I am 10 days out from doing my first ironman. I took the week after completely off. This week I have tried easing into it with 1 easy bike, 1 easy swim, a strength session, and a hike.
That said my HRV is still really low. Like equivalent to if I had 6 beers and no sleep low. My HRV is typically in the 80’s and it’s been in the 40’s. Also my resting heart rate is usually in the low 40s and it’s been in the high 50’s since the race.
My body feels okay but wondering if anyone else has experienced thi?
This is all pretty normal. I wouldn’t worry too much about the numbers and would focus on how you feel. Workouts should still feel sluggish and off for a few weeks after a race that long especially if it’s your first one. It took me around a month to have a run where I didn’t feel miserable after my first IM.
Yeah it sounds like you’re doing everything right. Just keep it easy until you’re feeling better. My recommendation is 1-2 weeks completely off. Then 1 week maybe alternating every other day. Another week of easy sessions & working out maybe 80% of your usual training days. Something like 5-6 days if you’re used to training 7. 4-5 if you usually train 5 or 6. Then the next week you go back to all of your usual training days but all the sessions stay easy. Then the following week you can add in a couple of light workouts. So, for me, it’s ~5-6 weeks or so from crossing the finish line to being ready to get into your next training block.
a month recovery time - is a good decision. Don’t push yourself.
As a coach, athlete that had 7-10 hours a week before the start, will be prohibited to do run or cycle workouts for 4 weeks. they can do swimming, stretching, easy gym, cycling at parks etc. To have a solid season athlete must have a proper recovery time.
For stronger athletes, that had 15-20 hours a week before, the recovery is shorter, they can do up to 10-12 hours a week, but no intense cycling or running
Thanks for the replies. Do you coaches recommend I continue eating like I was in peak training ? I was trying to cut back on the calories this week but wondering if my body responded poorly to that and needs the same calories to recover?