The main problem with being an advanced weekend warrior is that even when you’re in shape for one sport you’re out of shape for another. Since I cycle my sports throughout the year I seem to always find myself in early season dues paying season for one sport or another. This year, since I got out of shape for all of my sports, I’m concurrently searching for form at cycling, climbing, and running (even though I can’t yet actually run). What this means is that I just had a recovery week and I’m more sore than during my 90X training weeks. This week, therefore, will be a transition week.
Friday I did an easy bouldering circuit with Ben in Little Cottonwood. Got really sore. Sat rode the fixie down to the races and back a couple of times, then Romney and I took the tandem out and chased Dustin around. One crit doesn’t really do much except warm him up and this ride was a bit tiring. Sunday, joined Sam and Dustin on a “recovery” ride for around 4 hours. This all went well until they decided to air it out a little near the end of Emigration and put over a minute into me over the last quarter of the climb. Ouch can’t really describe how hard the rest of the ride was. Numb described how I feel this morning.
One of the interesting dilemmas I face is that my main two sports have exactly the opposite physical requirements. In both climbing and riding strength to weight ratio is paramount. However, the perfect physique for climbing is a large strong upper body and spindly legs. In cycling, it’s reversed. Living in a compromised state is something I’m used to. I try and peak at different times of year. But since I skipped an entire season of training I’m now trying to build concurrent fitness in sports requiring completely different training regimes. While it’s fun sorting out what you can put your body through I’m also wandering around in a constant “I’ll never be fit again” state. Of course, by definition having a dilemma means that I need to try and solve it. And as long as I’m leaning something it’s all okay with me. I’m my favorite lab rat.
So this week is a transition towards my final block of 90X (this is going to incorporate X Plus). Along with daily riding, running, climbing (not all each day), my X schedule will be targeted toward both recovery, preparing me for the next round of resistance training, and my sports.
M – Yoga X
T – Legs & Back
W – X Plus Core & Slim Series Express Cool It Off
T – Core Synergistics
F – Yoga X
Photo: The wrong kind of bike: getting un-fit in Nepal.
I'm trying to get into the last 4 weeks of X, but it's a little hard to get motivated knowing that I only have 2 weeks before we take off for Cancun anc Cuba. Today I skipped the Chest Shoulders Tris and took the hippie bike to the track and tried to motivate myself to jump big doubles. I did one set of ten footers and felt pretty good about it, but there were a couple of big ones staring me down that I couldn't motivate for.
ReplyDeleteI guess I need to do some Plyo tomorrow and then get on the hippie bike in the evening. I stuck the 20 on the back, so it will work my legs, but hopefully it won't destroy my knees.
Good luck with the 90X+ stuff.
~R
You should keep going. How long is your trip? I could probably get your--no, I could 'cause I have a early copy--of Tony's training on the road workout. You can do it in your hotel with no weight. This way, you won't lose fitness and you could jump in when the diet gets more strict.
ReplyDeleteI'm still friggin' sore. I'm sure today's recovery ride w/ Dustin will help. At least I get to do Legs & Back.
Yea, I was thinking of taking some of the Slim series with me because some of them don't need weights. Tony's is probably more focused on strength, which would be good. Not that the slim series isn't hard, because it is.
ReplyDeleteYea, I'm probably going to keep going. Well, unless the surf is good when I check in a few minutes.
~R
Okay, did the Plyo. My legs were pretty heavy, but it went okay. I skipped the double knee jumps and the rock star hops because it was way loud in my condo. I also decided to skip the hippie bike ride tonight to let me legs recover some. Maybe tomorrow I'll get out on the civilized bike.
ReplyDelete~R
I think you should go super hard between now and when you leave. Then you'll have earned a recovery phase for your trip. I think next week I'm going to streamline my diet for a couple of weeks. You should do that, too. I'll be your base is there and you could do this and still recover.
ReplyDeleteRode with Dustin again yesterday. If I keep this up I'll be in shape on the bike pretty quickly.
steve
ReplyDeletehow do you streamline your diet?
marc
In my case I generally just drink less beer. Though I'll also eat performance food instead of doing stuff like riding for 4 hours with no food and following it with a beer. That kind of training is good for building toughness but, at some point, adding a few nutrients into the mix does amazing things for the body's ability to perform.
ReplyDeleteback in the day (i think it was a tuesday) i used to do most of my training and playing on very little sustenance and performed well; in fact, if i ate or even altered this behavior a little, i'd crash and burn. now granted, back then, i smoked and we know that nicotine and cell stress release glucose and on top of that, i drank a ton of coffee allowing utilization of fatty acids, now i can't seem to get it right. my diet has sucked (oh,for a decade or so), my performance continually sucks (never really all that great to begin with but one always remembers one's self as being better than they actually were) and i can't seem to get back on track. i did a master cleanse last year and on the fourth day i had the best bouldering session i've had in years and on the 5th day got in one of my stronger/longer/harder off road rides in forever. is not eating the key for me? i finally restarted p90x though i'm skipping the gun show workout and the kenpo and substituting with the core syn. (which is really cool) and throwing in 3 days a week of 10k on the rower. given my fitness goals are no longer concerned with climbing, i think i'll mainly focus on being less fat and being able to stay on my bikes long enough to see a bunch of scenery. btw, we're going to durango next week; ever done any riding out there?
ReplyDeletetake care.
marc
Durango? I've wanted to ride, but I've only kayaked there and then only in the city whitewater park (which is pretty kick ass). I would love to go back and explore more of the stuff there. Let us know how it goes.
ReplyDeleteGo hard until I leave, huh? Well, that's a pretty good idea. I am planning on sticking with the last couple of weeks of the P90X before I head out. Next week I don't work, so I am planning on doing some doubles, like surfing in the morning, P90x later and then maybe some bike riding after that. I'm pretty excited.
~R
I've never ridden in Durango but there's a pretty hot shot crew living there so I'm sure it's great. It's beautiful as well. Tom Danielson recommends some burrito place on the main drag. Says their chicken burritos are the best recovery food ever. I recall a good pub on that street as well. That's a nice part of the world. Wish I was going. Have fun!
ReplyDelete