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Notes on Fatigue
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So with all things Covid considered, my A race this year ended up being a small local trail half marathon which we ran 2 weeks ago (Oct 3)

I had a nice mini build leading into it and I ended up 2nd over all out of 30... yay. I then decided to take some time off from training and see how things feel. I've been going consistent 5-12 hours a week for almost 5 years now with my last break being back in December due to a hip injury. (tweaked the shit out of it running downhill too fast)

The first week off was expected, working out kinks from the race, moderate soreness as par for the course.

The next week I started to feel this unaccustomed sensation of no pain/ no soreness/ no tweaks or niggles . I also stated feeling real energetic at work and home and with the kids and getting shit done around the house. It was amazing.

Two weeks in I was itching for some action so I jumped on Zwift Bigger Loop for a 2.5 hour cruise at 1.5 w/kg. (I'm getting to these last few badges in Watopia and they're all huge undertaking in my opinion. )

The point of the story: the next day after the ride I was dead tired and the crazy part is that it was a deeply familiar feeling, Ive been doing this for years. But my motivation for all this other things was down to zero. I had to take a nap.

It made me realize that in perpetually training I am perpetually functioning under the weight of training. By prioritizing training I am undermining efforts in other aspects of life. Or am I?
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Re: Notes on Fatigue [JYoung] [ In reply to ]
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What you describe doesn't sound like training too much but rather training too hard, too often. Maybe take a hard look at how you've trained and how often you've gone hard on days you didn't feel like it and adjust?

Also, I don't know how old you are but if you're getting up there, the first thing that goes is your ability to frequently train hard. You just need more recovery. I found the only way to keep racing well was a) fewer hard days and b) polarizing my training (i.e. hard days hard, easy days stupid-easy).

Finally, you said you've been going straight for 5 years. Even world-class Kenyans who run for their paychecks deliberately take large blocks of time completely off.
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Re: Notes on Fatigue [JYoung] [ In reply to ]
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It’s a never ending cycle unfortunately, you are very right.

I have energy because I train. I don’t have energy because I am training.

Strava
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Re: Notes on Fatigue [JoeO] [ In reply to ]
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JoeO wrote:
What you describe doesn't sound like training too much but rather training too hard, too often. Maybe take a hard look at how you've trained and how often you've gone hard on days you didn't feel like it and adjust?

Also, I don't know how old you are but if you're getting up there, the first thing that goes is your ability to frequently train hard. You just need more recovery. I found the only way to keep racing well was a) fewer hard days and b) polarizing my training (i.e. hard days hard, easy days stupid-easy).

Finally, you said you've been going straight for 5 years. Even world-class Kenyans who run for their paychecks deliberately take large blocks of time completely off.



Where did you get this info??? I've read of elite athletes taking perhaps 2 weeks off at the most, but I would not consider that a "large block". To me "large" would be say 6 weeks, after which a person would require a long time to regain fitness.


"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."
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Re: Notes on Fatigue [ericmulk] [ In reply to ]
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Not Kenyan runners... but I recall Chrissie W saying in books that she would take a month off after Kona and re-engage with normal things and normal people, before starting back on training.
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Re: Notes on Fatigue [BobAjobb] [ In reply to ]
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BobAjobb wrote:
Not Kenyan runners... but I recall Chrissie W saying in books that she would take a month off after Kona and re-engage with normal things and normal people, before starting back on training.

I think this all boils down to how we define "off". I've read that Dave Scott and Mark Allen also took a "month off" after Kona but what they call "off" still includes going for "very easy" runs of 5-6 miles 3-4 days/wk, and "cruising" rides, so not at all what most would consid "completely off". I wonder if Ms. Wellington did not still go and do those "park runs" that she is famous for. :)


"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."
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Re: Notes on Fatigue [ericmulk] [ In reply to ]
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Toby Tanser's book and a few others I read back when I was devouring every running book I could.
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Re: Notes on Fatigue [ericmulk] [ In reply to ]
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Where did you get this info?
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Not about the Kenyans, but this guy seems to know a thing or two. Here's what he wrote on the topic.

https://alancouzens.com/blog/off_season.html






Take a short break from ST and read my blog:
http://tri-banter.blogspot.com/
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Re: Notes on Fatigue [Tri-Banter] [ In reply to ]
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Tri-Banter wrote:
Where did you get this info?
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Not about the Kenyans, but this guy seems to know a thing or two. Here's what he wrote on the topic.

https://alancouzens.com/blog/off_season.html

Ya, I've seen this before and in fact I own a well-thumbed copy of one of Couzens's references, Tudor Bompa's "Theory and Methodology of Training". All I would add is that Couzens is not advocating just lying on the couch every day but rather some active recovery like walking, very easy swimming, and yoga. It is more or less semantics of how we define "completely off". :)


"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."
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