I started a recovery week Monday after 4 very good volume weeks. I can’t tell you how shitty I felt on my recovery run. I was going slow but my HR was far higher than expected. Just felt like crap.
After 6 miles I moved on at Spin class. Just low HR spinning. Again after 20 minutes I feel like total crap, but really was not working hard.
Any advice or comments? Does this seem odd to anyone? Am I being crazy to worry about this?
Hmm, have you done good active recovery activities such as frequent massage, good recovery nutrition and adequate sleep?
The recovery workout you described to us sounds rather vigorous.
I think it is one of three things:
You need to rest “more”, i.e.- no workouts for a couple days at all, some time on the couch for some concentrated rest.
You need to not rest at all, other than lowering your intensity. Your body is adapted to the workload to such a degree that it becomes uncomfortable when you stop.
You need to do easy- very easy, short duration workouts while at the same time doing pro-active recovery activities such as 2 massages in your recovery week, maybe a hot tub (although that doesn’t work for some people) and good, quality concentrated sleep.
I tend to think number 3 might be the answer.
Sounds like overtraining to me. Take it easy. Lower your volume and intensity. That’s what recovery is all about. You’re not being crazy, you need to let your body adapt to the workload it’s been under, as well as heal.
That’s my .02
Dude…i’m recovering this week too. Rode the trainer this morning and quickly realized why I need this to be a recovery week!
I will do some training…but mostly I’m going to eat and sleep this week. I’ll do enough to keep moving…but not much more than that this week.
No worries…
I always feel lethargic during my recovery week; especially the first couple of days. Keeping them short with good stretching and nutrition seems to work. Can’t afford (probably can’t afford not to) the massages, but they would be good, too.
Larry
You feel like crap because your body is, ahem, trying to recover. Recovery takes energy and your body is working hard to make itself stronger as a result of the overloading cycle you’ve just finished. Chill out. Rest. If it feels bad, stop doing it. You aren’t losing fitness, you’re gaining it. You will know when it’s time to get back after the training because you’ll barely be able to sit on the couch you’re so amped up.