A LITTLE REST

2 weeks ago I had a typical training week...including a quality interval session up Nakiska, a time trial up Ha Ling (2 min off my pb in 39:00) and a couple nice real long hikes (longest was a 6 hour jaunt up 3 Sis' Pass). On the Monday I was baked, so I did an easy spin on the bike. Tues I was still real tired and really had to push through my interval workout. I finished it and was really glad I did, but I knew a whole lot of punch was missing. The next day I did an easy 2 hour run, but it was here that I decided to take some days off.....4 to be exact.

I realized that since my 1/2 ironman in early Aug, I'd never had much of a training break. Each week I take Sundays off, and there were a few weeks when I was either busy or distracted with a project and took another day or so off, but really no rest planned in the schedule for the last 3 months.

I could tell that mentally and physically I needed a break. My motivation to do my 3x per week strength workouts was gone. So to was the pop in my legs. It's like Ironman training when you kind of get used to that "always tired" state of being.

So this week after 4 days of rest I'm good to go! I put more weight than I ever have on the squat bar. Did a new interval protocol workout at the Nordic Centre and generally feel great!

Here in Canmore we've seen a few athletes develop what Deb and I refer to as "Canmore disease". It's when overly gung ho xc athletes come to train full time either on the Nat'l team or just below it and train themselves into a hole. Some never climbed out and retired. Others went for months or even a couple of years before they felt energetic at all. It's a kind of chronic fatigue. So after witnessing this in several athletes I know it's critical to not let that training hole become a black hole from which there is no return!