Sorry for the lengthy time between articles, I’ve been on a cruise with my family. I never realized how little (QUALITY TIME) we truly spent together, until we were all on a boat 24/7, enjoying whatever the day brought our way.
Now that the simple life is over, and it’s back to work, I thought I’d talk a little about over-training.
As a lot of us strive to improve our performance, we spend a great deal of time training hard and long whether at the gym, on our bikes, in the pool or running.
Of course we do, this is what is required in order for us to improve our fitness. We increase our training load and our fitness improves, it’s that simple, or is it?
The truth is no, it’s not that simple, most competitive athletes recognize that getting the balance between training and recovery wrong can, and will, lead to reduced performance and what most people call over-training.
In order to detect over-training you must first know some of the signs and symptoms.
- Reduced maximal heart rate (HR)
- Increased sleeping or resting HR
- Excessive fatigue
- Prolonged recovery
- Increased susceptibility to illness and allergies
- Changes in appetite
- Depression
- Sleeping issues
- Loss of competitive drive
- Increased anxiety or irritation
- Unexplained underperformance
I know that in the beginning of my endurance racing career, I too felt some of these. It’s this type of mentality that pushes us to become better at whatever our sport is.
With that said, there are several steps to help you avoid becoming over-trained.
- Monitor your performance ( keep a diary)
- Periodize and individualize your training program (If you have a coach this should be done for you, but never assume)
- Keep a training diary (goes hand in hand with keeping a diary)
- Monitor your physiological state (regular massage will help you keep your muscles performing properly)
- Eat for performance (your performance is a direct reflection of your nutrition)
- Rest for performance (sleeping = naturally increased testosterone levels)
I know that some of this seems elementary, but you’d be surprised at how many of my online endurance clients don’t even keep a training diary.
Train hard, but train smart!
TB
