This week I am trying out something I saw on a cycling website, and this thing is De-training. Well the concept is somewhere about half way through the racing season most riders get a little stale and performance drops off. I remember something like this in 1981, when I thought it was due to a stomach illness I suffered from in April. 1 week after my illness I was training and racing away, but lacked that race-winning extra zip. This feeling carried on until late June. I just stopped training completely for a week and did'nt race. Once back on the bike I started feeling better, then got a 4th in a really hilly race in the Cotswolds, then in September got my first and only win that year. What I should have done is rest for 2/3 weeks after being ill, but being a stupid bike racer I thought the route to recovery lay through the pain of training, and had to train harder to make up for lost training while I was ill ! I also remember I lost 3 or so kilos when I was ill, so I started off pushing myself hard with low reserves, thinking the lost weight would help me in hilly races ! I remember my first race back about 10 days after being ill, a hilly race over the Clees, suffering where I usually excelled.
Whatever. Last night was fun, too much alcohol (bottle of crap cheap white wine, pint of lager and 3/4 bottle of champagne). I somehow doubt that drinking too much and staying up late is what de-training is about.