My last post highlighted some of the ancillary details outside of actual training sessions that can have a huge impact on long term fitness- in a positive or negative way, depending on the actions of the athlete. I’d like to expand on that topic further. Training and competing at a high level demands that no compromises are made with respect to training. High level endurance performance truly IS found in the detailed decisions one makes with regard to training. The previous post focused on the athlete’s emphasis on recovery, this post explores the approach to individual daily sessions.
Whether you’re an recreational triathlete or an elite post collegiate runner- I’d like to assume that all athletes are dedicated to their craft, and would like to see the maximum benefits from their sweat equity. First and foremost; every day of training logged is important to advancing your fitness level- there are no ‘throw away’ training days. The last statement isn’t going to be earth shattering new to many, but have you ever thought about how slight variations in an individual's approach to training sessions can drastically alter their effectiveness?
Sacrificing effectiveness for convenience- I have a couple of very talented training partners who I see compromising the effectiveness of what they are trying to accomplish by opting for convenience more often than they should. There’s no denying that a treadmill can be a useful tool, but how much of your total weekly mileage are you logging indoors? Used too often, I see treadmills as sort of a security blankets. A treadmill insulates the user from any training variables they might encounter out on the roads. Given two athletes of equal talent, who is going to end up the better runner over time: the one who logs all of his/her miles in a controlled climate on a plush treadmill, or the one who charges up hills as they come, mixes it up with other talented runners, and learns to adapt to adverse weather conditions in training? I’ll take runner #2 every time. If you think that logging the mileage is the only variable that matters, you may be cheating yourself.
Timing matters- Sometimes the timing or placement of training sessions within the day can have a huge impact on the effectiveness. Ultimately, putting in the effort is most important- but if you make a habit of stacking sessions close together to save time you are compromising the effectiveness of the training! Each session is key, and should be treated as such. Immediately following up a hard group swim with an interval session on the bike because you hope to take the evening off may diminish the benefits of either session. In this case, respect what you accomplished in the pool. Rehydrate, take in a quality meal, allow your sympathetic nervous system to take a deep breath, and for your muscles to enjoy a few hours of less rigorous demands before getting after it again.
My aim here is not attack anyone’s training habits, but rather to provoke some thought as you plan your training. The above is nothing more than a few thoughts I chose to share, and I respect individual methods and ideas. Maybe after reading this someone out there will reflect on what they are doing, and find a way to maximize the effectiveness of the hard work they are surely doing day in and day out.
Thanks for reading, and be safe out there on the roads.
jw
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