Thursday, June 3, 2010

Rollin on by.

Yesterday, today and tomorrow are indoor trainer riding days. Why? Well the dreaded head cold has hit my house and I have my daughter home sick. She has been coughing and spluttering for 2 days and needs to have the remainder of the week off school. I'm lucky in that she is not a little child anymore and doesn't need the constant attention of a toddler so I can still get some exercise in. It just has to be indoors.

Yesterday while I fitted in 30 minutes of spinning and all my regular stretches and strengthening exercises I started to think about how inconsistent my training is. Every magazine I read says I need to have 3-4 sessions of running, the same of cycling and swimming. How do I do that with a family? I am happy to just focus on doing one session a week swimming for now but that still means I have all those other sessions to squeeze in and make them consistent.

The plan I came up with goes like this:
  • Monday - Bike ride
  • Tuesday - Run
  • Wednesday - Gym, run intervals
  • Thursday - Swim
  • Friday - Run (short) as my morning is spent training my friend.
  • Saturday - Run (long)
  • Sunday - Bike (long)
Problem I already see, there is no actual REST day. I could label Friday as my rest day but I am still doing something. So how important at this stage is a rest day? I would really appreciate some input. My brain is totally saturated with information and it is all getting totally overwhelming. And, how close to the day does the training actually become very hard?

What do you guys think?

7 comments:

  1. Looks like a well balanced training week session!...but you nee one rest day!


    Cheers from Hong Kong!

    ¨XTB¨Xavi.

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  2. I don't schedule a rest day. Partially because I know that they are occasionally going to come up anyway due to schedule, and partially because I've found that if I just do a swim day w/o another session, it serves as active recovery and usually is enough to keep me in good shape rest wise. Also every 3rd week I'll cut back a bit. Just listen to your body. If you are feeling good and remain injury free (outside of what I know you have going on at the mo') then you should be fine. Are you sleeping OK? That's a big sign of over-training.

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  3. Thanks Xavi.

    Patrick: I haven't slept well for the last 14yrs, however since training I go through periods of normal sleeping habits and one night where I sleep the whole night thru about once a fortnight. But I do feel rested most days when I wake up. Some days I notice my back hurts more and there is no rhyme or reason to it, it just does. Thanks for your feedback, I appreciate it.

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  4. In my triathlon training plan, I need at least one rest day a week. It's important to let your body recover so it can heal and remain strong. Without a rest day, you could burn out.

    To get more of those sessions in, I do a combo workout once or twice a week - usually a swim plus run or bike plus run. The runs are shorter than when I just do a run workout, but that combination really trains your body to adapt and work when it's tired.

    I personally prefer to do these combo workouts all at the same time. I think you get the most benefit from them that way, and spend your time more efficiently. Some people split them up into two workouts a day. I don't like doing it that way.

    Hope that helps!

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  5. Keep on keeping on. I make any excuse I can not to get in the pool. Of course, you are not making excuses... but I would. Hope your daughter feels better soon.

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  6. I do schedule a rest day, it is a must so you dont over train. 3-4 sessions in one discpline is more for the athlete that is only doing one discipline. I do 2 of my strentghs and 3 of my weakness

    ex
    2 swims
    2 bikes
    3 runs (injuried now, but it was what I was doing before hand)

    then double up on your strong days with strentgh training, as for family, the only thing I find that works is 5 am workouts. It can be done, there thousands upon thousands of triathletes with families

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  7. Cyclin'Missy: thankyou, I may just have to start doing the double combo deal. It does seem more time efficient.

    Mark:thankyou. I think for now swimming is the one thing I am most confident at so I can let that slip for a while, the other two i really have to focus on.

    BDD:thankyou for your feedback. Those 5am workouts are starting to seem like they will have to happen.

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I am so happy you have stopped by. You have made my day.

Your hard work will be rewarded.

"The path to a dream is paved with sacrifices and lined with determination. And though it has many stumbling blocks along the way, and may go in more than one direction, it is travelled by belief and courage and conquered with a willingness to face challenges and take chances" Barbara Cage