16/17 DOS Week 10 Run Thread
Welcome to week 10 everyone. As there is not a big change in our running sets this week, I wanted to address two thoughts: 1. there is not much time left, and 2. how to handle the inevitable sickness that rolls around.
First, I just wanted to point out we really have just 1 more month of hard work here in the DOS before we all go our separate ways in the season. The OS often feels very long to me around this time, as the fatigue and new numbers start to really take a toll. I find it helpful to realize I just have four more of whatever workout it is I have woken up to do. And the last week is pretty soft (relatively, esp as much as we have been hammering ourselves to this point!). So if you are like me and need a little mental boost as you wake up before the sun (again) to fight through a(nother) grey day, just try to remember that you only have a few more of these workouts to knock out before the OS is finished.
Second, what to do when you get sick. I, like many, have a daughter in school, and like many, walk the fine line between enough fatigue to grow and too much to weaken my body and let in the bad stuff. As happened to me last week, usually there are at least a few days when I have pushed it too far and pay the price with some kind of bug that knocks me out for a bit. So what do you do when that happens? I have heard a few different ideas and wanted to get some feedback on what you all do so that we all might have another arrow in the quiver when this happens.
For me, I used to subscribe to the rule that if the sickness is above the neck, I still exercise, but below, I rest. And I still use that sometimes. I also sometimes realize that my body just needs some total rest to deal with what is going on, so I will totally shut it down for a couple of days (I believe I saw this theory mentioned by Al T. as the way he deals with it, so I gave it its just due as a result). And in all fairness, I do like my sleep when I can get it, so this is as good a reason as any to indulge that desire. I also will immediately start taking airbone three to four times a day if it is a cold type bug. I don't with the flu as I have no desire to see that a second time!
So what do you do? Let's hear your method to getting back to full health and back in the training game. Have a great week all!
First, I just wanted to point out we really have just 1 more month of hard work here in the DOS before we all go our separate ways in the season. The OS often feels very long to me around this time, as the fatigue and new numbers start to really take a toll. I find it helpful to realize I just have four more of whatever workout it is I have woken up to do. And the last week is pretty soft (relatively, esp as much as we have been hammering ourselves to this point!). So if you are like me and need a little mental boost as you wake up before the sun (again) to fight through a(nother) grey day, just try to remember that you only have a few more of these workouts to knock out before the OS is finished.
Second, what to do when you get sick. I, like many, have a daughter in school, and like many, walk the fine line between enough fatigue to grow and too much to weaken my body and let in the bad stuff. As happened to me last week, usually there are at least a few days when I have pushed it too far and pay the price with some kind of bug that knocks me out for a bit. So what do you do when that happens? I have heard a few different ideas and wanted to get some feedback on what you all do so that we all might have another arrow in the quiver when this happens.
For me, I used to subscribe to the rule that if the sickness is above the neck, I still exercise, but below, I rest. And I still use that sometimes. I also sometimes realize that my body just needs some total rest to deal with what is going on, so I will totally shut it down for a couple of days (I believe I saw this theory mentioned by Al T. as the way he deals with it, so I gave it its just due as a result). And in all fairness, I do like my sleep when I can get it, so this is as good a reason as any to indulge that desire. I also will immediately start taking airbone three to four times a day if it is a cold type bug. I don't with the flu as I have no desire to see that a second time!
So what do you do? Let's hear your method to getting back to full health and back in the training game. Have a great week all!
2
Comments
@ Scott, great lead off in this thread. I plan on responding but I'm just letting my response gestate for a while. The short answer is, "it depends".
10K TM run over lunch for me with a 1X1 at the end......not fun and glad its over....
https://www.strava.com/activities/858472981
SS
As I said above "it depends" and some of the things I take into account are:
- other things that are going on in my life that add stress like work deadlines or emerging issues that demand a lot of attention. Remember the brain accounts for about 20% of your energy use.
- How other people around me are doing. Scott mentioned his daughter but don't forget about the workplace. Last week approximately 25% of the folks who work in my department were out sick and others were "in sick". I have a sanitizer dispenser on my desk and I use it regularly, but the germs are floating around in the air and they're almost impossible to avoid without using a respirator.
- Where I am in the training season. I know that the OS is important for building a foundation for the following race specific builds, but I try to keep it in perspective too. I'm still over 5 months out from my A+ race and my major goal is to make it to the start line healthy and ready to kick butt. If I don't make it to the start line I can't finish the race much less meet any other race goal. So I'm more likely to take some down time now so that I can be healthy when I start the race build.
- Previous workouts. Last weekend I ran a HM in a cold, like 40 degrees, steady rain. I was mainly fine while I was running, but when I stopped I cooled down quickly and got chilled while I was waiting for Susan to finish. That added some stress to the run that wasn't captured in the TSS for the run. Likewise, if I've done a block of 3 days of break through workouts I'm more inclined to give myself a break. (A lot of you are younger and this may not be an issue, but the main drag of growing old, to me at least, is that it takes longer to recover. As a result I have to program in more rest days and it makes me a little more conservative about speed work especially running.)
- Finally, but certainly not least, are my seasonal and overall goals*. The higher the seasonal goals the more likely I am to push myself to the edge.
So how do the rest of you handle this. I know we have some super humans in this group, but even you have to feel puny every now and then. If not, let us know what you're doing so we can emulate it.*I'm not a professional triathlete and I don't make my living doing this. I do it to stay fit and healthy and to help manage stress caused by other things in life. So I don't want my triathlete lifestyle to add stress to my life since it seems like it defeats part of the purpose for doing this. (And yes I do recognize that it does add stress and that the workouts have to add stress to make me faster but let's put that aside for now.) So if getting in that workout or getting in the extra credit workout causes stress by making dinner later regularly or stressing my relationships or causing me to not pay attention to things that have to get done thereby making it more likely that I'll get sick, then the workouts take the hit. Short term goals include what I want to do in certain race. If those goals are high then I will prioritize workouts and cut back on other things.
If you have a fever and/or it goes to your chest then full stop, rest and let your body fight it with all your resources.
7 miles for me on the TM with a 1X2 on the back end:https://www.strava.com/activities/859749269
SS
On Sunday, legs felt tired, got it all done, but paces just a tic off.
Nice 7.1 mi. TRP run this morning, at 5 am it was 60 deg outside-crazy weather.
My TRP run on the TM yesterday afternoon: https://www.strava.com/activities/861035444
Felt the bike fatigue during the run but also felt good to get it done.
SS
I had a 95' run with a 4 X 1.5 mile at the very low end of my Z4 HR....it was all I could mentally manage myself through honestly....next week I hope to ratchet that up a tiny bit more:
https://www.strava.com/activities/864410258
SS