I’ve been fairly consistent in my training since September doing 6hours a week and sticking to an Xert Maintenance goal.
The weather was too windy yesterday to go outside and to be honest I just couldn’t be motivated to get on the turbo at 6am. The first Saturday I haven’t trained in months.
I’d normally do a 3 hour ride in any conditions but the first 2 hours tend to be before sunrise (I have family commitments for the rest of the day).
But do you know what, because I wasn’t then fatigued for the rest of Saturday, I was much more patient and pleasant to the wife and kids! I’m now starting to doubt my training, I want to keep my fitness goals but I don’t want to be that tired grumpy person at weekends either.
Any thoughts please?
It’s a thin line. I tend to spend (way) less hours on the indoor bike than I would outside. Simply because it is so much more straining. Which will influence your mood.
It’s easy to get caught in the cycle of feeling that you have to do more, or at least not less. I’d dial down training for the winter, or for a (big) part of the indoor season and get back at it somewhere mid-February.
Also, take more days off, at least one day during the weekend. That typically may be the days where you have more time available, but so be it. Compensate with higher intensity (but shorter) activities.
Use Xert’s settings wisely and smart and the system will balance it all out for you.
My experience would suggest that having 6x1 hour rides leads to a better life/riding balance than a big 3 hour ride and multiple days off. The three hours on the bike is taxing no mater the effort level for someone who is working and has family commitments. I know it can be much simpler to schedule a long day on a particular day, it just works out sometimes.
I have used Xert to vary my schedule around xss values instead of hours which has lead to me riding on other days that in the past I may have scheduled as days off and I want to say overall it has worked out for me.