Already? Yea, I know. Last Wednesday swim practice started off suffering as usual, then somewhere within the main set of 20×100 on 1:30 I got it going again. I think it was around numero 5. All of a sudden my form was back and I was swimming fast [for me] again. I might’ve got it going a bit too much, because in a flurry of excitement at feeling good again, I hammered over the weekend, and again on Monday morning. Tuesday morning I was knackered. Totally wiped out. After much deliberation I decided it would be best if Gulliver and I snuggled back under the covers for another hour and a half.
Best dog ever.
A lot of people feel bad about unplanned off-days, including a former version of myself, but I don’t anymore. The only reason an athlete should feel bad about an unplanned-off day is if she isn’t putting in the work to begin with. This morning I assessed the situation: 3 weeks w/o an off-day (planned or otherwise) + 5 days of hammering = time to let my body recover. Instead of looking at it like I am a lazy ass, I see it as another important workout. Today I let all the little microtears in my muscles heal, mentally easy, but my body was still working hard. I wouldn’t be able to make any significant fitness gains without giving my body time to catch up. An easy day could have worked too, but I think I had dug myself in deep with too many intense workouts in too little time so that even one easy day probably wouldn’t set me right again. And besides, I’m swimming the 1650 Friday night - I need to be ready to take on those 12 year olds!
Race season doesn’t begin for another 3 months, I have to relax a little bit. Now’s not the time to get overzealous.
Easier said than done.
