Recovery week summary

So, I officially started my 3rd base phase this morning with a masters workout. I know everyone is suffering in the mornings with the time change but I have to say it...
Is swimming just not hard enough in the morning without a time change? Wow, I was beat this morning but I actually swam pretty well so that recovery week certainly paid off.
So, last week was my recovery week and I really enjoyed it. I caught up on things and had plenty of fun with Jess and friends. I felt really good as the week progressed (nice and rested) and I start this week fired up to put in some hard work for the next 3 weeks before my next recovery week.
I did do my 5k test run on the track and did alright since I have not done ANY hard running to date. Four weeks ago I ran
20:20 at an average 168 heart rate (this is 10 beats below my threshold). This time I ran 19:10 at an average 168 heart rate. So, decent improvement and I am happy with the result. I could tell my body really wanted to run harder, which is a good sign. It was a very, very comfortable pace for me...I would love to see what I could actually run if I didn't have to keep my HR at 168. So, a good result and plenty of rest...a great week to say the least!
Now, some of the harder work begins and I am looking forward to it. It is a balancing act at this stage...harder work but you need plenty of rest. Excitement (caused by increased fitness and post recovery week) can lead to overtraining at this stage so it is up to me to find that balance between work and rest. Often times, we (athletes) want instant gratification so we cram a bunch of hard workouts together to fit them all in during a given week but the trick is to avoid this, find a balance, and remain patient. Being a successful athlete takes a long time so trying to get there all in one season is a recipe for disaster. Lucky for me, I have some incredible resources around me and I have them to keep me in check during times of transition such as this one.
Well, have a great week and thanks for reading!