Week 3 is behind me and I wonder where the first three weeks went. I don't think I've quite realised it yet. This week was even more intense than the last two. I started with the long run in the heart rate zone 1, which is always the best training day of the week for me. Day two was the interval training. I don't want to describe my suffering about it again now. I'll just say that it was one more interval than the previous week. And if you believe my fitness watch, it was comparatively bad. I did the two runs in zone 2 on the treadmill again. And they were also more intense than before. But every time I'm happy about how good my performance is and what my body can do.
The scheme of my trainings is the same every week, as I described in the report on the first week. However, the times I run in each zone and the order of the days vary. Why is actually quite simple to explain. You only achieve change through variation. Once the body gets used to something, it has no reason to improve. We humans are indeed "creatures of habit", but only because it is simplest for us. We stay in our comfort zone and don't have to push ourselves to our limits. So it is the interplay of continuity and variation that is important for successful training. For this reason, I never train two weeks in a row with the same times or in the same order. So far I have improved every week. Of course, you can't keep this up until the competition. That's why you have to take a step back every now and then. Shorter times and distances. Recently I heard the saying "To take a step back is to take a run-up." That's exactly how it is! That's why I'm now taking a break after three weeks of training. I won't be doing any running training next week. Because something like that is also part of the variation. After that, the stimulus of the coming training will be even greater and lead to even more progress. Of course, I will also be moving around this week. Hiking and climbing are on the agenda, but no running. I don't expect a huge drop in my performance, because a week's break doesn't mean that anything in the body has regressed. Of course, I will start less intensively afterwards. Just a run-up.
A break is also good for the psyche. Because the mind thinks of nothing else most of the time. Every time I train, I'm afraid I won't be able to achieve my goals. The break allows me to switch off, clear my head and recharge my batteries for the next time. After all, only three weeks have passed. That's not even a quarter of what's still ahead of me.