General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Speeding up recovery? Rss Feed  
Moderators: k9car363, alicefoeller Reply
2017-08-10 2:42 PM

User image


13

Subject: Speeding up recovery?
Hey Everyone:
I'm about two months out from my first IM and, like many others in this situation, am extremely hesitant to skip workouts. Up until this point, I had been scheduling a rest week for every four weeks of training. Well, I didn't do it this time and yesterday was nothing short of brutal for me. I jumped on my bike and cranked out exhausted miles (40 miles is usually fairly easy for me). The bike was followed by a day of insatiable appetite (I ate everything that didn't run away from me) and ten hours of sleep. Yet I'm exhausted today. I decided I needed to listen to my body and skip the workout I had planned for today. I'm even considering skipping my swim tomorrow to give myself a little more time to recover. The problem is I really want to put in a long ride on Saturday and at least 2 miles in the pool on Sunday.

I've started taking Echinacea with the hope that it would help a little (primarily as a boost for the immune system so that I don't come down with something on the days before race day). I've also been trying to keep the diet as healthy as possible. I seem to remember taking a recovery drink by Heed after the Savageman 70 and, surprisingly, I wasn't even sore the next day. I'm not sure I would attribute the lack of soreness to the Heed product, but who knows. Is there anything you guys would recommend for speeding up recovery?


2017-08-10 2:58 PM
in reply to: PhilaGaryl

User image

Expert
2852
20005001001001002525
Pfafftown, NC
Subject: RE: Speeding up recovery?
We're likely doing our first IM together on the same day.

How old are you? How many hours/wk are you training? Do you have a coach? What does he/she say? What's your goal?

I'm 52. I'm doing 2 weeks build and one week rest. Builds are up to +/- 19 hrs now. Rest is about 12. I take a complete day off - every 3rd Sunday.

I couldn't imagine going 4 on and one rest.
2017-08-10 3:04 PM
in reply to: nc452010


701
500100100
Subject: RE: Speeding up recovery?
Originally posted by nc452010

We're likely doing our first IM together on the same day.


Me 3.
2017-08-10 3:44 PM
in reply to: nc452010

User image


13

Subject: RE: Speeding up recovery?
I'm doing IM Maryland on October 7th. I'm 39 and am training without a coach. Honestly, my only goal is making it across the finish line with enough energy to hoist an Rar beer.

My training has essentially been Swim one day/Bike one day/Run one day /day off - repeat. I'm estimating about 12-14 hours/week for total tri training (I also lift weights, but I don't count that as part of my tri training).

My biggest area of concern is on the bike. I live in Baltimore city, so I really don't ride my bike outdoors (too many close calls with a-holes). All my training has been on a Fluid Trac trainer with adjustable resistance. The resistance level is always set to 2 (out of 5) unless I'm running low on time; in which case I'll bump it up to 3. I've read that training on a trainer is more difficult than training on the open road, but I'd still like to know how far I can get on the open road. This is part of the reason I'm motivated to train on Saturday (60 mile group ride with a local tri club), but I'd be hesitant to join if I'm going to burn out as quickly as I did yesterday.
2017-08-10 4:22 PM
in reply to: PhilaGaryl

User image


812
500100100100
Katy, Texas
Subject: RE: Speeding up recovery?
A huge thing for me is post workout nutrition. I know there's conflicting information on the importance of timing of nutrition, but for me it's huge.

I take a high calorie protein/carb shake immediately after every workout. It's like 430 calories. Then just eat normally the rest of the day.
2017-08-10 4:33 PM
in reply to: Jet Black


701
500100100
Subject: RE: Speeding up recovery?
Originally posted by Jet Black

A huge thing for me is post workout nutrition. I know there's conflicting information on the importance of timing of nutrition, but for me it's huge.

I take a high calorie protein/carb shake immediately after every workout. It's like 430 calories. Then just eat normally the rest of the day.


I eat about 430 calories of Doritos or chocolate after a workout.
But...I'm a former fat guy. Old habits and all.


2017-08-11 8:38 AM
in reply to: PhilaGaryl

User image

Expert
2852
20005001001001002525
Pfafftown, NC
Subject: RE: Speeding up recovery?
Well, we're not doing the same race (I'm doing LOU on the 15th).

If a 40 mi. ride wore you out......you either:

1. Went WAY too hard

or

2. You need to be biking a LOT more.

I'm riding 130+ mi. on my rest weeks. Build weeks will top 200 mi. I think I'm likely on the low end of a typical build.
2017-08-13 6:39 AM
in reply to: PhilaGaryl

User image

Pro
6011
50001000
Camp Hill, Pennsylvania
Subject: RE: Speeding up recovery?

Originally posted by PhilaGaryl ...My training has essentially been Swim one day/Bike one day/Run one day /day off - repeat. I'm estimating about 12-14 hours/week for total tri training (I also lift weights, but I don't count that as part of my tri training)...

IMMD is only 8 weeks away, so I'll be brutally honest.  That's not a very good way to train.  Some assumptions need to be made about your current fitness level and I'm assuming you don't have a significant injury history, but consider taking an Ironman training plan, such as the 12 Week Half Iron to Full Iron bridge plan here on BT, or Gale Bernhardt's 13 Weeks to a 13 Hour Ironman plan, and doing the last 8 weeks of it with some tweaks as needed based on your ability to recover.  If jumping into one of those plans 4 or 5 weeks in is above your current fitness level, then you may need to start at week 1, and tweak the sessions so you're able to skip a week here and there to compress the schedule to 8 weeks, but then you're increasing injury risk.

Training doesn't increase fitness, it breaks the body down.  Recovery after training is what increases fitness.  Doses of training stress alternated with recovery for fitness adaptations to occur is what needs to happen during training.  If you're having trouble recovering, you're either not allowing enough recovery or you're trying to take too large of a "dose" of training stress at a time.  Too much training stress at a time causes you to not be recovered by the time the next training session is scheduled.  Allowing for more recovery doesn't mean more days off completely.  It means maximizing sleep, optimizing nutrition and hydration, and minimizing other sources of stress, such as work, family, financial, etc.  The objective of your training should be to apply the minimum amount of training stress that will induce the desired fitness gains.  For someone in your situation with only 8 weeks to go until the race, who is having trouble recovering, and appears to have marginal fitness, I'd also eliminate strength training completely from now until the race (assuming it's not a custom program designed to address a specific functional issue a'la physical therapy or corrective exercise).  It's additional training stress that's not specific to your needs and will only impair your progress at this point, because that time is better spent either doing more s/b/r or recovering from s/b/r training.

 

 

2017-08-13 10:16 AM
in reply to: PhilaGaryl

User image

Regular
694
500100252525
Tucson, AZ
Subject: RE: Speeding up recovery?
Originally posted by PhilaGaryl
  • Is there anything you guys would recommend for speeding up recovery?


  • It sounds like you are maybe reaching a state of possible overtraining. You are getting plenty of sleep which is great, just make the regular and not just one day!!! It helps to get a baseline to see where you are at and if you are deficient in anything that could possible be affecting recovery like Iron, Vitamin D, Magnesium, or have abnormally low hormones, thyroid issues, or high stress levels. If you are curious, here is my latest quarterly blood report. (http://www.thomasgerlach.com/2017/07/Blood-work-testing-labcorp-athlete-runner-triathlete-cyclist-endurance-biomarkers.html)

    I am a big fan of recovery boots for general recovery and to help speed up and help the body flush waste. Normatec is great but pricey, you can spend less than $400 for alternative boots like Air Relax. Here is short post doing a comparison: http://www.thomasgerlach.com/2016/08/normatec-vs-air-relax-recovery...

    While boots can be great for flushing out the legs, and that may help reduce some effort the body has to do to recover, skipping workouts is fine IMHO. They often say eliminate intensity first, then volume. So ideally you try to get out there still and reduce the workload, if you still feel terrible you can bag it. However, often times I might think I feel terrible and by the end I feel magical so getting out the door to test can be important.
    2017-08-15 2:12 PM
    in reply to: PhilaGaryl

    User image


    13

    Subject: RE: Speeding up recovery?
    Thanks guys and sorry for the delays in responding. I probably should have been a little more clear in my post. The poor 20 miler on my trainer was an anomaly. That distance is not something that normally wears me out and was the reason I decided to post on this forum. I took two days off after that session and felt like a million bucks after.

    With regard to my training program: The swim/bike/run/day off/repeat approach is accurate. However, I should have articulated that the mixture of hard/easy days is mixed in there. For example, if I do a long bike one day, the following day will be an easy (ish) run. My bike trainer has adjustable resistance, so I alternate between level 2 for easy days and level 3 (out of 5) for hard/short days. The resistance on the trainer is really meant as a means for keeping my own sanity because I get bored just cranking away for hours on end. Because IM Maryland's bike course is so flat, I figure adding some resistance to my trainer is an efficient way to strengthen myself for the bike course.

    TriMyBest: Blunt/brutal honesty is always the best honesty in my book, so thank you. In terms of injury history, I've been very fortunate in that I've had no injuries training for any of my tris (or this one). IM Maryland is not my first tri and I've had no injuries training for other events (the big one usually being Savageman 70). In terms of sleep, I'm getting about 7/night on most weekdays and usually more on the weekends, so I think I'm doing okay there. Nevertheless, I intend to follow your advice regarding the weight training and will try to figure out a way to add an additional rest day (or two) during training weeks.

    Thomas: Thank you as well for the info. Seeing how different I felt after just two days of rest was more than enough to convince me that I needed to be better about taking breaks.
    New Thread
    General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Speeding up recovery? Rss Feed  
    RELATED POSTS

    What's a "typical" recovery week look like?

    Started by nc452010
    Views: 942 Posts: 10

    2017-03-29 1:51 AM WildWill

    CECS Recovery stories

    Started by littlelorinda29
    Views: 547 Posts: 1

    2017-02-17 7:06 PM littlelorinda29

    Cybex vs recovery boots?

    Started by cappelwsu
    Views: 843 Posts: 3

    2017-02-04 1:44 PM ThomasGerlach ProTri

    Do You Use Recovery Compression Boot? Pages: 1 2

    Started by ThomasGerlach ProTri
    Views: 6954 Posts: 45

    2018-11-23 1:05 PM ThomasGerlach ProTri

    donating dual red or platelets and recovery Pages: 1 2

    Started by bossfan
    Views: 24541 Posts: 26

    2018-09-17 3:22 PM BlueBoy26