Training Tuesday September 1-7

Goal    74 miles, still shifting toward 2 longer rides

Actual Total 75 miles

1^st Ride 26 miles

2^nd Ride 27 miles

3^rd Ride  22 miles

I started writing my post on trail safety this week. That took a lot out of me, and left me with a headache. It also reminded me that one bit of my advice is to be unpredictable. So, in case I start to develop a pattern I don’t notice, I’m leaving dates and days of the week off my Training Tuesday posts now and just labeling them 1^st, 2^nd, and so on.

It feels a little strange for me to be working so hard to make my mileage right now. It’s a combination of having drifted to lower mileage over the last 2-3 years, and then becoming more sedentary without the Y or my rides when the Shelter in Place order happened. I also build up slower than the average person and I lose fitness faster. That makes training a little extra push. I don’t think it’s my age. It’s been a struggle for as long as I’ve been active.

My rides felt pretty good this week, but not so good that I could have fit them in two days. I had an increase in tingling toes and walked 3 or 4 hundred yards on the 2 longer rides to let that ease. Recovery days had a good bit of stiffness to them.

Next week it will be a challenge to get my miles because I can only ride on 2 days and the second ride can’t be an extreme ride. I’ll be giving blood the next day, and the donor instructions say not to do strenuous exercise within that time frame. I’ll do as much as I can tolerate on the first ride, and as much as feels comfortable on the second. If I don’t make my miles this week, I’m not going to beat myself up about it. I’ll make them next week, and it may be time for me to have an easy week.