Sweet

Our masters swimming team is called the RAMS, and I have been swimming with them for 6 years now. I used to swim in the boomers lane, which was the middle of the pool. Here, 100's were done on 1:15-1:20. This season I swallowed my pride as leader of the Boomers and stepped to the back of the Stud lane, where 100's frequently depart on 1:05-1:10. Most times I hit the wall, take a breath and then go again. It's bringing my swimming game up a notch for sure.

We practice at a pool in the Harley School complex. Our pool is being renovated so we have now moved over to Monroe Community College, which has given us an extra lane and 15 more minutes in the water. This translates into 2 X 90 minute practices, which then translates into much more yardage. Just what an Iron Girl in training is needing. I have found my happy place.

Our new venue allows me 15 extra minutes in the am, enough for me to squeeze a good hour on the bike in. When I arrive home at 0730 I have 2.5-3 hours of training in, and I am smiling.

So it's been a wonderful recovery week. I began a series of bike testing, which will last through the weekend and the next 3 weeks. I save my running tests for the beginning of the week at the beginning of the next block. And I do this for a few reasons.

Recovery weeks need to be recovery weeks. I see a lot of athletes hammer themselves with very intense "testing" when they should be recovering. I save my bike test to the end of the week so that I arrive with rest under my belt. Bike testing is not as demanding as running testing.

We all know that the body becomes stronger when the body is at rest. It is when we train that we develop microscopic tears in the muscle. At rest the body repairs itself and in turn builds a stronger muscle. The next time the muscle is stressed it is stronger.

I place the run test at the beginning of the next block to ensure I have taken the proper rest, which means I have endured physical and nutritional recovery. This is the system that I have been scheduling my athletes for as well, and the results have been terrific.

When I schedule a long or hard ride to some it might seem hard. But it is when they see the word rest, that their blood pressure really rises. But that's the missing link of so many programs. Finding the balance is hard and it is through trial and error that you find the right method for you.

I am looking forward to the subsequent bike sets that I have on Saturday and Sunday, but for now I will be in Curt's "Man Chair" with my feet up and resting!


:-) Mary Eggers