I’m two weeks into training. So far it is going well. Admittedly, that first week was rough. Never before have I taken close to five weeks off. At first my body and brain fought the rest and recovery time. But after a week or so, I started to like this rest thing. And ultimately, by the last week, all I wanted to do was ride. Sign of a good recovery period.

I’ve had some really good rides this week. The legs are coming around. My body has started to remember what it feels like to power itself along. Most importantly, my brain is reacting well to the training sensations. I really didn’t realize how much fitness you can loose in a five week break. Maybe this only happens to me? This break definitely taught me that I’m an athlete who needs to train – not just to keep me sane but to keep my fitness levels up. I’m not one of those bike racers who can ride once or twice a week and then rip it up in the races on the weekends.

I’m looking forward to some longer rides this weekend. Continuing with focusing on riding with a high cadence and at an endurance pace. Next week the fun starts with some tempo efforts. But tempo efforts with a twist. Tempo efforts without an SRM or some kind of computer. That’s right – all done on feel. I’ve never done this. Actually, this entire month of training is being done without some kind of computer feedback. Just a digital watch so I can make sure my two hour rides don’t morph until four hour rides. It is actually a fun way to ride without being concerned with the numbers displaying on the handlebars.

What about you – how do you train in the early months? Do you go by feel and listen to your body or are you right back at it with your SRM, PowerTap, heart rate monitor, cyclocomputer, etc? Oh, I guess I should admit to one piece of technology I can’t do without on my training rides – the trusty iPod Nano. I need to have someone talking or singing in my ears. Without this, my brain goes wild and the ride gets very hectic for my crazy brain.

I’m off to find some core-centric yoga programs that I can download and do here at home. If you have any suggestions, post them up in the comments. I’m looking for the challenging, ab acheing, shaking, quivering core work-outs here – something to really fire up my abs and back muscles.