The nerves are starting to kick in. All this resting, not a lot of riding – just short, focused efforts that leave me wanting more.
Nationals are on Saturday.
There is good reason to be resting, but I find resting the hardest part of the process. It is a process.
Training, recovering, getting stronger, resting up, and, on the day, having legs that allow you to ride like you are being shot out of a cannon. That the goal anyway, right?
So, why is it so hard to rest?
When you ride, train, complete a workout, there is a sense of accomplishment. Numbers to prove you have done the work, the feeling of emptiness that fills you up as you roll home after doing something you didn’t think you can do.
Effort =Reward.
When it comes to rest, it takes effort, maybe even more, but a different type of effort. Resting takes patience and trust and focus. It is just as important as the work. But we don’t have anything to show for it; lounging in the hammock doesn’t produce file we can download to the computer and analyze and compare. We are left feeling lazy and unfocused and questioning.
At this point the work has been done. At this point, my legs are as strong as they are going to be. Hammering out another long ride or just-about-puked-in-my-mouth workout isn’t going to bring positive results – if anything, it will do the opposite.
This is where the trust comes in. Trust in the process, trust in my coach, trust in my body and mind – that they know what to do and will execute when called upon.
Now is a time to rest, eat well, and sleep soundly. Now is the calm before the storm.