Frustrated with Poor Performance-Flat workouts
I'm new to the team and I had posed some questions to Coach P and he recommended I pose those questions to the team. I have been doing tri's for the last 9 years and did my first two iron distance races in 2010 and 2011. First it was Vineman full and Ironman Arizona. Since 2011, I've done Vineman 70.3, LA Marathon, and an endurance mountain bike race called Counting Coup. Needless to say, I've stuck with endurance type racing, but I did not practice the fast then far aspect of EN.
For the last year or more, my workouts have been very flat, meaning very little power, lots of exertion and generally, I've not felt great. It's mentally screwed me because I've had trouble keeping up with my buddies when mountain biking and given up on my road riding group as I can't keep up.
One of my mountain biking buddies only rides 1x a week while I work out either typically running or riding a total of 5 days a week. On our weekend ride, I most often time can't keep up with him on climbs and it's very frustrating!
I am 44 years old, been active most of my life, especially over the last 12 years. I have been so concerned about my workouts, that I had a physical in July 2013 and mentioned to my general practitioner the following: exertion on runs (high sweat rate, heavy feel, hard time even running short distances like 4 miles), slow runs ( trouble doing an 8 minute mile), slow rides. The doctor did a heart stress test and it came back normal (actually took 12 minutes to get to 80% max HR), he tested for testosterone, and others and according to him all looked normal. I have buddies that distribute for herbalife and they swear it is nutrition related. I have been using some product such as pre- workout, during, and post activity, not sure if it's helped.
I have signed up for IM AZ for 2014 and am worried about getting through the training as I still don't feel great. I joined EN in January and have been doing the out season plan as best able. I have noticed slight improvement in doing the fast philosophy, but my body seems so slow to respond with running and I am still pretty slow on rides. HR for runs can get towards a high of 168, for rides I have generally been 15 to 20 lower.
One last thing to note is that two years ago I had severe chest colds with months of each other, and I've wondered if that reduced oxygen intake? I lately have been using an inhaler to help and it seems ok, not sure if it helps performance.
In sum, I am frustrated and not sure what to do? Should I talk to an allergist to check on lung capacity; here in Los Angeles, there is a company called Phase IV and I wonder if I should get more blood tests, performance testing such as VO2 max? I get about 7 hours of sleep a night, diet is okay, I could drink more water, I snore; I list all of this because I wonder if these are factors in poor performance?
Sorry for the rambling, but I just want to solve this before getting into the main training and be prepared for IM AZ, does anyone have any ideas??
For the last year or more, my workouts have been very flat, meaning very little power, lots of exertion and generally, I've not felt great. It's mentally screwed me because I've had trouble keeping up with my buddies when mountain biking and given up on my road riding group as I can't keep up.
One of my mountain biking buddies only rides 1x a week while I work out either typically running or riding a total of 5 days a week. On our weekend ride, I most often time can't keep up with him on climbs and it's very frustrating!
I am 44 years old, been active most of my life, especially over the last 12 years. I have been so concerned about my workouts, that I had a physical in July 2013 and mentioned to my general practitioner the following: exertion on runs (high sweat rate, heavy feel, hard time even running short distances like 4 miles), slow runs ( trouble doing an 8 minute mile), slow rides. The doctor did a heart stress test and it came back normal (actually took 12 minutes to get to 80% max HR), he tested for testosterone, and others and according to him all looked normal. I have buddies that distribute for herbalife and they swear it is nutrition related. I have been using some product such as pre- workout, during, and post activity, not sure if it's helped.
I have signed up for IM AZ for 2014 and am worried about getting through the training as I still don't feel great. I joined EN in January and have been doing the out season plan as best able. I have noticed slight improvement in doing the fast philosophy, but my body seems so slow to respond with running and I am still pretty slow on rides. HR for runs can get towards a high of 168, for rides I have generally been 15 to 20 lower.
One last thing to note is that two years ago I had severe chest colds with months of each other, and I've wondered if that reduced oxygen intake? I lately have been using an inhaler to help and it seems ok, not sure if it helps performance.
In sum, I am frustrated and not sure what to do? Should I talk to an allergist to check on lung capacity; here in Los Angeles, there is a company called Phase IV and I wonder if I should get more blood tests, performance testing such as VO2 max? I get about 7 hours of sleep a night, diet is okay, I could drink more water, I snore; I list all of this because I wonder if these are factors in poor performance?
Sorry for the rambling, but I just want to solve this before getting into the main training and be prepared for IM AZ, does anyone have any ideas??
0
Comments
Good Morning...and welcome. I trust you will get some great feedback here.
My first inclination would be overtraining....not enough recovery between workbouts....and/or a pattern of working hard every day...v. working very hard...allowing for recovery and adaptation...and then working harder....cylcicly...both short (day to day/week to week/season to season)...
I'm 52...and I hate to say this...but as we get older the recovery is even more important...
You didn't mention; do you feel flat as in this is a Plateau....or you feel flat as in this is a declining capablitiy?...
In either case my sense would be more to do with overtraining...and the distribution of training stress....the program here will help I think...especially if it is a plateau...to help you break through.
I've used a program called the "Whole 30".
There is no cost - you basically just eat whole foods, no processed anything, super strict, for 30 days.
You eliminate all inflammation-inducing foods - foods which tend to cause mild to less-than-mild allergic reactions.
Here is a link to the program (http://whole30.com/new/) - nothing to buy, but their book is a really good read for $10 (kindle)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1936608898/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=whole9-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1936608898
I suggest you to give it a try for 30 days and see how you feel. It's real clean eating, so worse case is that you'll find it too restrictive. But, I'd be willing to bet that "if" you following that program strictly for just 30 days, you'll feel better.
Good luck
If you snore, you may have sleep apnea. Consider a sleep study. I know a few guys who after being diagnosed with this and getting a CPAP or something to help with the obstruction, claim to feel like a whole new man.
Coming from me, who basically once I hit that magical 40 number just last year, got a hormone imbalance issue - like a switch it happened. No issue my whole life, then BAM, down in the gutters.
In my experience, General Practitioners (especially those that aren't endurance athletes themselves) don't realize what range your hormone levels should be in. The range of "acceptable" is massive.
I was referred to an Endocrinologist who is actually an athlete (cyclist) and he saw problems with my numbers that the General Doc didn't see, and we've addressed it. Now I'm back to normal.
I'd suggest finding a doctor that can more carefully look at your hormone levels AS AN ENDURANCE ATHLETE. Use those numbers gong forward as a baseline.
It's not easy admitting "low hormone", but I've come to grips with it and addressed it.
I've gotten into a few situations where I've been completely exhausted and totally tired and didn't know why and come to find out my iron levels were way below where they should be. So then I was off to eating hamburgers, spinach and anything high in iron I could find.
Overtraining- how would this be defined? For example, does that mean one should take a period of time completely off like two weeks here or there, or incorporate more rest days in ones routine? The OS plan so far has been good and it has been nice having a couple of days off, but going from this to an in season plan, don't you get into the overtraining mode again? My workouts, when I saw feel flat mean that it just feels like I have plateaued and can't move the needle to improve well. The OS plan has helped some with the run, but I track myself on strava, and I am mostly 2-5 minutes behind my paces for segments from 2 years ago.
Snoring-is there any way to tell if one has sleep apnea without going to a doctor or doing a study? I know my wife wakes me several times a night, but even when if I sleep by myself, I wake several times a. Night and usually have to pee, very over active bladder ( I know TMI). So I wonder if when sleeping by myself if it is sleep apnea or just being over active bladder? Just don't know where to track down the medical issues and am wary of the time and money?
Nutrition - on average my diet on a weekday is as follows:
Breakfast - herbalife shake with 3 scoops and milk
Snack - 25 lightly salted dry roasted almonds, chobani yogurt with granola, G2
Lunch - chicken wrap with cheddar and avocado
Snack - kaashi bar, banana, water
Dinner - mostly various pasta and a protein, steamed veggies or sometime none.
I take a multivitamin, vitamin c and d, fish oil daily, water intake I know does need to increase.
Pre and during ride:
Pre - herbalife prepare with 8 ounces of water, oatmeal for breakfast
During ride - water and hammer heed, Gu, honey stinger waffle
Post - herbalife endurance restore or chocolate milk, sometime just G2. To eat, sometimes a power bar
Since doing iM AZ, I have gained about 10 pounds, currently 5'10, 180. Hard to get weight off but I am not riding and running as much as then. That will increase when I start the in season plan.
Heart- I live in the Los Angeles area, anyone have any recommendations for doctors, endocrinologists, in the South Bay? I've wondered how to find a doctor that is more catering to endurance athletes?
Appreciate everyone's having taken a few moments to give some advice, thanks!
Benefits of a Big Breakfast Video: http://triathlon.competitor.com/2013/03/nutrition/racing-weight-the-benefits-of-eating-a-big-breakfast-2_44881
This video really changed how I fueled throughout the day and I've noticed a direct performance coloration with my workouts in the evening dependent on if I had or had not eaten a large breakfast in the morning. You might want to start tracking your calorie intake and expenditure using the below website. There is a iphone app, ipad app and web page so there really isn't any excuse to not enter your data each day. I've used it every day for the past 1 1/2 months and it has given me a very clear picture of how to improve my diet plus it is free. You pay only if you want more detailed information for tracking purposes.
http://www.loseit.com
I read this as you are expecting too much from yourself. To be "there" when you are actually ..... here.
The Doc said your ok nothing wrong with the body. Taking a supplement will not put you "there" nor will getting any more tests as your Doc said your ok and good to go.
You seem to have a lot of chatter in your head not being able to do this or that and then you switch to getting another check up.
Breath deep grasshopper you have a long way to go. Give yourself a chance with the training your doing and make that training plan your long range target to be the best you can be for what your training plan calls for.
Each day there is a target, your training plan of the day, nail your target for the day with idea of your long range plan in sight, that is the goal each day has its target.
Anything physical, mountain biking, running a race or an obstacle run is all just for fun as in having fun with your fitness, all a sidebar to your goal ( training target). It is all about specification doing the work you need to do for your goal. Your goal is racing SBR or you wouldn't be here training the fast before far approach. Your 44, all this training takes time. It takes a lot of time for your body to adapt to this flavor of training. Look around, a lot of folks have been here for years and are still making their way " there" , it's the fun along the way so don't get/be aggravated with yourself focus on your training forget the medical stuff your ok or the Doc would have said so.
I had major, almost 100%, blockage in the left nostril and didn't even know it. When I got it fixed, it was a miracle! I didn't know what to do with all the extra oxygen I was getting. And for the first time in as many years, I started dreaming (and remembering them) and needed less naps and less sleep (1-1.5hour less/night) to feel the same. A miracle, I say.