Lessons learned from a tough workout week
Well a self-coached athlete is always learning and I learned some things this week that I thought I'd share in case others can learn from them too.
For context, I finished my OS in week 13 then last week dropped staight into week #12 of the HIM plan. It was a test week so I replaced the tests with hard workouts and this week is week #13 of the HIM plan. The volume jump from the OS to the HIM plan was essentially ~6 hours/week to ~13 hours/week.
In any case I had a tough week this week workout-wise with two failed workouts in a row…my first two failed workouts since the start of the JOS. Due to travel and work I had to shuffle my workouts and my week ended up as follows:
Monday: Swim (was supposed to be swim/run)
Tuesday: Very hard 60' run (makeup from Monday and added an extra mile repeat at TP) in DC while travelling. Swim at 8pm upon returning to Chicago
Wednesday: Long run (supposed to be Thursday). Did while on business travel to NYC. Workout failed as I was unable to complete 2x12@z4. Finished 90' @7:09 pace, about 7"/mile slower than z2/MP
Thursday: Bike 60' starting at 10pm after returning to Chicago. Failed workout as I was unable to complete the 4x5'(5')@110%. Did 3'(3'), 2' @110% then the last 30' as 2x14'(2')@z3. Skipped the brick.
Friday: Swim 2800yd, very good workout. Deliberately decided not to run to recover the legs for the weekend biking that I hope will be successful…
Overall I learned 3 things this week:
1. Just jumping from "less than OS" to the full HIM plan volume is too much, too fast. In prior years I've ramped up the volume slowly by adding long weekend rides and swimming to the OS plan and doing some "hybrid" weeks. Those have been much more successful.
2. My "shuffling" workouts this week was not right. Doing the long run on Wednesday meant that a hard 110% bike workout was not possible the very next day. And moving the TP run to Tuesday meant that the long run on Wednesday was bound to be tougher. Those swaps individually might have worked but the three of them in combination was not great.
3. I'm not eating enough with the new workout volume. In prior years I've been annoyed to see my weight stay steady or go up in the In-season so I've been trying to maintain an OS diet with HIM volume. I have kept a calorie deficit every day since Saturday and the accumulated calorie deficit was ~2700 calories from Saturday through Thursday and ~1500 over the course of Wednesday/Thursday (my RMR is ~1600). That left me weak and I'm convinced was a major contributor to Thursday's failed bike. I was down 2.5 lb this week but clearly that was not a good trade…
Live and learn!!
Comments
FWIW, I went from NOS into week 8 of HIM training. I had one transition week and then, since week 8 was test week, used that week to ramp up volume before doing HIM plan as of week 9. Even with that, due to the increase in workout frequency and volume, I found the transition to be incredibly difficult. I certainly can't imagine doing it without a transition phase and will probably put a single sport focus phase between OS and race specific training next year (it hasn't helped that winter seems to be dragging forever...). That being said, when I felt like I couldn't handle it anymore, I reached out to the coaches who a) helped me make some modifications to my woks; and b) talked me off the ledge. It worked for me! good luck!
When I shuffle that much, I pick 2 workouts (a bike and a run) that are my KEY workouts for the week and the REST of the week is FLUFF (ie...recovering or prepping). Keeps me from getting greedy, whether on purpose or by accident. Seems to be the only way I can survive a hectic week and have some gas in the tank for the following week that I hope to stay on schedule.
[I'm not a big fan of flipping stuff around every week. I'm a big believer that R&P have done their homework on strategically placing the ez wko's into the plan. I do everything I can to follow that, for the long haul. But, I know that we all have crazy life/work stuff that dictates the flexibility....that's when we have to apply the CONCEPTS of EN but not overdo it, put too much on our plate, ya know?!]
And the calorie deficit thing is so individual that it's hard to comment on it...other than the fact that it probably has had a big impact. Eat up!