Little Setback

You can probably guess that there was very little training that occurred while I was in Costa Rica.  I did manage to get in a few runs but biking and swimming just weren't going to happen.    At least getting in the runs meant that I didn't lose an entire week's worth of fitness.    

I know that may sound kind of silly and I imagine some readers might be thinking that I am some sort of ultra-human gung-ho crazed lunatic.   But I promise you that as I said at the very beginning, I am not an elite athlete and never will be.  I am just a normal guy who is working hard and is determined.     The fact is that my trainer / buddy who is helping me get ready for this has told me that aerobic fitness begins to decline much faster than strength.   A weight lifter can skip several weeks in the gym and notice almost no difference in strength when he returns.   An aerobic athlete however will begin to lose aerobic fitness within about 48 hours.    

Now that I have said that, I am going to contradict myself.   While it is true that one begins to lose aerobic fitness, there is the problem of over-training that you also have to consider.   To maintain a program of aerobic challenges, you have to build in some off time as well.    

My buddy Cody more or less told me not to worry about working out at all while I was in Costa Rica.  He felt like the time off would be healthy for me.   I on the other hand am always worried about the unexpected things that will come up.   There will be times when I have a project or meeting for work and have to skip a workout.  There will be times when I am sick and will have to miss.   There will be times when I have an injury.    So, I am always worried about missing workouts when I am healthy and there are no complications.   

When I got back from Costa Rica, I started up my program again and was feeling pretty good.   I got my six month training program e-mailed to me.  (That is another story)  Cody told me that it was time to get started and I got my workout plan for the first 6 weeks.    AND THEN that same night, I slipped on some ice in a parking lot and pulled something in my left hip.   Adding insult to injury, I also came down with a back cold / flu and had to spend 3 days in bed.    So I missed the next 4 days.     

I ended up being sick for more than a week.  After 4 days, I decided that I was well enough to go back to the gym.   But it has been a rough week.  Yesterday, I had to do some sprints along with my swim routine and then I had to do a spin class.    I was so tired at the end of the day, I was in bed about 9:30.   Today, all I had to do was run 4 miles, which I did on a treadmill (it was snowing).   Once again, I am beat.    

So, I am out of the gate but it is a slow start.   

And that about brings you up to date.   

Hope all is well with you!  Thanks for reading and let me know if you have any questions, comments, or advice.   

Take care. 

David