Rest

So the rest day, or the day off, day away from training. Whatever you like to call it none of us athletes like days off. We may not like them but they have proved your rest day is the most important day of your training week.

If you are like me you spend your days of rest feeling guilty about doing nothing, I tend to have the little voices from each shoulder, one telling you are shattered and you need to sit, not ride, not train, allow the body to adapt to the last weeks hard training. But then you get the other little voice, saying your not as tired as you think, its was a bad nights sleep, maybe you just need a coffee and you’ll feel fine and can at least do a light session, or maybe some weights (cos these are easier on the body aren’t they... not). I almost cannot remember a time when I last had a full day off and did not have these conversations with myself.

When I chat to people, mostly at AS, people have very similar conversations. Not in their head but to me. It seems it is very easy to give good advice, they will say what training they have done and it is incredibly easy to say “Yes, a day off is much over due”, “I would say you need a full day off and maybe a really light day after that to make sure you can really adapt”. So I kind of know what is needed after hard training, but always find it hard to take said day off.

It’s not that I think I am superman and do not need as much rest as others. On a few occasions due to my lifestyle and not knowing the day of the week I have sometimes accidently missed a day off, instead of then doubling up the rest as the fatigue would be higher I seem to leave it till we have rain or there is a day where I can put the rest day. Massively stupid, these days were several months ago. I keep telling myself to practice what I preach, so I am trying to do this now.

Time for some rest...??

So the reason I have brought up the subject of rest and its importance is due to having to put an extra one in during last weeks training. I had only done 4 days of training and felt absolutely shattered, with two of those four days were super easy days. I was out riding on the 4th of these four days just taking notice of how my legs felt, while I was suffering I promised myself I would take the next day off. The morning had came and I still had these thoughts of going to do something, but I was reminded by the tiredness in me when I walked to the shops. These shops are about 4 minutes walk and I was stumbling about huffing and puffing. So from then on I was convinced I had made the right decision about the extra rest. Whatever the reason I was knackered and that was that. The body telling me more rest was required, now a few days on and I can say in hindsight this WAS a god decision! I have done a good couple of rides since and today felt good and strong even into the 5th and 6th hour. Like the good old days.

So there we have it, I know some of you will read this. some of you will agree, but most if not all of you will still have those horrid rest day guilt trips… Don’t, just know your body is adapting and recovering. A way I look at it, is, once you have had the day off you can really hit the next few days that bit harder. Save the guilt for the next tough session.

A few sayings I have heard over the years and that I use a lot… “If in doubt, do nout.” (in a northern accent), and “Rest is best” .

Hope you are all fit and well and enjoying the good old British weather back home. Thanks again for reading.