The REST of the Story

I knew the day should have been one of rest. It had been a long, busy week with nine HIT spin sessions already in the logbook. I was tired. The boys had assembled for a group race, the individual pursuit of the indoor flat 60 record. The objective is very simple: You have sixty minutes on a flat course to ride as far as you can. I wanted to go further than the 22.78 miles I had logged two weeks prior.

You can guess the rest.

At thirty minutes I was dead on my marker to hit 23 miles. I was working at around 98% of max, breathing OK, searching for the power groove. I felt about four degrees out of balance. Had I of interrupted this cleaner, I would have seen the over compensation as black and white. By the time that I did, it was too late and not only had the right semimembranosis sustained a grade one tear, the left quadriceps and patella tendon had succumbed to the overload as well. I spent the remainder of Friday night and Saturday morning in a spastic dance of cramping intervals, walking an egg shell carpet like a newborn colt. The pain was more upstairs in the form of frustration, disbelief and humiliation.

I had violated one of my cardinal rules. The rest period between sessions had been compromised and now I was paying the price for my stubbornness. I knew I was not 100% going in, but I wanted to keep pushing to find my volume, or in this case speed, limits order to better them. I had the best of intentions. I was going to take it easy and keep it under control. But then the countdown started and here we were racing, and…and….and.

And my body told me what my brain wouldn't. I wasn't smart enough to heed the warnings. To listen to the music of the muscle, hear the call, take the time to heal after high intensity output. Please don't make the same mistake folks. Build in AT LEAST one complete day of rest per week to allow your body to recover and rebuild. Don't be a mule. If you want to practice being stubborn, go out and rake leaves or pull ivy.

The good news is that it appears the damage is minor. I have conducted three sessions since then with minimal backlash. I have also curtailed running temporarily to allow additional healing time. Protein is up and foam roller, stick and stretching are 'round-the-clock'. I can't afford to be out. From both a training and financial standpoint. Ironman Canada and my creditors are not sympathetic to my plight. They will both endure, with or without my participation.

Yesterday was a spectacular day, despite the leg issues. Paying zen-like attention to every move I was able to stack a few bricks to the pizza oven, a graphic reminder of what a poor mason I truly am, and thereby…adding insult to injury.

Should have been a rest day.

Pix: Not many days in February cast this type of shadow (please note level bubble as dead-on). Trixie getting ready for her pre Chilly-Hilly lube. Nothing but Blue Skies from now on.