Taking a rest day

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Paul Victory
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Taking a rest day

Post by Paul Victory »

I've also posted on Facebook about this.

As some of you know, I've recently made something of a comeback after a period of relative inactivity. What kickstarted this was the Facebook 31 mins of Christmas challenge which required me to row an additional minute each day in December and which got me back into the habit of erging regularly.

Have rowed every day in December (and also on 30 November), I decided to take a day of on January 1st before getting stuck into the January team challenge. Since then, I have only taken one other day off, when I had a dental operation that left me feeling very groggy. Since 1 December, I have done 700k on the erg and have significantly improved all my SBs (although still a very way behind my all time PBs).

I've been getting a twinge in my left knee, which seems to be getting worse and can feel quite sore when I'm starting to row, but generally eases out when I have warmed up. But it's got to the point where walking upstairs is quite problematic. I was thinking that I should take a day off just to over overtraining and possible injury and the sore knee would tend to support the need for the latter objective.

But I really don't want to take the day off. I'd like to continue contributing to the January challenge and I would like to keep the momentum going because I know how easy it is to flip over from wanting to erg every day to "not really feeling like erging today, but I might do some tomorrow".

So I would welcome some sage advice from my team mates.

Paul V
M 68 6'1" 124kg (May05), 92kg (Feb06), 122kg (Aug10), 95kg (Sep11), 117kg (Jun13), now 98kg
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strider77
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Re: Taking a rest day

Post by strider77 »

Paul,

I am the worse one to give advice as I always advise caution but do the opposite myself.

Last summer I damaged my left rotator cuff and my advice to myself was do not row, did I take it .....NO !

A few months ago using a much too heavy weight during a bicep curl, I tore the little muscle or tendon that connects to the main bicep muscle I think its called Palmarus longus, it made a sort of popping noise and hurt like hell for a few minutes afterwards, I told myself to definitely not row.

It tends to hurt at the end of the stroke when you finish off with your arms to the sternum, did I stop rowing-NO ! It hurts when I row but not that really sharp pain that would stop me just leaves me with a dull ache after every session.

So whatever you do don't listen to me :lol:
Last edited by strider77 on Mon Jan 20, 2014 5:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Rodger
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Re: Taking a rest day

Post by Rodger »

Paul, you're a grown man. :D I'm sure you can decide to take a day rest once in a while without losing the will to sit on the erg ever again.

Besides, I thought it was common knowledge that taking (at least) one day rest per week is vital if you want to improve, to give your muscles time to adapt to the work you've put them through. I take it you disagree on this, then?
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billwright
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Re: Taking a rest day

Post by billwright »

Take the Rest Day (or two) or you may find that enforced rest becomes the result.

Bill :fswink: :fswink:
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Paul Victory
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Re: Taking a rest day

Post by Paul Victory »

Thanks folks.

Alan, you and I are obviously of like mind. :lol: Although, I don't think you ever allow yourself to sink to quite the level I manage to reach.

Rodger, I may be old, but it doesn't mean I'm grown up. :lol:

Bill, you're absolutely right.

Anyway, I've decided to take today off and I'm having (unusually for me) a glass of red wine to cement the deal.

If I'm feeling better tomorrow, I plan to have a go at the CTC as there are a lot of team mates who might be within reach if I can really nail a session and a day's rest may be just what I need in order to achieve this. :twisted:

Paul V
M 68 6'1" 124kg (May05), 92kg (Feb06), 122kg (Aug10), 95kg (Sep11), 117kg (Jun13), now 98kg
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nervtoeter
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Re: AW: Taking a rest day

Post by nervtoeter »

I know I'm absolutely not on your level, but I can agree with Rodger you needing the rest to develop yourself. I felt weak around Christmas and reduced my program from 4 to 5 hours a week to 2 hours for two weeks. Afterwards I started again with full energy, motivation and much better results :-)
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