non-training 4-8-08

I don't feel up to training today so I won't. My body feels fine but I feel a bit subdued. It's nothing I can put my finger on, just a lack of ambition and, I hate to admit, a decline of interest in racing. I'm pretty sure the feeling is transient but if it isn't then it must be the fault of the higher intensity rides I've been doing. I've been keeping a close eye on that, looking for the slightest first signs so I keep from going too far into the hole.

Actually, early in this mini-cycle, as a concession to intensity I was considering taking off the pre-"training" recovery ride like I do for races to maximize recovery. I was going to play it by ear and let my body tell me what it wants to do. It did and the flat tire on my bike seconded the motion. The revision looks like this:

Day
1) rest
2) 50% (34 miles)
3) rest
4) 50% (34 miles)
5) rest
6) 50% (34 miles)
7) rest
8) rest
9) rest
10) 80-100%

If this doesn't work I'll just have to go back to the alternating 50/70% rides. I've had good success with that so I'm pretty sure it will work again.

As a refresher, this is the routine I followed for my 28.28mph unfaired run at Fiesta Island (weighing 200lbs):

1) rest
2) rest
3) rest
4) rest
5) rest
6) rest
7) rest
8) rest
9) rest
10) 90-100% (38 miles)

Here's another routine for the distant (I hope) future:

1) rest
2) rest
3) rest
4) rest
5) rest
6) rest
7) rest
8) rest
9) rest
10) rest

This is the routine I'm going to follow when I'm dead :-). Oh well, I still have my sense of humor (sick as it is). That's a good sign.

Back to my present plan. Since there is such long periods between "training" rides it might be a good idea to increase the duration of those, especially the ones in the 80% effort range, to 2-2.5 hours. My best past fitness was achieved with rides of that length. Anyway, I plan for my next ride to be a 100%, maximum aerobic watt test so it will be somewhat short.

EDIT: while working on my flat tire I notice that standing up from a full squat is a bit hard on my knees. My legs are definitely not at 100%. This does not bode well for my decision to go higher intensity. It seems, as even trying to lift light weights confirm, my body doesn't like exerting more than "x" amount of force. I think that's a sign of old-man's empty-sack disease.