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4. Creatine + Beta-Alanine Cyclocross Experiment Week 4

Creatine + Beta-Alanine Cyclocross Experiment Week 4

Written by Christopher Kelly

Aug. 18, 2015

I scored 10/10 on Dr. Tommy Wood's Morning Glory Recovery scale this morning, and so being forced to abort today's session was both surprising and disappointing. The confounding variables were slightly elevated HRV and a low resting heart rate of 39.

Usually, I know within the first 30 seconds of being on the bike that today is not the day for a hard ride. Today I felt pretty good, and it was only once I was 30 seconds into the first work period did I know that today was not the day.

Oddly, the average power for the first lap was really good, so I gave it another go. And another. But no, the part of my brain that drives me to push on at full gas beyond 30 seconds was completely absent today.

I'm experienced enough now to know when to stop. A few years ago I would have powered through, but now I know not to start digging an overtraining hole. It's hard to get out once you're in the hole.

This result may not be the complete absence of data. I'm certain that I've been given access to a whole new energy system and of course I've been using it. The cyclocross specific training plan I've been following for the last few weeks calls for intensity in almost every workout. Before the beta-alanine and creatine experiment, full gas was 400 watts, and now I'm regularly sustaining 600+. I suspect I now have the ability to make myself more tired.

Crap, I'm looking at these numbers again, and still I think I should have tried harder. I'll try again next week.