Resting is training...Right

Today I was given a reminder in an email, "if you feel like you're getting close to "the edge" in your training, add in a couple of days off " I have often wondered when I am really getting to the edge of my training, or am I just scared to suffer.

Well, I would be lying if I said I wasn't hesitant to suffer (I don't think scared is the right adjective to describe how I feel), I mean the human body is built with many mechanisms to either keep us from suffering or to tell us we are. I mean think about it, when you break a bone your body immediately starts to produce dopamine to dull the pain, so that your flight or fight reflexes can be utilized (this is an opinion based on some things I have read). Anyhow, what I am getting at is we are not programmed to suffer, I think its quite the opposite, our body does all it can to not suffer. Another example is when we are with out food our metabolism (after a time) slows to perserve itself.

Yesterday, I was on the first of two or three days (depends on how I feel) of recovery from the hard block of volume training. Even though I was resting, I was still training just not physically but mentally, which for me entails learning things to utilize in life as well as training. I was searching through some of the Cyclo-Club archives and found a video about intentionally making ones self suffer to find out exactly what you can tolerate and what your limits may be, and where one needs to say enough is enough. This is an important thing to know about ones self for various reasons, with out pushing past a limiter you will never progress in that area, if you dont stress your body it will stay where its at (if your looking to advance this is important), and you never know when you will be lost in the woods with no food (thats extreme but sounds good :) )

So, I have to ask myself (and I do quite often) am I pushing hard enough to attain my goals? I also ask myself is my goal realistic, and will I be happy no matter what the out come? The later of the two questions is easy, absolutely especially if I know in regards to the first question that I did my best and gave it what I wanted to.

I am honest with myself in my training, I know what I did and when I held back when the suffering got intense. So, after an event or a ride I can say to myself honestly "I gave it all I had in training and in the event" or " I know I held back on those hill repeats so I earned the finish that I have" and I am good with either scenario. I just really love what I am doing right now on and off the bike.

Gun