Week 6 log - 2026 - Hagen Growth

The discipline of doing less

After two intense exam weeks, this one was intentionally quieter. Instead of pushing forward or trying to regain momentum immediately, I stepped back. The focus was on giving my system time to settle before asking it to perform again. This log reflects on what it means to truly pause, and what becomes visible when rest is taken seriously rather than negotiated.

Week 6 metrics

Training
Workouts: 4 | Cycling: 3 hrs

Recovery
Avg sleep: 7:32 hrs | Sleep score: 88

Work
HG work: 7 hrs | Other work: 0 hrs

This log reflects how I’ve worked with the Hagen Growth philosophy in practice over the past week

What I worked on

This week was the first time in as long as I can remember that I took a full week off – aside from the absolute basics – without feeling much guilt or pressure to do more. It was preplanned.

After finishing my exam at the end of last week, I could already feel the mental crash coming. My stress levels were high, and it was clear that if I wanted to return to my best state, rest had to come first. So I decided in advance that this week would be a reset: only the essentials, nothing more.

I reduced training volume, dropped intervals and cycling hours, and avoided opening my computer except to write this log, publish the article, and send out the newsletter. The rest of my time was spent with friends and family.

It was the first time in a long while that I allowed myself a full week without responsibilities, pressure, or major transitions – it required some discipline.

What went well

I’ve tried to take weeks like this before. In the past, they usually worked for a few days before guilt crept in or I became too eager to get back to work. This time, I didn’t negotiate with the plan. I stayed with it.

Rest is something I understand logically. I know that performance requires slowing down at times. But emotionally, I’ve struggled with staying still for long. That’s why this week feels significant. When downtime is actually treated as downtime, it produces its intended effect – and returning to normal rhythm becomes easier, not harder.

What could have been better

While the week itself went well, I still need to improve how I handle the weeks leading up to it. I have a tendency to push too hard for too long, and when pressure accumulates, it leaves me close to burnout.

Going forward, I want to manage high-pressure periods better as they happen. Doing more for myself earlier would reduce the mental and emotional cost later.

Reflection of the week – Rest only works when you let it

I’ve taken breaks before, but most of them were conditional. A few days off before easing back in. Rest with one eye on what I should be doing instead. The body slowed down, but the mind stayed active.

This week was different. The decision to rest was made in advance, and once it was made, I didn’t negotiate with it. There was no recalculating whether I had earned the downtime yet. I stayed still long enough for the effects to actually show up.

What surprised me was how uncomfortable that stillness felt at first. I’m used to movement, intensity, and working toward something. Letting a full week exist without momentum felt unfamiliar – which was probably the clearest sign that the rest was needed.

At the same time, the week exposed a pattern I still need to watch. A full stop was necessary because the weeks before were handled too aggressively. Pressure accumulated faster than it should have. Rest worked – but it arrived late.

The lesson isn’t to take more weeks off. It’s to manage high-pressure periods in a way that doesn’t require a full reset afterward. Slowing down earlier, easing intensity sooner, and treating recovery as continuous rather than corrective.

Week 6 summarized

This week was a full week off, where only the basics were maintained. The rest of the time was spent resting and being with friends and family.

Next week’s focus

Next week I’ll be easing back into my usual rhythm.

Training – Four gym sessions and five hours on the bike. Maintain high intensity and quality, but adjust if needed.
Hagen Growth – Publish the weekly article, the weekly log, and send out the newsletter.