Rule of thumb question - how long do you feel it takes to lose one’s “base”? In my case, I completed IMAZ in 11:41 just over a month ago. Been doing strength training, rowing machines and stair climbers, (total of about 4 sessions per week) but no running/cycling/swimming since then. It all starts again next week (the swim/bike/run stuff that is).
As far as the run goes, with that period of time off, would you assume you’re starting from square 1 in terms of rebuilding a base, or would you be more agressive in terms of your mileage/intensity?
How do you handle your base/build after a 1-month “off season”?
I’m sure many ST’ers would agree: “You’ve not lost much base.”
Are you recharged mentally though?
Heh - whether I am or not, I’m afraid they won’t change the date of LeadMan for me. We’ll find out real fast. I think the only thing I’m not looking forward to is the cold pool deck at 6:00 am over the winter. Fortunately, it’s the LA winter, so it’s not like there’s snow on the deck. But 40 degrees is still a chilly walk to the locker room. I have to see if I can store some of that ‘cold’ up for the race. LOL.
How many years have you been actively training for endurance events? The longer you’ve been doing this, the less base you lose. There is a carryover effect from years of endurance training. A prolonged total layoff would require restarting from square one. Does not sound like that is your issue. You are probably fine, start again conservatively so you don’t pick up an injury (esp. running or cycling big gears/hills).
The generally accepted ratio when I was taking kinesiology was that after a week or so of total inactivity, you started losing fitness at a 2:1 ratio, so that each lost day after that would take 2 days of workouts to get back. You’ve not gone totally inactive, so I would bet you really have lost much except maybe the “fine edge”.
Well now I feel bad. I also did IMAZ but have probably only worked out maybe 6 times in the last 5 weeks. Guess I may need to really start back at zero. Thanks for the post though as that is exactly what I was wondering.
i guess it must be individual and related to experience. ie, I started racing bikes with a Cat 1 dude that hadn’t ridden in a couple of years(well, training with him). His first race back in March he went solo off the front with 20 mi to go to win the 100mi P12 RR.
I had femur gouging surgury in jan of '98?? 5 weeks on crutches, could not even bend the leg enough until 4 weeks to be able to sit on recumbant at gym and muster 30-40rpm(swelling and tightness was that much), 2 weeks later walking, another week riding on road, 1 more week and i won my first race back after surgury(8 weeks post op), crit on AFB in SA(old guys event of course)
It’s a function of historical foundation and recent activitiy. You have both, therefore you have lost little. You are not in race shape, but you still have a lot of mojo to get back.
Rule of thumb question - how long do you feel it takes to lose one’s “base”? In my case, I completed IMAZ in 11:41 just over a month ago. Been doing strength training, rowing machines and stair climbers, (total of about 4 sessions per week) but no running/cycling/swimming since then. It all starts again next week (the swim/bike/run stuff that is).
As far as the run goes, with that period of time off, would you assume you’re starting from square 1 in terms of rebuilding a base, or would you be more agressive in terms of your mileage/intensity?
How do you handle your base/build after a 1-month “off season”?
There is no “base”. "Base is a marketing term to sell training systems that don’t hurt
You might be talking of fat metabolism → In this case 2 weeks of specific work will maximise it (no sense doing that now or ever for an IM)
You might be talking of endurance at 2-3mmol → not lost much, it will take 2 months of specific work to get to the same level again
you might be talking of the ability to do specific work (for example an ironman) → 2 months at your level max (as at 11.41 endurance and technique are the only limiters)
With 11:41 you are definitely light years away from any genetic sealing, so I would forget the idea of “rebuilding” anything and start improving on day one. You are cought in a bunch of terminology that comes from companies, that sell ideas or cookie cutter plans, but make little physiological sense. And you are sold on a type of periodization (base in winter) that works mainly for professionals, that use huge doses of PED and train in warm weather in winter, having all the time in the world. Traditional base building in winter on top of 40hrs work when it is dark outside does not work very well. Use the winter to increase threshold endurance and technique (not by doing drills, but by sprinting and doing specific intervals) and do the long riding and running, when the days get longer and closer to the event. “Traditional periodization” comes from weight- and powerlifting, where intensity is specific and “base” builds muscle mass by lower intensities and higher duration (though that means an hour most of the time). In triathlon training “long” is specific and intensity is not, so it makes sense to turn that around for that reason alone, practically even more due to the longer daylights.
Anyway what I would do:
Avoid “one month off” in the future. At that level, a good recovery plan is 6 days of less than an hour: 3 swims, one bike, one run, one brick You can swim 20 minutes if you like but keep it rolling
You can use that plan to get moving again for 4 weeks increasing the duration of the trainings
Skip the non specific stuff (Strength, stair climbing …)
Add a fun day per week (I use cross country skiing or Mountainbiking depending on the weather)
After 6 - 8 weeks get a good training plan for your specific goals. Or even better, start with a trainer today Always to sprints in every sport once a week at least (google Tabata). Always do strength (every week, except for the recovery phase), but not in the gym but with paddles in the pool, a big gear on the bike and hills on the run.
Always to sprints in every sport once a week at least (google Tabata). Always do strength (every week, except for the recovery phase), but not in the gym but with paddles in the pool, a big gear on the bike and hills on the run.