Last week was all about getting back into rhythm after a busy NASCAR weekend. Coming off a lighter week, the goal was simple: return to my normal training schedule and complete the workouts I had planned. For the most part, that’s exactly what happened.
What Happened?
I managed to complete almost every workout at the planned duration, which felt like a solid reset after a lighter week. The one exception was the stair climber workout where I ended up a bit short on time. From a nutrition standpoint, I used almost all of my points for the week, especially on Sunday where I rewarded myself with pizza and a sticky butter toffee cake. Pizza and cake obviously isn’t the ideal recovery meal, but sometimes real life wins out. The key point is that I still stayed within my weekly points, even though I essentially used them all.
What Worked?
Getting moving again after a lighter week wasn’t always easy. There were a few moments where motivation was low and I debated skipping workouts. Instead of quitting, I used a small mental trick: Lower the commitment, but still start. For example, I told myself things like: “I’ll go to the gym, but I don’t have to run.” or later “I’ll run half the distance and then decide if I want to continue.” Interestingly, once I started moving, I ended up finishing the workout anyway. Sometimes the hardest part is simply getting started.
What Didn’t?
For the stair climber, I had completed about 8 minutes of the planned 15 minutes. I pushed myself to keep going, I made it to half way, then I made it to 30 floors, but ultimately felt too warm with a higher than comfortable pulse. At that point, backing off felt like the right decision rather than forcing something that wasn’t working. The stairs have been a challenge for me since moving up to level 6. I will put a pin in this for a bit and revisit later in training.
What am I going to do about it?
With the poker ride completed, I’m now shifting focus to a summer phase. I will focus more on technique and sprints than endurance in my activities. For example, I plan to follow the 80/20 Running approach while preparing for a faster 5K. Essentially shorter distances and work on improving speed. This will also come with a restructuring of my weekly training schedule. The biggest change is splitting up the gym workouts and the run workouts to spend longer durations in each on their respective days. My cycling will be more focused on climbing, I’ll get out early on weekend mornings to minimize the heat, but still it’s warm and heads up fast.
What do the numbers say?
Interestingly, despite following the plan better this week, my weight went up slightly. That can happen for a lot of reasons; hydration, recovery inflammation, or simply heavier meals. It’s also worth noting that last week I lost weight despite not doing everything right, so it probably balances out over time.
Summary
Overall, this week felt like a successful reset. Even though motivation wasn’t always perfect, I stuck with the plan and completed almost everything I set out to do. The focus now shifts toward improving technique, speed and power. If everything stays consistent, the hope is that the work I put in now will start showing up in longer runs and rides later in the year.