Rest is good?

This is my last recovery week before the last four week push, and also marks the first time I have had weather issues all summer.  No ride Tuesday or Thursday due to rain, and had to to two lunch combo swim/run workouts to keep it indoors.  Today’s workout (Friday) I felt much fresher than Wednesday and had a solid mile swim/5 mile run combo at lunch over a 90 minute workout.

These recovery weeks have been a tough concept for me to accept, other than the fact that my body tells me they work.  The 3 week hard, 1 week recovery cycle has made a difference as I can tell.  Mentally you are debating all week that laying off so much for so long is going to set you back, but somehow you come back with that much more for the next phase.  I never noticed this much in my shorter distance training plans in previous years, but obviously when you step up the volume for a half-ironman rest becomes a key component (as backwards as that seems).  Since I skipped two short (1h) rides this week I am going to stretch Saturdays ride to from 90 minutes to 3 hours.  Also have a brick planned for Sunday that by the plan should be 1h 30min ride + 50 min run, but I am going to do 1hr + 2 hour run.  I missed a 1h 50min run last Sunday travelling, so I need a long run since it has been a few weeks since the last run over 90 minutes.  Oh yes, also have to get another 2000 meters in the pool Sunday as well.

Hopefully the weather holds off and we log some nice mileage this weekend.  Next week should be back to the plan as written with four weeks to go from this Sunday.