Taking It Easy

I am getting old . I feel it in my bones especially in the morning. I have for the past few weeks struggled with the discipline of getting up early and training and working and then training again in the evening .

Something has to give. I am tired and I think suffering from over training .

My fall last Thursday in the wet did not help .The heavy work load this week has not helped . Family commitments and all the usual family responsibilities has made me re assess my training. I have had to pare back some of the sessions. When I had a long day in the office , I have just had to skip sessions. i feel guilty but I don't think it is worth an injury or getting sick.

The weather has not helped .All the riding in the rain and training through winter has made me tired.

I lie in bed and wonder why I am putting myself through this. At times I am just too tired to want to get out of bed. It is better to lie there and just feel comfortable.

As a result I have put on 2 kg and now have to try and get the weight back down. I do know all that I feel is a reflection of where I am mentally more so than physically. It unfortunately has its desired impact. I am exhausted with work and training .

It is hard ....not to be putting the desired hours in but unfortunately work takes precedence. It isn't fun if it becomes a chore and taking it easy is the hardest lesson to learn. I am struggling to learn it.

There are clues in training . There is logic and science in divining what works .The problem not everyone can work it out and I certainly struggle. But as in Brett Sutton's piece Looking For Clues...there are some nuggets of wisdom. Similarly not all sessions need to be done at hard pace. there is some benefit in easy and there is some benefit in an easy week.(Easy Explained by Emma Bishop)

This week i learnt lots about my own body clock and indirectly about the impact of workers on night rosters and the effect that can have on the body. Hence the highest risk of accidents on the road is between 1 am and 6am when despite being quite alert on finishing work , where the individual is active and busy and in a light environment, once in a vehicle with darkness and no distractions it is possible for a person to dose and the consequences can be devastating.

The other fatigue is just being dead tired. You can gain a sleep deficit but you cannot build a sleep bank. I recall my tragic forays into training in my first year and falling asleep on a bike mid training. Fortunately the consequences were not disastrous. Just bruising , a broken helmet and a slightly dented aluminium bike.

I think if I am going to remain for the long haul , a few lie ins's once in a while won't hurt .