Each week I try to review and reflect on my previous week on the bike. This allows me to see how my fitness and ability is progressing on a wider timescale than day to day. For previous weekly reviews please click here.
Not a great week, productivity-wise. Let down by the weather, and also not wanting to do more damage to my knees, I slacked off big time over the weekend, putting in what I think must be my lowest effort week for a good long while.
Here were this week’s rides:
- Wednesday – Protesting Legs Say No Thank You
- Thursday – Rapha Cake
- Friday – Zwift Academy Recovery Ride Open (Again)
Things started off alright. I took a couple of rest days at the start of the week. What I try to do is have two rest days each week, ideally Monday and Friday. This gives a nice separation between the riding and means I don’t feel like I’m having to exercise non stop all week. But if it comes to it, five in a row isn’t so bad.
With bad weather more common than not right now, I’m having to turn to the turbo more and more. This can be a tad unappealing, and so it’s not that surprising I slipped to Wednesday before I could find the motivation to get on the bike.
I knew I had to do the Zwift Academy 2021 recovery ride #2, and also the Finish Line ride to see out the series. The plan was to do both during the week.
On Wednesday I fully intended to do the Zwift ride, but the timings didn’t suit. Instead I opted for an SST session, which I haven’t done since August.
Whilst knackering, those sessions are amongst the best in my opinion, when it comes to a solid workout in under an hour. Also, as tiring as they are during the ride, the next day I still find I feel fresh.
On Thursday I fully planned to do the Recovery Ride, but it was nice outdoors for a change, so I went out instead. This was intentionally a fairly laid back ride, and one I really enjoyed. It felt nice to get out, get some fresh air, and just generally amble about without too much of a plan.
For me though, the problems started on Friday.
I’m not sure if I’d done damage outdoors on Thursday, or if the really easy pedalling at too high a cadence on the recovery ride injured my knees.
I’ve had this before.
It’s like a twisting pain. Only a light one, but one that feels like if I did too much on it, it would turn into something worse.
Anyway, with Garmin moaning (as above) that I’m unproductive, I figured why not use that as an excuse to rest over the weekend and start again tomorrow (Tuesday) with the Finish Line ride. I can’t say I won’t be rested, so will have as good a chance as any at putting in a solid effort.
So that’s the plan. Three days off, followed by the hard ride, and then ideally at least one SST session during the week and please, PLEASE, some good weather for an outdoor ride. I’d have loved to have gone out yesterday, and would have done if it hadn’t been soaking on the ground when I woke up. Disappointing.
You can’t win them all.