Recovery Week
All the coaches and pros say to take an occasional recovery week—a total, complete week off the bike.
I hate that advice.
Probably because it's right. I've been doing my Trainer Road plan for about eight weeks now, and the improvement in my cycling has been substantial. So it should be about time to rest and not do anything.
That's what I'm doing. Taking it as easy as the Eagles. Not letting the sound of my own wheels drive me crazy. Lightening up, while I still can. (Yes, I'm a child of 70s rock. Still the greatest rock music decade ever. I will brook no argument on this point).
"They," i.e., people in the know, say some of the greatest gains are made when you simply let your body relax, with no stress. I guess I'll find out.
When I get back, I'm going to start up with Training Peaks, and see how that compares to Trainer Road. In the meantime, it feels really weird to not head down to the basement or out on the road with my bike.
I feel like I'm going to lose all my fitness by stopping. The experts say the opposite. And since I'm new to this whole "structured training" thing, I'll rely on their expertness. Sometimes (all the time?), we're not the best judges of what's good for us.
Only four more days to go...