It’s the middle of summer, it’s 80 degrees and sunny outside, yet you’re laying on the couch and shoveling bon-bons into your mouth. Your bike is in the garage, still covered in dirt from Nationals, because it hasn’t been touched in a week. You’re a bike racer though, aren’t you? What gives?
The mid-season break.
It is a difficult concept to grasp, and one that I have experimented with personally over the years. Taking a week or two off the bike, in the middle of summer, can actually save your season. By the time we get to July, many of us are pushing burnout (see previous post). But there are still a few big races left – the Gateway Cup, Green Mountain Stage Race, or your local State Championships – that become our targets in the last part of the season.
But in order to peak in August/September, many of us need some time off. Especially those crazy enough to start racing in January (myself included). It’s been a long season, physically and mentally, with the highs and lows of racing, and the constant stresses of life, training, and travel. Sometimes, the body and mind need a break, and if that necessity pops up in the middle of July, so be it.
Here are a few different ways to take time off in the middle of the season, with a couple pros and cons for each. Is there something else that works best for you? (Leave a comment down below)
- Micro-rest: 3 days off the bike. The minimalist approach. Perhaps you started racing in April, so your motivation and still high, and you don’t *yet hate riding your bike. A few days off will do no real harm to your fitness, and the mental and physical freshness that you gain from a few days off can be more of a boost than if you just kept training right on through.
- Short rest: 7 days off of training, maybe some unstructured training if you’re really feeling keen. For those who’ve trained and raced a lot this season, but are still motivated to train. During the week off, if you’re really itching to ride, you can go out for a spin without your head unit – ride some single track, spin down the bike trail with your significant other, or coast to the biergarten. Especially for those targeting Labor Day Weekend events, a week off two months before will do no harm to you on race day.
- Long rest: 10-14 days off. For those who are really pushing towards burnout. Those who despise the mere sight of their bicycle. You’ve trained too hard, perhaps raced too much, and dug yourself deep into a hole. It’s never too late, however, to take some well-earned rest, and come back to it a couple weeks later. The season isn’t over yet, and who knows: maybe you’ll come back with a fire in your belly fueled by freshness and motivation.