those disciplines, as well as helping to sure up my back problems. Therefore, last week I added some extra glute exercises to my programme and was feeling good and strong come the end of the week.

Bearing in mind that I was feeling good, I was rested and that the weekend’s rides were a mere 105k and 60k (compared to back-to-back 150k, 90k, 60k the week before) I expected to find the weekend’s rides a breeze. How wrong could I be? On Friday’s long ride with Dubai Roadsters, I struggled from start to finish. With 20k to go, I got dropped from the group and had to struggle in solo – and the road back is a long, hot, unforgiving one to ride alone.

I think there are a few reasons why I found it so tough. Firstly, those damn glute exercises! I’ve never noticed the battering that the glutes take on a ride before – it’s usually my quads and hamstrings that are screaming by the end of a long ride – but having overdone some of the exercises, I was really conscious of every pedal stroke.

Secondly, it was very, very, very hot and extremely windy from the get-go, which was both energy-sapping and exhausting. I think, with it being a shorter ride than I’ve done as my ‘long ride’ in a while, I prepared less well in terms of nutrition and hydration, expecting it to be easy.

To add distance to a ride (and therefore get up to the distances required by my Ironman programme), I usually ride to the meet-up point and take that first part nice and easy as a warm-up – not doing that this time, it was 36kph from the off and that put me on the back foot straight away.  Finally, it seems to be par for the course to feel a bit sluggish during a recovery week – the body is recovering and building, and it takes a bit of kickstarting to get it back into endurance mode.

I didn’t particularly enjoy Friday’s ride at all, but, in spite of that, I was really happy with it. The main reason for that was one word: attitude. I refused to let it get me down and tried to draw positives from it. Yes, I overdid the glute exercises but they obviously work and hit the right muscles – I just need to build up more slowly and do them before a rest day or easier session. Yes, the conditions were utterly unpleasant (40+C and 80%+ humidity) but this surely means that riding in the UK will be far easier. When I got dropped by the group, I found my own pace, put my head down and carried on. One by one, I started picking off others who’d been dropped further up – several of those had to load their bikes and aching bodies into the support cars that came out with us but I gritted my teeth and carried on…I’m certain that mental strength will serve me well at times during the long Ironman day.

I know I ride better after a warm up which, in IM terms, tells me my race plan (as advised by top coaches) to go out and take the first hour of the bike at a pretty leisurely pace (‘just ride – don’t think about pace, speed or time’) is in all likelihood the right one for me. And, finally, you only feel sluggish during a recovery week if your body and fitness levels are making gains. I’m on the right track, I feel, and ready to ramp up the mileage again this week.

After Friday’s tough ride, Saturday’s coffee run was meant to be a breeze – especially as I went out with the slightly easier recovery group. But the easy spin didn’t materialise as it was straight into a fierce headwind for half the way out, and a side wind that threatened to swipe us all from our bikes for the second half. No worries, I thought, it’ll be in our favour on the way back. And it was.

For the bike section of IM especially, six hours at the mercy of the elements and the geography of the hilly course, being strong mentally will be just as important as being physically capable. Hopefully last weekend will stand me in good stead.