Time For Some Rest

I have been working very hard on all aspects of training in the past two weeks and I feel I have achieved my goal of returning to the fitness level I was had at the time of racing in Shepparton.

I am getting more comfortable with my higher arm turn-over when swimming, I am developing great strength and consistency on the bike and my running is feeling terrific using my altered technique. However, in the past few days, I have noticed the first signs of over-training and being in need of a significant rest.

The past two weeks have seen my training volumes increase significantly but it has come at a time where I have experienced a very busy period at work which has resulted in overtime and an extra shift when I would normally have a day off. All of these factors combined, have left me feeling very sluggish, restless when trying to sleep, constantly wanting to eat and struggling to find the energy I would normally have for training. 

Although, these feelings have only come on in the past 2 – 3 days, they have been quite strong.

The first day (Sunday) I felt this way, I did my medium length fartlek run. I would normally do it first thing in the morning but I decided to have a good breakfast and wait a couple of hours before commencing the session. Once I had warmed up I found my running legs quickly and had a great session. The next day (Monday) I did my strength pool session and found that it took me about half an hour to feel comfortable in the water and that my arms weren’t too heavy. However, for the rest of the day, I felt quite fatigued all over and just wanted to nap but I couldn’t as I was at work.

As I write this, it is Tuesday and I am feeling tired and lethargic. I have felt this way since I woke up despite having a good sleep. I initially thought I would just do a light bike workout but decided not to and, instead, begin a proper rest period. I had originally programmed a rest week starting yesterday but thought I would have one more build week before taking a rest week starting New Year’s Day, as I was feeling really good about my training. However, my body has decided it didn’t like that idea and the rest should start ASAP.

I think I will have an extended rest period because of this situation. I will spend the next 5 – 6 days only training a small amount and then build my training back up gradually for the following 6 – 7 days. This will leave2 and ½ weeks to train at high volumes for my final build phase into the Geelong 70.3 prior to my two week taper. Based on how my body has reacted to the last two weeks of high volume work, it appears that it will benefit from this better than the Training:Rest ratio I have currently programmed.

I am placing a top priority on getting myself feeling fresh again before I push my body into fatigue from hard training again. It needs time to absorb the hard work it has done recently and recover fully so that it can be pushed to its limits again to improve further. It’s a very fine line between general fatigue and over-training and I feel I was very close to crossing that line. When you do cross that line, it can take weeks, months in some cases, to get back to feeling right again and to the point where you can perform to your best. It’s definitely not a line I want to cross, ever!

One other step I will take in the next few days is, get a blood test. I will take the opportunity to get my levels of vitamins and minerals tested to see if I have any current deficiencies and/or excessive amounts of anything in my body. If there is anything considerably out of whack, or an infection is present, it can have various negative effects on energy levels and performance and it is essential to rectify those issues as quickly as possible to restore normal function.

It’s not always easy to do what your body is telling you because your mind wants to do something different. I have made the mistake in the past of not listening closer enough to my body and it has resulted in poor training and/or poor performance, along with illness and a really bad mood. With my strong desire for a massive performance in Geelong in just over 6 weeks, I must do all that I can to avoid major setbacks and I am taking those steps now.

Resting is equally as important as training. Learning how to do it properly can take years but the long term benefits can be outstanding.