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06-02-07, 09:07 PM
About 3 and1/2 weeks ago Skipper and I started our Irma's ride. After pie and coffee we decided to add a 20m loop to give us 65 for the day. We took it easy, drank plenty of fluids and stocked up on power bars etc.. At home I did some stretching took a shower laid down on the sofa and napped. When I woke up I felt like crap and continued feeling that way all week. Took a short, slow ride after a week and was trashed for a few more days. Waited another week-same thing. Waited another week and finally started feeling a bit better and have now taken two short easy rides and have managed to actually feel pretty good. In trying to figure things out I started looking at my bike journal and noticed a common thread recurring over the last few months. Quads always sore, rides getting harder, times slower, losing enthusiasm even for Irmas, moody, sleeping poorly etc. A bit of self-diagnosed overtraining. The more I read about it the more sense it made-including the part about a long recovery time. This is esp. true when I realize that in the last 2 years I've done 6500miles with little time off of the bike-not much for some but 3 years ago I did only 400 miles and the year before 500. This in addition to weekly raquetball and weight lifting 2-3 times weekly. When I become a fanatic, I don't mess around. Lesson learned-quality not quantity, as so many have pointed out in these forums it is supposed to be fun. Sorry for the length but I'm back on the bike and thinking about Irma(but not before the body is ready)