Getting the Right Balance

The bike tote was up to 665ks in less than 5 weeks. My target was 1000ks in 6 weeks and I was seriously in need of a reality check. Neck stiffness was kicking in and 30ks into a 70k ride, turning the pedals was a struggle. A couple of months before, the last 10ks of a 75k ride were tedious due to neck pain, but managing less than half of that before the injury kicked in was telling me a couple of things.

First up, I'd definitely overcooked it on the mileage. Keeping up 150k average a week might have been possible in my early 30s, but my joints can't cope like they used to do. Second up, cardiovascular fitness is only and good as the body that carries it. Last up, I'm carrying too much excess fat.

The reality is my short-term goals are going to have to change if I'm going to achieve my long-term goals. I definitely have the cardio-vascular fitness to ride Half the Lake next year. Going by where I was last year compared to where I am now, K1 is achievable. Doing the full Round the Lake Challenge could be in my sights also but not if I continue to be overweight and don't sort my neck out.

To solve a problem, however, you need to know the cause. I couldn't understand why three months ago I'd ridden 75ks with some tough climbs no problem to end up struggling to do more than 30ks flat due to neck injury. I figured out, three months ago I switched focus to riding more and completely taken out strength and conditioning from my training regime. This also meant I wasn't doing as much stretching.

The solution to the problem was putting it back in, but the question was how much do I need to do? The difficulty is, if you're preparing for an endurance event, you need to get your Ks in. Doing HIIT classes is going impact on how much you can ride because your legs seriously ache afterwards. Stretching you can do daily but not HIIT.

I decided last week to lay off the bike completely and do neck strengthening exercises every day along with a stretch routine. I also included one HIIT class and did 10 minutes of weights for my shoulders and back.

Wow!!! The results were incredible. I felt like a new woman on the bike today. We did 62ks on the bike. The terrain was undulating with a few long drags. I felt able to push myself the whole time and didn't feel there was any let up in my power to the end of the ride. My neck was still sore because it hasn't recovered fully yet, but it wasn't affecting my riding. I was even surprised how supple my neck was when I was checking behind before manouevres. My legs were still aching after HIIT; that class worked muscles I forgot I had, but I guess the important thing is that it strengthens the muscles which support those used in cycling.

I really noticed how much faster I could rotate the pedals whilst also being able to push bigger gears when I wanted. When I got home, I could tell my flexibility had improved.

Note to self: never neglect strength and conditioning. If things can improve in a week, imagine what it can achieve in a month.