26.07.2017
Training is definitely not only about the miles or the hours you put in, but at least as much about what you put in the hours. A lot of (junk) miles are nice to impress your friends, they only tell a little part of the story. I see so many swimmers, cyclists, runners and triathletes who apparently only have one gear – or are able to use only one single gear. If your car has five gears, make sure you use them all. Both for your own ‘engine’ (cardiovascular system) and ‘bodywork’ (musculoskeletal system), it’s recommendable to switch between gears. Monotonous training is the recipe for overtraining (fatigue) and injuries (overload). Training at variable intensities keeps you fresh and young (we all become diesel locomotives as we grow old, but we can slow down the aging process), it prevents you from becoming a ‘lazy' swimmer/cyclist/runner/triathlete, and it very often is the difference between stagnation and improvement. Only adding a little bit of interval training, even with exactly the same mileage, can do the trick for someone who is used to always doing the same. Life begins at the end of the comfort zone. The challenge is to learn to get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable.
When we talk about quality of the training, it’s not only about intensity but also movement technique and economy. Even at slow paces, a certain ‘feel’ should be present. And believe it or not, this awareness of ‘wrong and right’ (tired or fresh) will – considerably – improve by training at different intensities. It’s the only way to acquire the experience.
If you want to learn to improve the quality of your workouts, you only have to watch closely the better athletes.
The key to unlock your potential is called rest.
1. Physical rest:
a. Make sure you have enough sleep during the night; there might be interindividual differences, but as a general rule, 5 hours is not enough and 10 hours is too much of a good thing. Remember that, just like training itself, you can get used to wrong habits. In our 24/7 society, many people suffer a chronic sleep debt without being aware.
b. Whenever you see the opportunity or feel like, take a power nap somewehere in the afternoon. You will be suprised of the beneficial effect on your subsequent workout. You will have rocket energy. Don’t fight your sleep. And if you say that you always feel sleepy after that nap, it probably means that you need it badly. In addition, you get used to it and it’s a ‘good’ habit. You will learn to plan at least 30 minutes between your nap and your (next) workout.
2. Mental rest:
a. A quiet mind, clear of too many sorrows and worries, is sometimes easier said than done. However, remember that exercise is THE stress reliever. ‘Everyday take a break of 30 minutes; except when you’re too busy, take 60 minutes’. It’s especially when you’re stressed that you shouldn’t skip that (interval) training. Give yourself time for a decent ‘warming-up’ – both your body and your mind ! When you quiet the mind, the symphony begins.
b. Don’t rush into that workout. Only by the way they arrive, you can already distinguish the better athletes from the rest. In the swimming pool, you have the ones who just jump in and you have the ones who arrive and still need 5 more minutes with some dynamic - not static ! - stretching and subtle mental preparation before cleaving the water. When coming home from a long day at work, sit back and relax for 10 to 15 minutes. Check your Facebook and Twitter on the couch. Enjoy some M&M’s (not the whole bag). Take a breath and go for your challenge. If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.
With kind regards,
Karel
#trainhardbutsmart
PS: already more than a decade ago, in the framework of a master thesis, we conducted a survey between 8 female national-level long-distance runners. The above figure shows that they pay importance to a lot of sleep, especially in the days before a race.
When we talk about quality of the training, it’s not only about intensity but also movement technique and economy. Even at slow paces, a certain ‘feel’ should be present. And believe it or not, this awareness of ‘wrong and right’ (tired or fresh) will – considerably – improve by training at different intensities. It’s the only way to acquire the experience.
If you want to learn to improve the quality of your workouts, you only have to watch closely the better athletes.
The key to unlock your potential is called rest.
1. Physical rest:
a. Make sure you have enough sleep during the night; there might be interindividual differences, but as a general rule, 5 hours is not enough and 10 hours is too much of a good thing. Remember that, just like training itself, you can get used to wrong habits. In our 24/7 society, many people suffer a chronic sleep debt without being aware.
b. Whenever you see the opportunity or feel like, take a power nap somewehere in the afternoon. You will be suprised of the beneficial effect on your subsequent workout. You will have rocket energy. Don’t fight your sleep. And if you say that you always feel sleepy after that nap, it probably means that you need it badly. In addition, you get used to it and it’s a ‘good’ habit. You will learn to plan at least 30 minutes between your nap and your (next) workout.
2. Mental rest:
a. A quiet mind, clear of too many sorrows and worries, is sometimes easier said than done. However, remember that exercise is THE stress reliever. ‘Everyday take a break of 30 minutes; except when you’re too busy, take 60 minutes’. It’s especially when you’re stressed that you shouldn’t skip that (interval) training. Give yourself time for a decent ‘warming-up’ – both your body and your mind ! When you quiet the mind, the symphony begins.
b. Don’t rush into that workout. Only by the way they arrive, you can already distinguish the better athletes from the rest. In the swimming pool, you have the ones who just jump in and you have the ones who arrive and still need 5 more minutes with some dynamic - not static ! - stretching and subtle mental preparation before cleaving the water. When coming home from a long day at work, sit back and relax for 10 to 15 minutes. Check your Facebook and Twitter on the couch. Enjoy some M&M’s (not the whole bag). Take a breath and go for your challenge. If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.
With kind regards,
Karel
#trainhardbutsmart
PS: already more than a decade ago, in the framework of a master thesis, we conducted a survey between 8 female national-level long-distance runners. The above figure shows that they pay importance to a lot of sleep, especially in the days before a race.