Spacing Workouts

timdawg7

I'm in the middle of week 2 of my first OS I find that I'm having difficulty spacing workouts.  Due to the nature of my work I often leave the house at 6 AM and so far have been able to squeeze in a 45-60 min  workout before that.  But if I can't then after work and family stuff, I find myself doing the workout at night and finishing around 9 or 10 PM.  Then I try to get the next workout in the following morning.  My concern is that long term this isn't a good idea because it isn't allowing enough recovery time.  Some days the night time workouts are fine because a day off follows.  I really want to know if everyone else is doing their workouts at the same time of day and what duration of recovery time seems to be adequate during the OS.  Thanks.

jburbatt

This happens to me every couple of weeks and I find it easier to go from run at night to bike the next morning than the reverse. I imagine it's cause I'm sitting on the bike, but it could be that the hard biking tends to cook my legs more. So if I know in advance that my schedule is going to be a night then next morning workout, I'll make sure to switch up the week so that it's run then bike. On days when this can't be avoided I focus on just getting the MS done, no extra work. Then, sometimes, when I'm better rested or on the weekends I'll add in a little extra Z3 work (not much more than I usually would, but a little bit).

I think that because the workouts are shorter in the OS the recovery time needed isn't as great as with the longer workouts, but fatigue is going to build up no matter what. You can always stand down if you're too fatigued to complete a workout, nothing wrong with taking an unscheduled day off. Don't follow the plan into a wall, be smart!

Kitboo

Agree with Jennifer...the run workouts beat me up alot more than the bike ones. So if I must do the late night then early morning workout combo, then I at least swap things around that the run follows the bike. OR if the sequence of workouts ends up at late night/early morning/late night, I try to schedule the run on the last late night so that there's 36 hours between that run and the last workout. Make sense?
I try to do my OS at the same time everyday---which is late in the afternoon/evening because I utterly cannot extract myself from the bed in the morning. It makes for easier recovery because dinner is right after the workout and watching tv with feet up follows. For early morning workouts, plan on getting a decent breakfast and wear compression socks if you stand or sit all day at work.

Catherine Branch

 Interesting idea, wearing compression socks.  I'm a morning worker-outer, and I've noticed that just 3 weeks into the OS, my legs are ... well, they're not dead, but they definitely don't have much snap.  I'm hitting my goal paces/wattage with no problem, but I'm starting to wonder if my recovery isn't all it could be.  

Do you have a recommendation for recovery compression socks?  

Kitboo

Catherine: I use knee-high compression socks bought from a pharmacy/medical supply store. The amount of compresion is 30-40mm Hg (which is a bit tight, but I like it). 20-30mm Hg would be fine. Most triathlon compression socks don't specify the amount of compression and are more expensive than granny's support socks from the local pharmacy. Also alot of triathlon brand compression socks are not graduated as in tigher at the ankles and less tight at the top of the calf. If you don't have any arterial insufficiency (narrowing of arteries) in your legs, I think the most economical way to go is 20-30 mm Hg knee-high compression socks bought for $30 at your local pharmacy---they just won't have cool triathlon logos or may come in that brown granny socks color.

jburbatt

Compression wear is definitely a must for me for the OS. Just helps in alleviating that odd fatigue feeling that's not really tired but is (I have no better way to describe it!). I use the Zoot full compression tights with the feet. If I recall correctly they list the compression and it's right about what Kitima recommends. They're obviously expensive, but the pharmacies around me either didn't carry the compression socks, or wouldn't give them to me without a prescription (I have no idea why.)

Here are a few previous threads too on compression stuff and the various brands/options:

http://endurancenation.us.dnnmax.com/Community/Forums/tabid/101/aff/24/aft/1409/afv/topic/Default.aspx#21946

http://endurancenation.us.dnnmax.com/Community/Forums/tabid/101/aff/24/aft/3285/afv/topic/Default.aspx#50357

http://endurancenation.us.dnnmax.com/Community/Forums/tabid/101/aff/24/aft/3796/afv/topic/Default.aspx#55653

grosso27

@Tim...why not just do all your training at night?  I'm out the door for work by 4:30a, so morning workouts are a no-go.

I get home a bit earlier than it sounds like you do, but I do everything at night, so it's a non-issue.

timdawg7

Thanks for all the input. I like the idea of switching bike and run workouts around. I'll try that. I have used compression devices in the past. I too use the medical type, but only because I'm a physician and have easier access to them. At first I had some doubts but I've grown to like them.



@ Ed. Because of the nature of my work some days are late into the evening while some aren't, just like some mornings are earlier than others. I wish I had a more regular schedule to make planning of the OS workouts easier, but unfortunately that is something I'll deal with. So far so good. The real time management test will come with HIM and full IM training.

 

Coach Patrick

Tim good luck and keep us posted on your progress!!!

Catherine Branch

 @ Kitima and Jennifer -- Thanks for the recs!  I'm right down the street from a CVS and will check them out today.  Hopefully they won't give me as much flack as they did you  

Jennifer, what you're describing ("that odd fatigue feeling ...") is exactly what I'm feeling!  I was thinking I was just way out of shape -- which I am -- but it's nice to know it's not just me this early in the game.

Catherine Branch

 Actually, Tim's comment about time management during IM and HIM training reminded me of a question that's been stewing in the back of my brain.  This is my first year of EN (got injured early in the OS last year and spent this year getting healthy), so I haven't seen the non-OS training plans.  

So ... what are the in-season plans like?  Are they heavy on the 2x/day workouts?  Like a lot of us, I can fit in morning workouts OR I can fit in evening workouts.  Doing both on a regular basis takes spending some SAUs and a lot of WAUs (Work Approval Units).  I can manage it, but it's easier to lay the groundwork now!  

Yes, I realize I'm jumping the gun!  It's in my nature.

Thanks!

jburbatt

Ummmm I may be blocking out my IM training, but I don't remember 2 a days (ha, or at least I didn't do 2 a days). Let's see, Thursdays were long runs, Saturdays were long hard bikes, Sundays long medium hard bikes. I recall swimming and running were the 2 in one day, but I believe it was managable to do back to back (let's just say I didn't swim much). Someone else with a better memory??

That poor recall aside, EN's theories on ROI and time management within the regular season are the same as the outseason. Obviously you're doing more than 7 hours of work, but you aren't doing obscene hours of training as advertised in other plans. It's all focused, and if need be, generally modifiable to get the real necessary work in. Especially the weekend bikes, you are acquiring the same TSS as someone doing a 6+ hour ride but getting it done in 4. Huge time management saver.

Catherine Branch

 That's good to hear!  I hope your memory is better than you think!

gsadleriii

Call me crazy, but I prefer morning workouts so much I'll get up at 3:30am to do them (even if it means 4-6hrs sleep).  In fact, tomorrow I'll be up at 3:30am to get a run in before we get on the road at 6am for our pilgrimage south for the holiday.  I know I can always control my schedule in the am and always have better workouts first thing in the morning.

If I know I'm getting up early (because of an early work start), I try to go to bed early the night prior (8p tonight) and/or the next night (to catch up on the missed sleep).  Years of odd sleep schedules and 4am wake-ups to PT (often with 4 hrs sleep...albeit I was much younger then) seems to have built a base for me here.  For me at least, cutting sleep to 4hrs (every now and then) is better than trying to cram two hard workouts in 12hrs.

Coach Patrick

Regardless if you are up or down, early or late, know that you can achieve a lot by being consistent as possible. Do your best to keep that schedule and find your rhythm (bike --> run) or (run --> bike)...and then of course staying healthy.