Stress + Recovery = improved fitness

So the story or math goes. Stress your body, give it time to recover and it should improve. Last year I did very little stress workouts. I spent most of the year in steady state effort and really only pushing the stress level up when I raced. Good results followed but I wasn't having as much fun. I like pushing the stress meter. So this year I decided to push the meter and let recovery happen. Fin Camp is a perfect example. Sunday Fin camp is a killer. Push that workout and you push the stress meter. The strength results are highly measurable. I can handle a much higher stress load from doing that one Sunday workout. How long I can continue on the path will be the question. Travel which pulls me away from that Sunday workout should help me recover. This all brings me to today. Stress on the treadmill:

Early morning: 5am start.

Empty Stomach

1% incline

Warm up - 10 minutes

10 X 1K on 6 minutes.

1-2, 3-4, 5-6 were ascending pace by two. 5-6 were 6:30/mile pace.

7 - 8 - 9 -10 were ascending from 6:30 down to 6:00/mile pace.

10 minute cool down.

The general pace was not hard. However this was done indoors on an empty stomach so the depletion rate was high which makes the stress high. Recovery is the key today. If done right this workout will make me stronger. Recovery includes good quality food, lots of water and a spin on the bike. Oh and good sound sleep tonight. The sleep has been hard to come by lately. Panic over idiots out there in the world, people doing things last minutes and the major adjustment from the Chiropractor all add up to fitful sleep. Hopefully tonight is deep.

It's a good life.....

Dave