Using Speedwork and Energy Levels to Know When to Take Time Off

If you could know when it is time to take a break from training so that you can recover and come back even faster, that would sure be nice, right?  Well, there are two sure-fire ways to do it.

First, make sure that your training has some speedwork mixed in.  I'm talking about 15 minutes of ramping up and then going as fast as you can, about every few days.  It is a similar effort to negative splitting a 5k run race.  Do this for a few weeks and you will suddenly notice that you cannot even come close to the speeds or efforts that you were originally capable of.  Bam - that's your sign.  Take off a few days.

Second, your view on training will shed light on how you are doing.  As you wear yourself down over a few weeks, you'll begin to feel like your training load is like a truck on your chest - like it's on top of you instead you on top of it.  When you are no longer happy at the controls and instead the workouts are bullying you around the room like an 800 lb. gorilla, it's time to take off.

So when do you come back?  After a while (could be a couple of days to a week or more), you'll be going crazy to work out.  When you're bursting at the seams to start training again with an abundance of positive energy and strength, that's a great sign.  Now, wait just a little bit more.  Now, that's the right amount.

What do you do with your spare time when resting?  Work on your bike!  It could use a nice bath and a once-over to see if it needs any work done.

Enjoy!