After the “savagery” of the weekend (see previous post) I was scheduled an easier week of training this week. I am going on the principle of two or three weeks of solid training, of course all dependent on races and how I’m feeling, followed by an easier week to recover, taper for races I want to target and to provide time to adapt to the training I am doing.
This therefore was my easier week. The plan to do a few recovery rides and generally let my body adapt to the racing and training from the last few weeks, before getting back into it on the weekend with Manche Atlantique, another Elite National race.
Waking on Monday it was a case of see how the body feels from two hard days of racing. Waking, my body soon told me it wasn’t feeling great! Thus I decided a complete rest day was the best plan of action. Now on Sunday I had, by the end of the race, been experiencing a shooting pain down the outside of my thigh, I believed this due to the cold weather and rain getting into my muscles. I needed to keep an eye on this.
A day of lazing about and sorting the bike and kit out from day before. Then a serious problem struck! Now as a full time rider there are three elements that are very important, one the bike, two your health and three Internet and a phone line! The Internet and phone went down! Panic ensued and after calls to SFR/France Telecom and generally going round in circles it looked like no internet or phone for at least a week!!!
This is bad on most weeks but on an easier week even worse!
Tuesday, I wanted to spin legs out from the weekend and see how the leg felt. Off I went and soon a niggling pain in the lower, outside quad became apparent. Keeping the gear easy I gave it a few more miles. Surprisingly it seemed to ease off a bit yet still an hour easy was enough. A good stretch and roll on the foam roller, compression tights on and lye down. I was hoping the spin would have eased my leg out.
Wednesday. Sun! First bit of sun I’ve seen since being here I think! Plan for another easy ride. Out I went and soon saw Nick and Tony Mills coming the other way in a small group of riders. Since I’ve been here I have done only a handful of rides with other riders so thought this was the perfect opportunity to do a sociable ride and be introduced to some new roads.
Chatting and spinning along, we headed towards the coast. Unfortunately soon enthusiasm got the better of me.
Getting to St Helen, a town by the coast, I decided I’d done enough and bid the guy’s farewell and turned to what can only be described as the biggest headwind I’d ever experienced. Wanting to keep power and heart rate low I ended up crawling back. Not the plan. Getting back three hours on the clock and leg not great, I’d really made a stupid mistake today and was annoyed with myself.
Thursday and although my leg wasn’t worsening it wasn’t 100%, I needed to do something about it. Phoning my team manager he managed to arrange an appointment to see a physio in Locmine.
A 9pm physio appointment in a dark industrial estate! I needed back up! Arriving with my French translator (Ben, my landlady’s son!). We were told the physio was running late, no problem I thought, half an hour later and we were finally seen. With a three-way conversation, My broken French, Ben’s very good French and the physios mixture of French and English we managed to explain the problem. Back cracked and legs manipulated within half an hour and a sizeable dent to my wallet, we were done. The prognosis, a tight back causing quad problems. Another days rest on the cards and I am allowed to get back on the bike for an easy ride on Saturday to see how the leg is before hopefully racing Sunday.
Just to mention as well a thanks to Tony, Nick and Cycles Dauphin www.cyclesdauphin.com for providing me with some new drinks bottles and Tony and Nick for the use of a turbo trainer!
Leg is feeling remarkably good today so fingers crossed I’ll be ok for Sunday and fingers crossed by the next blog ill be writing it from the comfort of my room and not an internet café!
No comments:
Post a Comment