Vacation Training

While having a lovely roller ski out at Afton this morning, I was telling fellow teammate, Rob Edman, about the day being a nice end to a big training week. I had put in a big week with plenty of intervals because I could (actually had the time!) and because I felt well rested after having done very little the week before while on vacation up north on the Gunflint Trail. Rob asked what my philosophy was on training while on vacation and if I tried to keep my regular schedule or if I thought taking a week off was not an issue. My philosophy is to just enjoy the vacation and not worry about training if I don’t feel like it. I always do at least a couple workouts, usually at the end of it, because I actually start to miss it and just feel like getting out and doing something to get my heart rate up and endorphins flowing. But I don’t fret over getting anything specific in. I figure that I do this for fun and if it starts feeling like a job or making life stressful, then something is wrong. While on vacation I had done plenty of easy hiking and paddling, but I wouldn’t call any of that training. I did do a couple actual workouts at the end of the week, one was just an easy pole hike and the other was some hill running intervals. I had packed a few things that I might want to do a strength workout with, but never really felt like doing one so I didn’t. I came back mentally and physically refreshed and psyched to get back at it and I think that’s how it should be.