Training and Recovery / Racing
Well I'm back. After a 10 day hiatus without blogging...I'm making a come-back! Yeah right... Actually, I probably won't do the blogging I was prior to AZ until it gets a little closer to IM Florida. 10 weeks out should be a good time to bring back the "Red Bull" blogs (these are blogs so long you'll need an energy drink like Red Bull to get you through them). Until then...I'll drop in and out for a race report...update on training or anything my mind runs across... This should be once a week or every 10 days or so...
Now...on to the past couple weeks. Nothing really special going on....just lots of quality training. "Intensity focused" and "speed oriented" sessions. I guess you could say I've been trying to find a happy home going hard and fast. Lets just say it's a little different than IM training. Recovery now becomes the most important aspect to your training regimen.
I cannot preach recovery enough. There's only so much an athlete can do before the body starts to reject the workload. Even at low to mod intensity sessions....endurance becomes the limiting factor. With regards to both types of training...whether it be intensity driven or volume driven....both have to be respected. What I mean is "Learning how reap the rewards of each workout".
I used to tell people in the gym all the time...."It's not what you do here in the gym that matters...it's what you do when you go home....how you sleep, what you eat and even what you do tomorrow". Sure...how you execute a squat, leg press, lunge, speed session on the track, bike workout, swim interval session....etc...etc..., all dictates how the muscle and body will perform come race day!
What people don't understand is the recovery process that is needed to reap benefits of each of your workouts. You have no idea how many times I hear people talk about how fast they ran or rode and the very next day...there talkin it up all over again. All about intensity this or intensity that. I don't understand why people can't just learn to rest...recovery...
One of the most important things I stress to everyone I assist or talk too is nutrition. During and After Workouts....it makes no difference...they're both equally important!
To make is simple and easy....you have a short window (about 30 minutes) after an intensity driven workout to get in sufficient nutrients to aid in the bodies natural recovery process. Another recovery meal within 2 hours....helps boost this process even more. What your looking to do is aid in the "Resynthesis of Glycogen".
Simply put...you deplete your glycogen stores when you workout. Below is what I found reading a journal for Sports Medicine written by a graduate at MIT. I thought he did a pretty good job summarizing this topic....
"Athletes may hasten recovery by consuming at least 50 grams of high or moderate glycemic carbohydrates within the first 2 hours when resynthesis of glycogen is highest. Resynthesis of glycogen can take up to 24 hours. The total amount of carbohydrates ingested during this time is important for recovery. Depending on body size and energy expended, approximately 500-600 grams is needed for refueling. Inadequate recovery can lead to chronic fatigue, injury and a gradual decline in performance."
Think about it... You just spent the last hour or 6 hours tearing your body to shreds. You didn't do anything but break yourself down. Now you need to re-build. The tears in the muscle fiber, the aches in your knee or the glycogen depletion in your body....all these have top priority now that you've done THE WORK!
Ok...I could really talk about this forever but it's getting late and I need my sleep.
....................................................................................................
Memphis in May is 5 days away and getting closer by the minute. Another chance to race the fastest athletes in the country and couldn't be more excited. I'm headed to Memphis with the same attitude I had last year. I'm just going to show up and give it a go. Race as hard as I can and see where the chips fall. I feel pretty confident about my fitness right now but have no idea how I'll perform....if that makes any sense at all.
Memphis in May is one of the most competitive Olympic Distance race in the country.....and honestly, I'm just stoked I get the chance to race there!
After Memphis...I'll be headed south to Austin and The Capital of Texas Triathlon, Memorial Day Weekend.
Later....
Mg
Now...on to the past couple weeks. Nothing really special going on....just lots of quality training. "Intensity focused" and "speed oriented" sessions. I guess you could say I've been trying to find a happy home going hard and fast. Lets just say it's a little different than IM training. Recovery now becomes the most important aspect to your training regimen.
I cannot preach recovery enough. There's only so much an athlete can do before the body starts to reject the workload. Even at low to mod intensity sessions....endurance becomes the limiting factor. With regards to both types of training...whether it be intensity driven or volume driven....both have to be respected. What I mean is "Learning how reap the rewards of each workout".
I used to tell people in the gym all the time...."It's not what you do here in the gym that matters...it's what you do when you go home....how you sleep, what you eat and even what you do tomorrow". Sure...how you execute a squat, leg press, lunge, speed session on the track, bike workout, swim interval session....etc...etc..., all dictates how the muscle and body will perform come race day!
What people don't understand is the recovery process that is needed to reap benefits of each of your workouts. You have no idea how many times I hear people talk about how fast they ran or rode and the very next day...there talkin it up all over again. All about intensity this or intensity that. I don't understand why people can't just learn to rest...recovery...
One of the most important things I stress to everyone I assist or talk too is nutrition. During and After Workouts....it makes no difference...they're both equally important!
To make is simple and easy....you have a short window (about 30 minutes) after an intensity driven workout to get in sufficient nutrients to aid in the bodies natural recovery process. Another recovery meal within 2 hours....helps boost this process even more. What your looking to do is aid in the "Resynthesis of Glycogen".
Simply put...you deplete your glycogen stores when you workout. Below is what I found reading a journal for Sports Medicine written by a graduate at MIT. I thought he did a pretty good job summarizing this topic....
"Athletes may hasten recovery by consuming at least 50 grams of high or moderate glycemic carbohydrates within the first 2 hours when resynthesis of glycogen is highest. Resynthesis of glycogen can take up to 24 hours. The total amount of carbohydrates ingested during this time is important for recovery. Depending on body size and energy expended, approximately 500-600 grams is needed for refueling. Inadequate recovery can lead to chronic fatigue, injury and a gradual decline in performance."
Think about it... You just spent the last hour or 6 hours tearing your body to shreds. You didn't do anything but break yourself down. Now you need to re-build. The tears in the muscle fiber, the aches in your knee or the glycogen depletion in your body....all these have top priority now that you've done THE WORK!
Ok...I could really talk about this forever but it's getting late and I need my sleep.
....................................................................................................
Memphis in May is 5 days away and getting closer by the minute. Another chance to race the fastest athletes in the country and couldn't be more excited. I'm headed to Memphis with the same attitude I had last year. I'm just going to show up and give it a go. Race as hard as I can and see where the chips fall. I feel pretty confident about my fitness right now but have no idea how I'll perform....if that makes any sense at all.
Memphis in May is one of the most competitive Olympic Distance race in the country.....and honestly, I'm just stoked I get the chance to race there!
After Memphis...I'll be headed south to Austin and The Capital of Texas Triathlon, Memorial Day Weekend.
Later....
Mg
posted by Mark Gingrich at 9:27 PM
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