I went to Colorado State University, and like any University setting… some dorms were like the Marriott, and some dorms were like the Motel 6...
The dorm I lived in my freshman year better, resembled the Motel 6.
The day I moved in, there was hay spread the entire length of the hallway leading to the rooms.
I didn’t want to know what was under the hay, but I figured it was either to keep the smell of something undesirable down or to soak something very undesirable up... either way... there was lots and lots of hay and... it stayed there for the better part of a week.
I grew up as a Army brat, one of four kids… so, camping out was considered a vacation.
Motel 6 was fine by me but I wasn't totally thrilled with all that hay in the hall, but on the other hand, I figured as long as it wasn't in my room... I could live with it being in the hallway.
It seemed that all the kids who were housed in Motel 6 traveled in the same financial circle as I did... that being... the financial circle of broke... so I was in great company.
We were all working our way through school with part time jobs, student loans big enough to choke a horse, you know the deal...
It really wasn't so bad.... my part time job was autoclaving petri dishes that 3rd year biochem students had grown weird experiments in.
At the time I wasn't aware how hazardous the job was... for some odd reason, the little red warning indicator never went off in my tiny little brain.
You would have thought the little red warning indicator would have gone off at some point when they gave me my paper bio hazard suit, or when they gave me the rubber gloves, or the paper face mask, or even the stacks of waivers to sign... or even the big speech about never handling the petri dishes... or for GOD SAKE... never ingest what is the dish!!!
I've decided that little red warning indicator features matures in most women at age 32.
It attempts to develop in men at age 21, but then atrophies and dies due to neglect.
My red warning indicator light malfunctioned when I was young, my parents attempted to warranty it several times... I believe that's where the phrase... “Oh, for Christ Sake”... came from... but, I'm off topic...
One of my 4 roommates had a boy friend who was a self prescribed math wiz…
You see... Mr Math Wiz was responsible for the payment of year 2-4 ... Mr Math Wiz's Parents were going to pay for year 1.
Now... I would bet his parents had probably worked their butts' off for the better part of their adult lives, to save up one years worth of tuition to help this lazy meat head... and here’s where the story gets interesting.
You see… there was a dog track down the road…
So, this genius cooks up this hair brained plan… you guessed it…
He’s going to take his 1 year tuition to the dog track and decides he wants to turn it into a 4 year free ride tuition...
Brother… did this guy have a set on him or what????
And his genius mathematical strategy was???
To keep doubling his bet whether he won or lost until he hit his goal or went bust.
The crazy thing was… he actually pulled it off.
I kid you not!!!
He almost busted… I’m not sure how he picked his dogs, but there was a dog that he bet on that turned out to be a ringer and this kid honest to God made it happen…
And the really hysterical thing about this story is… His parents never had a clue that he took their hard earned money and bet it all at the DOG TRACK and then won his 4 year tuition!!!
He actually led them to believe, he was working a part time job and earning the money to pay for his tuition!!!
So my guess is, they continued to send him $20 bucks from time to time, here and there… As he slaved away at his part time job… BROTHER!!!
Wow… I have to tell you.
So… here’s the million dollar question today???
If you miss a workout… do you double down on your training?
In other words… do you try to make up for it in the next day by doing twice the workout or twice the “load“ or effort???
Here’s my thoughts on the subject.
Now this may fly in the face of what your coach may think… and that’s why I’m the Peanut Gallery… and your coach is your coach…
Doubling down is for the most part, is not a good idea. Particularly if you are on a training plan.
If you have a set training plan and you miss a work out… then “it is what it is…” you can’t make up for it.
You just pick up on your next day of training and continue on with your schedule.
If you start doubling down and adding what you’ve missed on top of your scheduled training… guess what, you are now altering your training schedule by a exponential factor, and that then has a significant ripple effect on your training plan, fatigue, rest, etc.
If you miss more than one day and try to then alter several days of training by doubling down or making other modifications… like… oh… let’s go for a 5 hour marathon hill ride with intervals tossed in and try to catch up on all of that missed training, due to work or whatever… then, why don’t you just go dig a big hole right after the ride and jump head first into the grave your just dug for yourself… because that’s about as much progress you’ve probably made for the week, with all that cram course double down training you’ve tried to do.
As a athlete, our work ethic can be a double edged sword. It is both our greatest strength and weakness.
We need to have the discipline to stop ourselves from trying to “make up” for lost work outs… there are no “make up sessions, your body won’t allow for that.
If a certain work out is that critical, than it should take the place of a work out… vs. doubling on top of a workout.
Trust me, I have tried to double down, do sneak training… even train and deny it to my coach… none of it works… it all comes back to haunt you in the end. You know why????
Your body is the ultimate gate keeper. It will break down when most need it and you least expect it to… So…. Take it from someone who knows…
The double down rarely works and if it does… only in Dog racing and in casinos…
This blog was inspired after a conversation with a friend and customer of the shop who is injured.
Regarding an injury....
Trying to figure out when to "return to play", test the injury, or make up for training is always the million dollar question.
The answer to the above question is always the same...
Listen to your doctor, coach, body. And... if it hurts... don't do it... your body is telling you something!
Have fun out there, Ride Safe
I’ll talk with you soon.
The Peanut Gallery
