My, How Things Change!

I am (as I believe I've mentioned) currently doing workouts that Coach TieGuy wrote for me in 2007.  It was the first full year he'd coached me, and so the workouts were kind of a baseline; he increased the volume every year after that until he stopped coaching in 2011.  Since Version 2013 of me is not capable of doing Version 2011 of the workouts, I decided to go back and start at the beginning again.  And it's been a good decision; the workouts are just the right volume and I'm completing them without having to modify anything.

TieGuy's 2007 workout schedule features distinct, frequent "easy weeks."  From June through August, there are two "hard weeks"--three oval workouts and some recovery stuff--followed by an "easy week"--one oval workout and some recovery stuff.  And frankly, these "easy weeks" were another reason I wanted to go back to the 2007 workouts.  In more recent years, TieGuy hasn't cut the load back as much for easy weeks, and as I got older it became harder to recover enough to tackle the next "hard" cycle.  So I wanted to try having an easier "easy" again.

The thing is, though, I used to hate the easy weeks.  I missed my oval workouts, I hated wanting to eat everything in sight, I felt bored and restless without the hard workouts to focus on.

Now, though?  Well, I just finished one hard week and have another one coming up...and already I can't wait for my easy week.

Can.  Not.  Wait.

It's amazing how much difference just six years of aging makes.  I still love my oval workouts, I love the challenge of doing something hard, and I love completing a workout as it's written and feeling like I couldn't have done any more.  But now, I also love resting my aching legs.  I look forward to seeing if a few days' rest will help my sore hamstring (PT is definitely improving things, but it's also clear that my workouts are not helping).  And I look forward to starting the next "hard" cycle with fresh legs.

True, my recent foray into Crossfit is probably not helping. Adding two workouts a week--workouts which, based on the current level and location of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, are using muscles that haven't been asked to perform for years--is a significant increase in load.  I'm really enjoying the Crossfit workouts, but it's pretty obvious that they are a contributor to my "thank God it's almost easy week" thoughts.

So let the countdown begin...just five more workouts until "easy week!"