After almost two years of living in Greenville, SC., I've learned that there are no "easy" days for cycling when you ride near the mountains.
After another strong week of swim, bike, run and strength training, my legs felt a bit trashed this morning.
Well, we all know that you can't get much done if you only work on the days that you feel good.
With our new Alto cycling race wheels arriving last week, we couldn't wait to take them for a test ride.
With legs that were not interested in pushing hard, I found myself with a few different conversations in my head...
"I feel so slow."
"I wish I could ride stronger."
"This is so hard."
"This is not fun."
"I should be faster."
Every time a negative thought came inside my head, I looked at the mountains and stopped my negative thinking.
With 4 hours of riding and over 5000 feet of climbing, I had plenty of opportunities to enjoy the views with Karel as my cycling guide.
With 4 hours of riding and over 5000 feet of climbing, I had plenty of opportunities to enjoy the views with Karel as my cycling guide.
I knew going into this ride that I had a solid week of training and that my legs were really tired. I actually even told myself "Wow, your fitness is really building this week!"
This was one of those weeks where after several weeks of consistent training, I really felt a big jump in fitness.
Every now and then, we, as athletes, are going to have a rough training day. If form suffers or the body is sleep deprived, injured or sick, it's best not to train as you can't gain fitness from a body that isn't in good health.
But if the body is healthy and feeling slow or tired is the biggest concern in your head, give it a go, workout and enjoy the views.
Remind yourself that your body puts up with a lot to keep you functioning well in life. Training for an event is a hobby. You don't have to be an athlete to be healthy.
This was one of those weeks where after several weeks of consistent training, I really felt a big jump in fitness.
Every now and then, we, as athletes, are going to have a rough training day. If form suffers or the body is sleep deprived, injured or sick, it's best not to train as you can't gain fitness from a body that isn't in good health.
But if the body is healthy and feeling slow or tired is the biggest concern in your head, give it a go, workout and enjoy the views.
Remind yourself that your body puts up with a lot to keep you functioning well in life. Training for an event is a hobby. You don't have to be an athlete to be healthy.
If you find yourself suffering through most of your workouts, something needs to change with your life, diet or training as your body isn't adapting to your training.
But if you find yourself having the occasional off day, be grateful that at least you can still train even while feeling off.
Don't forget to thank your body....even on the off days.
And always enjoy the view!
