Officially Overtrained...now what?

1288 Views 26 Replies 15 Participants Last post by kcwoodhead, Mar 19, 2008

kcwoodhead

Discussion Starter · Mar 13, 2008

So here I am 4.5 weeks out from IMAZ. The last few weekends have been like this for me: 
Feb 16-17: 1/2 Marathon (PR) 
Feb. 23-24: Run 10 miles (with 5k PR included) Saturday, bike 100 Sunday 
Mar. 1-2: Run 12 miles (with 10k race included) Saturday, bike 100/run 2 Sunday 
Mar 9-10: Run 18 miles, swim Saturday, bike 100 miles Sunday 
So, I had 3 weeks of centuries in a row and am about beat. 
On the weekdays I have generally been spinning twice a week (class on my own bike/trainer), doing 2 masters swim workouts, and running 2-3 times. Friday's are always my off day (so I have been taking at least 1 day totally off a week). 
This weekend (4 weeks from IMAZ) I have a 70 mile organized ride planned for Saturday and a 20 mile run (easy half marathon with extra miles) planned for Sunday. I'm also going to open water swim Saturday afternoon. 
The next weekend (3 weeks from IMAZ) I have an ~18 mile run and ~100 mile bike planned, then taper time. 
Weekend after that (2 weeks out) I have a short sprint race on Saturday and a 1/2 Ironman Aquabike (swimming and biking only) on Sunday. 
All that being said, what do you reduce when you decide you are overtrained? I swam this morning and am not doing anything else until Saturday morning. I am kind of stuck on keeping my weekend workouts because they are kind of milestones in my head. I know if I had to race in 3 weeks I'd be ok to go, but I don't want to start my taper this early on. I have my biggest run planned for 4 weeks out and biggest ride 3 weeks out. 
Should I reduce duration and/or intensity of some of my weekday stuff? Should I just plain take out a few workouts here and there? Last year I was certainly in the undertrained boat, and it worked out just fine for me, but this is a new "problem" for me!

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jroden

· #15 · Mar 14, 2008

Like Thor says, the hay is in the barn at this point, do some spunky paced stuff and use your race equipment to make sure it's all working well and let the mileage drift down a bit for the duration. Skip some of the races and events and get your sleep back on track. After a week of reduced volume you ought to feel much better, then get your last workouts of substance in and reduce the volume prior to your race. 
It's important to take control of your eating so you don't feel compelled to do more junk miles to burn off a sack of cookies, which will just restart the cycle.

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jroden

· #19 · Mar 14, 2008

I guess you have gotten a real torrent of advice, but I'll add one last little bit. I think there is a lot to be said for using group workouts to overcome flagging motivation, but that being said, your plan to string together two such workouts this coming weekends when you are showing signs of chronic overtraining makes little sense, since you have an expensive out of town race coming up. 
You body is sending you a very clear message that you need to enter the supercompensation phase before your big event, not pile on more junk miles. Every running race and bike tour you pile on at this point increases the likelyhood that you come down with a "suprise" cold in the week before your big race, leaving you in a position where you waste $1000 to have a lousy race or drop out. 
If it were me, I'd grit my teeth and plan to spend the weekend organizing my sock drawer and perhaps giving my bike a wash. Being an athlete requires differt types of sacrifice, riding in the snow is only the one type, the other is sitting hme when it's 75 and sunny--this weekend is time for you to do the second type and prepare for the big battle to come. 
Good luck in your big race.

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