Along with all of the excitement, anticipation and adventure, I feel lethargic. That’s what happens when you go endorphin cold turkey. A rest week feels like a month. My body wants to move… or is it my mind that wants to? Five years ago, when I began endurance training in earnest, I read the standard of the industry, Joe Friel’s Training Bible. It began with, “Endurance training is 99% mental and 1% mental.” Such is life on a bike.
But it’s physical too. I’ve been in rest mode for a few days and my body doesn’t understand sedentary. For years I’ve spent about three hours a day training, six or seven days a week. I’ve run about 24,000 miles (25-30 /week) over the last twenty years and pedaled about 8,000 miles this last year. So when I stop everything and increase my food intake on top of that, I feel like a slug. But Friday’s just a couple of days away and I’ll need a little extra weight to help me through the first ten days. No matter what shape I’m in, I’m not use to 6-7 hours in the saddle for consecutive days. It’s going to hurt. Which brings us back to the mental. Go figure.
