...and curve ball number 1

There will be many! I am old enough to know this, to know that the path forward is not a linear one.

My metaphorical Achilles heel is my lungs/respiratory health. They're a bit temperamental/vulnerable and given the right circumstances, they make me unwell. The right circumstances often come down to the things that I am doing and so I must bear some responsibility for this latest (and many other) off-peak moments! The pattern goes: I start to undersleep...cos there's just too much to do right! Then I become chronically underslept whilst training progressively...I know, right! THEN I add some additional stressors, in this case, two thirteen-hour solo drives to NW Scotland, sleeping somewhere different, and colder weather; and all of a sudden that minor cold becomes a thing. So, that happened.

On a more favourable note (I am no longer a total fool!) I recognise and act, so I cancelled everything and worked on recovery, although ironically I then slept less well because I wasn't well! Anyway, it is the passage of time, taking some time off, resting, and inevitably a course of oral steroids. I knocked myself out with sleeping tablets twice for 2 x 10.5 hour sleeps, and am now back into yellow recovery on my Whoop and easing back into training. This latest bout has given me a real kick up the backside and reminded me that I have no wiggle room where recovery is concerned. I am 50 not 30, and I have respiratory vulnerability and I am a blinkin' adult, I should do better! Again, on a positive note (because there are pretty much always things to learn/re-learn) this has made me re-evaluate some stuff. I have removed some life commitments in order to make time for sufficicent sleep in light of the things that I need to fit into my life, and I have made a proper commitment to make sleep/recovery my absolute number 1 priority. This isn't just about running, this is about health.

So, let's talk about training loads! My fantastic strength coach Daisy, had already noted a pattern of when I tend to fall ill and it tended to be at the times when I am peaking in terms of training load. Whilst beginning to think the same thing, it was immeasurably useful to have an objective observation, and I really value that input as a part of being coached. It's not that my training is responsible for poor health at all, it is just that unless we are professional athletes, we all do training alongside life, and there needs to be a balance. By its very nature progressive training uses "overload" and "adaptation" and if you aren't well/recovered enough to do the adaptation bit then you just end up overloaded. Because I am in the enormously priviledged position of having two coaches (running and strength), who are both really great at what they do, I was able to have these conversations and change the way that I train to support my recovery and prevent these enforced gaps in training. This isn't necessarily the final version but for now we are doing 1:1 harder week:easier week for run training as a trial for 3 months. By increasing the adaptation weeks to 2/4 week cycle, this may give me enough additional adaptation time that I recover better.

I am in a position of priviledge, I do know this, and lots of people aren't in the position of being able to afford coaching, however, the same principles still apply, if you are struggling to recover (usually indicated by frequent colds, slow recovery from colds, poor sleep etc), then restructuring, not just training but some life stuff as well, may be necessary. I was trying to do too many things, and the only space left to do them in was sleeping time so something had to go and the sleep had to take priority. Enough sleep is your quick win if you get it. Sleep is magical.

...and so, back to training with an easy, gentle week, lots of sleep and plenty of nutrients. Consistency isn't a linear path; it's a wiggly, wandering one but as long as you are heading in the right general direction, it's all cool.