OutSeason PSA
Al originally started this for the JanOS forum/group. I've move it over here and change the title, as it's applicable to all EN athletes in the OS.
Rich
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January OutSeason Public Service Announcement
One of the great things about EN is the opportunity to shorten one's learning curve, and avoid mistakes others have made over the years. In that spirit, I offer the following advice to those both new to the OutSeason workouts, and those who may have had problems with burn-out and/or injury in years past. All of these thoughts are annually reflected by our members, and reiterated by our coaches in their podcasts. But it seems they cannot be over-emphsized.
1. The workouts are HARD. This has many implications.
2. Each workout may very well burn through your body's glycogen stores. Those MUST be replaced if you are to have any hope of getting in another quality OS workout in the next 24-36 hours. So fueling during the wko, and refueling immediately after are a top priority. Ditto fluid replacement.
3. Corollary to #2: replacing the 100-150 grams of carbohydrates in the glycogen and the water which supports it is a separate activity from trying to lose weight. If you're working on improving your body composition (reducing fat%/weight), scrimping on post wko refueling is not the way to do it. Smaller portions, better food choices at the evening meal is the strategy.
4. Recovery is where the time gains are made. Proper recovery intervals, both length and intensity, matter. As do the recovery days, usually Mon and Fri; they are there for a reason. trying to do extra credit workouts will most likely result in progressive fatigue, not improved performance.
5. Ideally, it's best to allow 24-36 hours between workouts. Eg, Tues @ bike before work, Wed run @ lunch, Thurs bike after work, Sat run/bike in the morning, Sun run in the afternoon.
6. Likewise, sleep is when your body (including your brain) does most of its recovery; sign up for the Sleep Challenge if you need help getting all the rest you'll need.
7. There is no benefit, only risk, in "over-achieving" during workouts. Biking @ 95-100% of FTP for 20-40 minutes split into intervals is hard enough to be effective; trying to do 105% for that amount of time will eventually cause the wheels to come off. Ditto for running. And there is plenty of time during race specific training to get in the longer riding and running we need. The OS is about working HARD, not LONG. Work does work.
8. It is possible to add swimming, weight room, stretching, core work, etc during the OS, as long as it does not interfere with your ability to hit the planned durations and intensities of the bike and run wkos day after day week after week. If you do swim, lift weight, etc, be prepared to pull the plug on those activities if youre feeling fatigued, in order to not miss any of the official OS wkos.
9. The OS workouts tend to build up over time. Meaning, you may feel pretty good for the first 2-3 weeks. Don't be fooled; it will get harder/longer, and if you have added in that extra credit stuff early on, you may find yourself getting "stale", or worse by week 6 or 10.
10. The coaches are great in responding in the Macro and Micro forums, and on Monday evening chats, if you feel you have special needs during the OS. And this forum will have a lot of folks who've already gone thru, and are currently going thru with you, the same OS. There are no silly questions.
Please add any further advice for we who are about to work HARD...
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Comments
Ditto and Amen! Al's excellent post says everything anyone needs to know about the OS.
I'd especially emphasize #2 and #3 regarding fueling. Fueling correctly before and immediately after the workouts is key -- as is continued smart nutrition for the rest of the day. I was eating carb-heavy last year before realizing it was not appropriate for the type of work I was doing (and I was gaining weight). Things got much better when I backed off from carbs upped my protein intake.
Likewise on #4-#7 and #9: Rest is key, and over-achieving will come back to bite you down the road. The first 8 weeks are very doable and the (big) gains will come ... but if you screw up there by building up cumulative fatigue, it'll show up BIG-TIME in weeks 9-14. Kinda like going out too fast in an IM -- you feel great at the beginning, until you don't anymore with a marathon to run...
One thing to add: Have your ducks (i.e. bike set up/trainer configuration/gadgets (are you using power? if yes, how?) and associated software/clothes/running shoes/are you running w/ footpod/HRM or not? etc ...) in a row before we start. You don't want to waste a whole lot of time/mental energy on getting organized - that's much better invested in the WORK we're doing!
Finally: Yes, you're hurting on your own during the workouts, but this is a team, and we're a big group -- draw on the power/wisdom/knowledge/experience of the group for any highs and lows you need help getting through! It's not all rainbows and dolphins, but there's a tremendous support network here to help manage and work through any challenges. The whole is larger than the sum of its parts.
See y'all on Monday
Thanks for this great post, Al! Perfect timing and I'm really, really going to focus on better nutrition before/during/after workouts, as well as the rest of the day! This is all great advice and it's a perfect reminder for all of us:-)
http://members.endurancenation.us/Resources/Wiki/tabid/91/Default.aspx?topic=No+Swimming+the+OutSeason
http://members.endurancenation.us/Forums/tabid/57/aft/7698/Default.aspx#7698
Summary is that there is a big time cost to swimming. And if you do no swimming in the winter, then start back up in late spring, within 3-4 weeks you'll likely be exactly where you were ending last season. But if you spend 3 hours a week in the pool (plus 3 more hours of admin time) you "might" be a couple mins faster on your IM swim time. Those same 6 hours dedicated to biking or running or recovering from biking or running will almost certainly get you more than those "couple of minutes". Most "normal" people could take 30-60 mins out of their combined bike and run Ironman times, this simply dwarfs the gains that could be made swimming for "most" AG athletes. There are a few exception: If you're on the KQ bubble and swimming is your limiter versus the other KQ competition, OR if you are simply a "rock" in the water and expect a 1:40:00-2:20:00 IM swim time, then you simply need to spend time in the water to help better setup the rest of your IM day. It's all about "ROI" in da haus and the ROI on time spent swimming in the winter is by far the lowest for most AG athletes, when compared to biking and running.
One of the first warning signs of over-fatigue for many of us has been how you feel on the "extra time", particularly in running.
As you start the first couple of weeks and are still super fresh, it's one thing to have more energy than you do in weeks 3-4. (Still, don't over do it!) But if you see yourself barely making that easy pace on your easy runs or on the extra time after a couple of TP miles, that's often an early sign that your fatigue is accumulating and it's time to look to see if you've been overachieving too much on the bikes and runs.
Particularly for people for whom this is their first OS or if you are starting completely out of shape, there is a bit of natural "overachieving" that occurs because you are making such rapid gains in those first few weeks. In other words, by week 3, your FTP may really have a higher FTP than you did at the beginning, so doing 103% or something isn't THAT big a deal for SOME people. But in the 2nd and subsequent OS, or past the half way point in the OS, it can really bite you. This is a hard lesson for people who made huge gains in the first OS because they were really just learning how to ride and run hard...as you get closer to your potential, the gains are smaller and harder...and overachieving is punished more severely. :-)
If you do catch yourself getting over-fatigued, taking a couple days of "just doing the time" and dropping the intensity is better than burning out.
Good luck everyone!
Every OS there are plenty of people who think it is too "easy" in the first 3-4 weeks and start adding in a whole bunch of other things by either doing more than the prescribed intervals or running at paces that are faster than what the plan says. This seems easy because you "can" run a little harder or bike a little longer, right? Wrong. You are paying Coaches RnP good money for their plans. And you have the benefit of many, MANY Outseasons in the collective wisdom of da Haus, so use it. These OS plans are designed to accumulate work over time. They are BOTH building you up and breaking you down over time through this accumulation of fatigue. They are designed to ramp up in such a way to provide maximum bang for the buck once you get to the last 4 weeks or so of the training block. If you come out of the gates too hard then you will be adding too much stress too early and "breaking down" more than you are "building up". This will seem great for 4-7 weeks (you being an over-achieving rockstar and all), but right when you hit the crucial point of the plans (where big gains are supposed to be made) you will either get sick or you will simply be "stale". This is another reason for so much emphasis on Nutrition, Recovery, and Sleep. These are all very important to let your body "build up" and absorb all of this work that you are putting into it. AND to try, try, try to help keep you from getting sick and messing up an important phase of the OS.
Good Luck all. Work Works!
p.s. I realize now I'm repeating what William said, oops, I wrote this last night but just now posted and re-read the thread and replies.
I second all this. In summary, especially for all the first time OS folks, do NOT let Carl be your guide. Pay scant attention to him and stick to the plan. He's not normal. ;-) No, strike that winky icon.
How about pea protein powder as a sub for whey? Egg protein?
1. It's been said, but don't underestimate the fatigue that accumulates.
2. Some days will suck. You will not hit every target. That said, 2x20 @ .9 or .88 FTP is NOT a waste of time. At all. Do not sweat it; all you can do is all you can do. Just follow the plan. Progress is generally non-linear. (Thus the phrase "boom").
3. Focus on the MAIN SET, especially in the beginning, and esp during the week. If it's 2x1 mi @ TP and 1 hour, then warm up, hit it, cool down. When you're hitting the targets and feeling like "that's it?" --then accumulate extra time in z2 or whatever the plan suggests.
4. Pay very close attention to nagging aches. You will be running fast, particularly in the VO2 phase or when striding uphill. If you're working hard, then injuries will come sudden and sharp. Ice, stretch, whatever if you've got chronic issues. Don't neglect them.
5. Use the team. Not only for questions, but for holding yourself accountable and, where necessary, begging for help. The dash is especially useful for this.
Your body will change, and when you go outside, adding the volume will be easier. I felt different--not as "snappy" as other years when I was self-trained, but able to go for 3 hours without a problem.
Now I'm off to change my power tap battery, put air in the tires, and set the bike up for tomorrow's test.
Carl, you doofus. I can't manage to do half what you do. I'll see you on the other side of this morning. And like I said. DON'T TEST. You're supposed to be tapering in order to be Dopey this weekend, ya dope.