Training & Nutrition - Preventing Overtraining...

After all the threads on overtraining and myself I hope to get a collection of tips on preventing overtraining.

Let me first tell you about my overtraining experience

Last 6 weeks I have had a total of 5 races and have been training hard for 6 weeks. I really have not taken a week of just easy riding, even the week with no intervals (two internse night rides per week). I have been getting stronger and stronger, to the point that I had my best race ever at Ontario (for me at least) and my best ride ever (Tuesday).

Wednesday I was in the gutter. First I did not want to get on the trainer for LT intervals. I forced myself on and my HR was real low to normal but I still felt strong. I stopped early and took Thursday off. Today I got back on the bike for some sprint intervals but even in warmup I was not as strong as usual, having trouble holding 21 MPH average, previous average for an aerobic ride was 23 MPH. After 5 sprint intervals from 10 MPH to 25 MPH I was shot. I tried a race speed sprint (to 20 MPH, then to 33+ MPH) but had trouble even getting to 25 MPH again. I felt absolutly exhausted.

I am overtrained, enough said. I am taking Saturday off, Racing Sunday, then taking a full recovery week (no intervals, only aerobic riding) including a few rides to the beach to relax. I was reading The cyclist training bible today and what I felt looks like classical overtraining. He sugests a week of aerobic work with a time trial at the end, that is what I am going to do. I should be much stronger by the end of the week.

I want to prevent this next time. I know that I need to take a recovery week every 4 weeks which I neglected. Any other sugestions on how to actually avoid overtraining in the first place?

If you really want to be anal about it, you could find out your normal resting heart rate (the heart rate when you first wake up in the morning). Then, in the mornings from now on, you check your resting heart rate first thing. If it's more than 10 beats over your norm, it's an easy day. If it's 15- 20 beats over, then you're off.

Better to take off one day then overtrain and lose weeks.

Koffee

This is worth a read;
http://www.lwcoaching.com/library/recoverytools.htm

Good luck with your race tomorrow and enjoy your week of easy rides - your body will thank you for it. I base my training on 4 week blocks. I build for 3 weeks and then take the 4th as a recovery week were I cut all distances in half. So far this has been working well for me. Your coach will develop a training plan for you that should keep you from burning yourself out again.

Thanks,

Redlands is known to be one of the hardest crits in the US and today I saw why as I previewed the course helping run the public races. The first corner is a chacane that consistes of a 130 degree corner, very sharp, like a pointed triangle leading directly to a 95 degree corner imeditly after. The pace is rediculous fast.

I feel good about the race, if I survive the first corner I should be able to hang. Most people get spit off the back on the first turn. It will be my seconds cat 5 only 30 minute crit so it should be fun!

Now off to go see the pros... part of Redlands Stage Race, 90 minute of fun! :D