1) You are only allowed to ride for fun. If you don't feel like riding, don't ride.
2) You are only allowed to not ride for 3 days. Then you have to ride.
3) You are not allowed to do anything that is "training." No efforts, no times intervals, nada.
4) You should ride for one less day than you normally ride.
Being a rule follower extraordinaire, this week has been the most confusing for me. One of the best things about having a coach is that I don't HAVE to think about where I will ride, for how long I will ride, and what I will be doing on my rides. The only real rule is"follow the program." That I can do.
But when the rule is to "have fun"? That's a little too grey for my black/white self.
As difficult as these rules are to follow, though, they are perhaps the most important ones to think about.
First off, I'm sick, which complicates things because there really isn't ANYTHING that's fun to do when you're sick except lay on the couch watching Hulu and reading books whilst sipping tea.
Second off, I've had to think about what IS fun when I ride. What makes cycling fun? For me?
Third off, there is no third off, but lists sound better in trios than pairs.
Riding with friends would definitely be the top on the list. Not so much a large groups ride, but a small group of people that you would also invite out to a movie. There is something about riding with people you know and trust, people with whom you can cruise down a flat road one minute, and then chit chat about life the next. A group who will not see a hill and automatically also see an invitation to hammer. A wheel you feel confident sucking onto.
The next fun thing on the bike is being epic. This encompasses many different types of rides, for sure, but a good example would be a large organized ride with sag stations, in which the ride's purpose centers around epic-ness. At the end of this ride, you have energy to do nothing else but stagger from your bike and start eating whatever is in site and is edible. Following this, you get a massage. You talk to your fellow riders about average speeds and what beasts you all are, and then you go home and fall onto the couch in a coma.
The next fun thing on the bike is exploring new roads, especially when it's as gorgeous out as it is now. The best time for road exploration is mid-day, when traffic is low and the sun is high. Bring lots of water, and be prepared to get lost. (Note: also bring your cell phone).
The next fun thing on the bike, for me, and this sounds lame but please remember I am somewhat of a Hermione type (yes, that's a harry potter reference), but the next fun thing on the bike is training. I like to train. I like to follow the plan, do the intervals, accomplish the checklist, because I know it all goes towards the larger goal of becoming a better rider. To that end, the endurance rides, the ones where I slog along the same route in the morning before work, those are actually at least a little joyous. I go home, I plug in my Garmin and dump it, and voila! Evidence of dedication to my training plan. That is fun.
Fun is different for everyone, of course. A lot of the things that other people would jump at the chance to do, like mountain biking, I steer away from due to the anxiety it currently produces. Some people find the idea of training an antithesis to cycling enjoyment. Some people crave hills and climbs. Some people are loners, and love the solitude of the open road.
So while this week has been minimal in terms of physical stress, it has given my mental aptitude a run for my money. I think being sick has messed up my overall impression of what the week can really be like, since my nose feels like raw meat and my legs are clearly not getting all of the rebuilding attention they deserve from my rebuilding resources. In the weeks ahead, though, as I am back to "training," I'm going to do some serious thinking/prep work for my next option week.
Because I am going to have fun, damnit. I am going to play by the rules.
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