In august I raced my first half iron. I am 19 years young and I was happy with a 4:36 off of a six week base phase followed by a two week taper. However, that was it, I know that someone doing a half usually trains much longer and that my body probably wasn’t ready for a race like that. After the race I took a week off and came back to training nice and easy, then all of the sudden on one of my easy runs, two miles in, I hit the wall. Since then for the last two and a half months I’ve been dealing with sinus infections, flu, colds, Eustachian tube dysfunction, ongoing fatigue, mental fog, you name it. What made it worse was that I had to quickly transition into collegiate cross country season. The end result was many trips to the doctor, trials of antibiotics, nasal steroid sprays, and many days of bed rest. I’ve had complete blood panels done, thyroid tests and everything else that would be considered ‘low hanging fruit’. Everything is completely normal. Except for the fact that when I do go out for a run or try any type of training session it takes about 5 days of no activity to recover to about 80% feeling. I am now coming on one week of complete rest and have the flu, started yesterday. Hoping to be able to start training in December. Has this happened to anyone else? (I assume it has so maybe we can all sulk together while trying to find a solution) How long did it take to achieve a ‘normal feel’? Any supplement help with recovery?
You’re probably fine just chill lol listen to your body if you know you’re pushing it then just let yourself bounce back
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Jack your nutrition too get a lot of high quality food
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All said above. Had like a hole after Half iron distance race but with 8 month training for (12-16hrs/week).
Get yourself good rest, enough sleep and when your body feels like training go for an easy spin. Don’t push hard at all. Get a plan and a target next season so you will have time for suffering soon enough.
I know where you are coming from. Don’t be frustrated. I am a personal trainer by trade. I know all about anatomy and physiology, different energy systems we train, nutrition, etc. on top of everything I have been studying about triathlon and I still f’ed up bad this year myself. It is easy to look from the outside in and tell someone else what to do. It is hard to pull the breaks on yourself. Especially if you are super competitive. Which I am assuming you are be a collegiate athlete.
Last season was my second year racing triathlon. I became too obsessed with getting light to go faster. I ended up too light for myself by doing it the wrong way through a calorie deficit during a phase of peak training then just maintenance calories even though I knew better. I knew going into Racine (7/20) something was off. I was moody, tired, not pumped about training, etc. Had a decent race at Racine anyway (4:55) but my body felt torched. Too little calories for too long with hard training. I had qualified for AG Nationals (8/9) earlier in the year, which was three weeks after Racine. Do to my uber competitive nature and pressure (put on by myself only) I started hard training again 3 days after Racine. I knew something was mega off before Nationals. Like red flag can’t ignore me now off. I talked with friends about pulling out but decided to gut it out anyway. I had a great swim and then no legs on the bike or run. Plus I felt mentally defeated/exhausted. After Nationals everything just compounded.
Long story short, it has taken me until now 11/16 with sporadic training and resting to feel normal again. I took 2 weeks completely off, then tried to get back at it with 2 weeks easy training. But like you said I would always hit a wall, and I was moody, tired, always hungry, unmotivated, etc.Then 1 week off, then 1 week of training, then 3 weeks of training, then 2 weeks off.
FINALLY. The past two weeks I feel normal again, mentally and physically and am easing into easy aerobic base training. That’s the only thing that isn’t normal is my aerobic capacity which I killed with the sporadic on/off months. I should have just taken a month solid off and I would have my base back by now.
Oh well. You live and you learn. I learned a learned a ton this year. I figured out what my racing weight is, or better what it isn’t. I learned that I was putting too much pressure on myself to do well. No one but me gives a shit if I podium, top ten or whatever. I learned that I love training and racing and f’ing miss it when I don’t get to do it. I learned to listen to my body, and brain.
I hope you feel normal soon. This type of thing is more commong in endurance sports than people realize. Put your recovery on the front burner and competition and training on the back. You are young. You don’t want to mess yourself up. You have plenty of years of racing ahead of you. If you do it right, it looks like you can race at a high level (4:36 at 19).
Cheers!
It’s hard to say without seeing your overall training load for the season, including outside of triathlon. It’s very possible you dug a very deep hole in 6 weeks, didn’t taper enough and dug an even bigger hole with that race. Sometimes it’s worth taking a good 2 weeks off of nothing (I wish I had), then an even longer period off of running, swimming or cycling. You might even rotate the breaks in each.
Even though many say my training is totally wrong, I just smile when I read threads like these. And they are posted all the time.
The body can only handle so much. And if one cannot get to the starting line(s) of a race both physically and mentally ready to go, well, sure seems like a waste.
I train for my health, not for racing. I do all LSD training. I train about 2 hours a day, all year long. Taper, what is a taper.
I then use racing for my speed work.
I have read a few that have used this same training method to some very successful results.
I also just shake my head with so many who talk about how many long distance races they have done. Then when I see their age, I wonder if they understand they more than likely
that will be done racing by the time they are 50 or at best case, in their 50’s. I just see SO few older folks racing or for the few who can, how slow they run!!
Folks should enjoy their younger years with their families. These days will be gone in a blink of an eye. Then once they are out of the house, one can go nuts with training,
and kick butt since most are now sitting at home with knee or hip replacements.
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In august I raced my first half iron. I am 19 years young and I was happy with a 4:36 off of a six week base phase followed by a two week taper. However, that was it, I know that someone doing a half usually trains much longer and that my body probably wasn’t ready for a race like that. After the race I took a week off and came back to training nice and easy, then all of the sudden on one of my easy runs, two miles in, I hit the wall. Since then for the last two and a half months I’ve been dealing with sinus infections, flu, colds, Eustachian tube dysfunction, ongoing fatigue, mental fog, you name it. What made it worse was that I had to quickly transition into collegiate cross country season. The end result was many trips to the doctor, trials of antibiotics, nasal steroid sprays, and many days of bed rest. I’ve had complete blood panels done, thyroid tests and everything else that would be considered ‘low hanging fruit’. Everything is completely normal. Except for the fact that when I do go out for a run or try any type of training session it takes about 5 days of no activity to recover to about 80% feeling. I am now coming on one week of complete rest and have the flu, started yesterday. Hoping to be able to start training in December. Has this happened to anyone else? (I assume it has so maybe we can all sulk together while trying to find a solution) How long did it take to achieve a ‘normal feel’? Any supplement help with recovery?
I have come across this sort of thing over the years.
Are you stressed? Exams, financial, moved away from home, personal life?
Has some sort of viral infection been ruled out?
Talk to your doctor.
Sometimes when you have been ill, particularly with a virus all you need is rest. The problem is you feel fine until you train.
Better to rest than keep knocking the stuffing out of yourself.
Sometimes stress can give you these symptoms, even if you don’t realise you are stressed.
In august I raced my first half iron. I am 19 years young.
Warning - an alternate view.
What is your greater goal here in the sport of triathlon?
The reason that I ask, is that, it’s my feeling, and that of more than a few of the best coaches in the sport (some who I know personally), that racing this far for someone your age may not be the best for you. But that’s with long term development and optimal performance as a goal.
People your age should be working hard on mechanics in swimming and overall swim volume as well as a focus on optimizing standalone, 5k to 10k run performance. With some cycling thrown in. You’ll never get a second chance to reach your absolute best in swimming/running as you get older. Take FULL advantage of that opportunity now.
In august I raced my first half iron. I am 19 years young.
Warning - an alternate view.
What is your greater goal here in the sport of triathlon?
The reason that I ask, is that, it’s my feeling, and that of more than a few of the best coaches in the sport (some who I know personally), that racing this far for someone your age may not be the best for you. But that’s with long term development and optimal performance as a goal.
People your age should be working hard on mechanics in swimming and overall swim volume as well as a focus on optimizing standalone, 5k to 10k run performance. With some cycling thrown in. You’ll never get a second chance to reach your absolute best in swimming/running as you get older. Take FULL advantage of that opportunity now.
A very good post.
I can’t speak for triathlon. But in the sports I know, 19 is still young, and coaches / managers have to balance achievement health and potential.
It boils down to the individual. Hold back some and you deprive them of their best years and possibly their only chance to compete at the very highest level. Take another and you destroy him or her and deprive them of a long career at the highest level.
Years don’t tell the whole story. One man might be at his peak at 17, another not until 30.
Becker won Wimbledon age 17. Would he have won more Grand Slams if he were held back? His career may have lasted longer if he was held back, but on the other hand, he might have been deprived of a Wimbledon title.
I’ve seen athletes held back too long, I’ve seen them pushed too hard too soon.
It’s down to the coaches judgement.
Years don’t tell the whole story. One man might be at his peak at 17, another not until 30
I agree. There are the odd outliers.
My feeling on this is the broad approach that I’ve balanced with, as noted some of the top coaches. You’ll find few in this group, who will be suggesting 19-year-olds be racing 1/2 ironman distance races. That’s not to say that they can’t or should not - obviously, some/many do. That’s why I asked, right off the top, what the goals are here.
It’s a rare athlete who will reach their absolute peak in anything longer than say a 15min event( whatever that is), before the age of 20. Agreed that there are the odd outliers who do, but generally speaking optimal performance in events last longer than 15 minutes don’t come until an athlete is in their mid 20’s or older.
What’s interesting is that this is not far off that Gladwell 10,000 hour rule - assuming a start-up of a decent level of training in ones’ mid teens, they will reach full peak potential past 25 years at some point, and roughly close to that 10, 000 total.
Constitution is an old fashioned concept and something I think is underestimated.
Some have an iron constitution and can train and compete and absorb anything even the most ignorant coach throws at them. Another who may have a fragile constitution but far more ultimate potential would be destroyed by the same coach.
Again not endurance sport, Michael Chang won the French Open age 17. He never won another grand slam tournament.
If I remember correctly Ivan Lendle a supremely fit individual just ran out of steam in a very long 4th round match.
Top sportsmen are outliers though. For ordinary competitors the coach has to balance other concerns.
Years don’t tell the whole story. One man might be at his peak at 17, another not until 30
I agree. There are the odd outliers.
My feeling on this is the broad approach that I’ve balanced with, as noted some of the top coaches. You’ll find few in this group, who will be suggesting 19-year-olds be racing 1/2 ironman distance races. That’s not to say that they can’t or should not - obviously, some/many do. That’s why I asked, right off the top, what the goals are here.
It’s a rare athlete who will reach their absolute peak in anything longer than say a 15min event( whatever that is), before the age of 20. Agreed that there are the odd outliers who do, but generally speaking optimal performance in events last longer than 15 minutes don’t come until an athlete is in their mid 20’s or older.
What’s interesting is that this is not far off that Gladwell 10,000 hour rule - assuming a start-up of a decent level of training in ones’ mid teens, they will reach full peak potential past 25 years at some point, and roughly close to that 10, 000 total.
10,000 hours is a suspiciously round number, but so is 7 years. I’m sure I read a paper once that showed people’s best performances occur after 7 years continuous regular training.
I was also told 7 years was how long it takes to ’ build’ an athlete by a coach from the Eastern Block back in 1981.
**10,000 hours is a suspiciously round number, but so is 7 years. I’m sure I read a paper once that showed people’s best performances occur after 7 years continuous regular training. **
I was also told 7 years was how long it takes to ’ build’ an athlete by a coach from the Eastern Block back in 1981.
Indeed, they are round numbers.
Of course their is a range in the amount of training that any endurance sports athlete will do based on the sport - some more some less, but assuming 700 - 1000 hrs/year starting at 15 - 16, which with the exception of swimming is when kids start in, they will reach their peak in their mid to late 20’s - which again roughly is about right when you look at the top 10 - 20 lists of many endurance sports events of the age of those top performers.
I like the 7 years number as well. That’s why a get a bit of a laugh and a bit frustrated with triathletes, who after a year or two, are taking on Ironman, at now where near their peak possible performance. I’ts an old cliche but I still think it’s true it takes about 5 years to get ready to really train fr an Ironman!
It’s been a while since anyone posted here, but curious if you ever figured out what was happening. Your situation reflected mine down to the minutest detail…