TR Training: Week #4 Numbers

Total Saddle Time: 1 hour, 28 minutes
Total Mileage: 24.3 miles
Total Elevation Gain: 0 feet
Weight Loss: -2.4 pounds

Numbers? What numbers? You're not laughing at me, trust me, you're laughing at me with me.

Last week was the fourth week in the cycle and every fourth week is a restoration week, but this was just pathetic. It started out good, though, as all intentions usually are. Monday was a scheduled rest day and one that felt well-earned after 9 consecutive days on the bike. Tuesday was the first of what may become weekly group trainer sessions. I began with a 20 minute warmup before David and Erik came over, but a lengthy setup process (during which time I sold my cyclo-cross bike to David, so all was not loss) followed by a pretty piss-poor Carmichael Training video Erik downloaded from iTunes had me wanting more at the end. Not to get too far off topic, but if you were to lock a Cat 5 cyclist, a camcorder, and a Powerbook in a room with a stationary bike for an hour, you'd get a better product (both in production values and overall specificity and benefit) than the Carmichael Training video we watched. I don't remember the exact name of the session, but if his DVD videos are anything like his iTunes productions, then I will most definitely be sticking with Spinervals videos from here on out.

Anyway, back on track, Wednesday and Thursday were scheduled off days due to both the lighter training volume for this week and because of a hectic schedule. And then the wheels fell off the plan. The massive wind and rain storm we had Thursday night left us with no power for 5 days and thousands upon thousands of trees down on every trail (and most roads) in the region. There was nowhere out of the house to ride because of the downed trees and generally hazardous conditions (not to mention horrific air quality due to everyone burning yard debris, firing up their generators, and relying on wood-burning stoves and fireplaces for warmth) and I simply couldn't muster the effort to get on the stationary trainer in a 38-degree garage knowing my living room was only a handful of degrees warmer. Seriously, it sounds weak I know, but it's really hard to get psyched up to go outside and ride in the cold when you don't have a warm house to come home to.

I could have ridden. I didn't.
I could have lifted or did jump rope. I didn't.
I could have at the least did a bunch of pushups or hit the much-maligned Ab-Lounge. I didn't.

It was a recovery week gone awry and I hope to not let it happen again.

My hiatus extended into week 5 (the current week) and although I do plan on getting out onto the Snoqualmie Valley Trail for a 30 mile ride today to check local conditions, I'll be in NJ all next week for Christmas. They say if you go more than 7 days without working out you actually start to lose the benefits you accrued through past workouts. I went 8 days and I'm feeling the effects. Hopefully, I'll be able to sneak a few spin classes into the mix next week in NJ and get back into the groove when I get back on the 31st.