The Recovery Clock

I just finished up a recovery week, and this was the first one that I actually felt like I needed.  Last year, a recovery week  for me was this thing I had to do because Joe Friel said so, but it mostly consisted of endorphin withdrawal and dealing with those pesky once-a-month hassles, like calling my boyfriend or washing my hair.  I didn’t feel the need for a physical break, in spite of having once referred to a questionable limp after lifting…but considering I had just come from an upper body workout, that was probably just the old Post-Gym Gangster Walk.

Now things are different: I get really exhausted and sore after workouts, especially lifting.  A few explanations for this come to mind: A. I let myself get too out-of-shape in my extended downtime, B. I just wasn't going hard enough last year, C. I'm getting old and frail, or D. something about my nutrition is different this year.  OK, let's face the truth: It's probably everything but D.  I just compared yesterday's "food diary" entry to the same date a year ago, and the only difference is a new preference for single-celled algae over last year’s multi-cellular favorites (mostly due to a coupon…ooooh…I’m really pushing the limits of risk and change here). 

Whatever the reason for this soreness is,  it’s probably a good time to look at the science of recovery.  To determine how long this frustrating process has to take, I first looked at short-term recovery.  This study looked at muscle repair after heavy resistance workouts, and it concluded that protein synthesis peaks about 24 hours after ripping one’s legs to shreds, and returns to almost normal within 36 hours.  The authors recommend spacing tough workouts at least a day and a half apart to avoid messing with the rebuilding of busted-ass muscles.  This obviously can’t be observed all the time, due to stage race training, or if you’re one of those triathlon folk, but I suppose it’s a good way to get the most bang for your buck in terms of muscle repair.

For the long-term recovery stuff, I looked to my favorite training guru.  Friel recommends monthly recovery intervals of 5-7 days, to account for that annoying inverse relationship between fatigue and form.  Annually, he recommends one or two “transition” periods lasting from a few days to a few weeks, to rejuvenate the body and mind.  Hmmm…my mind apparently needed a lot of rejuvenation over the fall, so I guess I’m good on that for…um…a decade or so.

Keeping the Faith

No, I'm not going to write a whole post about the most awesome De La Soul song ever.  What I mean to discuss is how to stay on a training plan when things get tough (even though this blog is secretly about '90's hip hop and not really about cycling at all). 

Last year I worked with a coach to improve my sprint.  Once my sprint had improved, I was able to coach myself.  I noticed that some people use coaches to "babysit" them and ensure they'll do their workouts.  "Haha," I thought to myself, "I'll never need a babysitter like those clowns." 

One year later: HELP!  I NEED A BABYSITTER!  I know what to do, but this year I'm not motivated enough to stick with it.  A couple options came to mind to make myself accountable to other people:

1. Hire a coach.  Nope, too expensive, and besides, any resources I might have had for a coach have now been diverted to a therapist.  Maybe that will eventually address this motivational deficiency...
2. Make a training plan consisting of group exercise only.  Hmmm...that could be awesome if your goals are to win Philly's World Championships of Vino Velo group ride or become the bendiest person in Power Yoga class. 
3. Do all lifting workouts with a trainer.  OK, it would obviously be helpful to have someone stand there and yell “You suck," or "You’re a f***ing god,” (depending on whether you’re motivated by self-loathing or narcissism).  In the face of limited resources, I’ve found a good compromise to be a few instructional sessions with Lance, then to stay on his gym schedule once I’m doing the prescribed lifting on my own.  Just the threat of being caught slacking is pretty motivating, but I guess that means I'm stalking my trainer...
3. Acknowledge a deity.  Maybe the thought of some omniscient being (Spaghetti Monster, Santa Claus, Tooth Fairy) could be motivating enough to make good choices.  This study found that children were 16% less likely to cheat on tests when told an invisible princess was watching.  OK, this might work assuming you have at least the mental capacity and discipline of a child, and that may not be the case for me...
4. Find some like-minded friends, and be accountable to each other.  OK, I can do that.  Thank you, Google Calendar.


So, to keep our nutrition on track, my friend Ashley and I are sharing a food diary.  And the occasional comment, like "hey man, you're definitely not getting scurvy today," is a motivating reminder that someone actually saw how many servings of grapefruit I ate that day.  It's a lot harder to make bad choices when you know someone's going to make fun of you for it later, although somehow I still manage to make my share of bad choices...

Workouts are being tracked too: several of us have shared training calendars and login info so we can check up on one another.  Is that slightly more work than paying for the "coach" edition and having everyone's workouts show up under one account?  Sure, but it's free, and we get to stick it to the man while monitoring each other's progress. 

So if you need a watchful eye to keep you on track but can't rely on a coach, group rides, or an invisible princess to make you do it, share your goals with your friends.  You're a lot more likely to achieve a goal that you've shared with someone else, and who knows what might happen; His Noodly Appendage often touches those who don't seek it...