Keep Easy Days Easy

Erika Cote attacks "The Wall" at
the Mt. Washington Hillclimb.
Photo by Joe Viger Photography.

"Once you have commitment, you need the discipline and hard work to get you there."  ~Haile Gebrselassie

In Training Peaks vernacular, form (aka. training stress balance) is the sum of the following equation;

Yesterday's Fitness - Yesterday's Fatigue

Both fitness and fatigue are cumulative and are represented as weighted averages over the most recent and relative training cycle.  Athletes are generally in a position to perform at their peak capacity when their form is at or above zero.  The optimal form for an endurance athlete is individualized however and a qualified endurance coach with access to the above data can determine exactly the combination of training stress and recovery an athlete needs.  

Hard Work
Most endurance athletes are intrinsically and exceptionally motivated individuals who understand that hard work leads to performance improvement.  It's not difficult to get an endurance athlete to push themselves.  But the above equation suggests that there is a balance between the training stress that leads to fitness and the training stress that results in fatigue.  

Types of Recovery
Training programs with protracted and excessively high training volumes lead to undesirable and performance limiting levels of fatigue.  In best case scenarios, the athlete does not perform up to the level of their preparation.  In worst case scenarios, the athlete becomes sick or injured.  Understanding the benefit and practical application of recovery becomes instrumental to performance success.

Recovery is administered in one of two ways; absolute and relative.  Absolute recovery is a day off from training.  Generally speaking, most endurance athletes benefit from at least one absolute recovery day per microcycle (ie. week).  Relative recovery is either a cross training unit (something other than the primary activity) or a lower volume primary training unit (ie. "active recovery").  Properly prescribed "active recovery" training units utilize the athlete's primary sport (ie. running for runners or cycling for cyclists) and are at a sufficiently low intensity to provide the athlete valuable neuromuscular stimulation without resulting in unduly high levels of fatigue.

The Common Mistake
The most common mistake endurance athletes make is performing their "active recovery" training units at too high of an intensity.  This failure to execute the training plan doesn't lead to fitness gains, it leads to fatigue.  And excessive fatigue tips the training stress balance (ie. form) toward negative numbers and outcomes.  

Discipline yourself to take easy days easy.  In the end, they will ultimately lead to greater performance gains when it matters the most.

When Short On Time...Climb

When short on time, climb.

"Excuses will always be there, opportunity will not."  - Anonymous

It's common for athletes with jobs, families, and other commitments to occasionally find themselves struggling to put in training units as they were originally planned.  The age old question then becomes..."Do I skip it, or push it to another day?".

A Matter of Interference
A thoughtfully crafted training plan uses the theory of interference to associate three training units; yesterday's workout, today's workout, and tomorrow's workout.  Depending on the adaptation objective (ie. stacking to create fatigue or varied to create relative rest) those training units have a specifically prescribed modality, intensity, and duration.  When a training unit is pushed ahead a day, even to a "relative rest" day, it potentially upsets the prescribed interference.  It's often better to take a rest day than push a workout ahead.  

Not All Training Units Are Created Equal
However, for athletes whose events are less than ninety minutes or for whom ascents are a key element (ie. mountain running), there are some training units that are more physiologically important than others.  Those training units are typically the ones designed to improve anaerobic threshold (in runners) or functional threshold power (in cyclists).  Because these training units are so rigorous they are used sparingly and typically only once or twice a week.  If an athlete finds themselves trying to decide whether or not to skip one of these higher intensity training units the following expression helps to solve the dilemma...when short on time, climb.

The Most Bang For The Buck
It's always better to put in a hard 30 minute effort than to take a zero.  And there is perhaps no better training terrain than hills to hit so many important performance variables.  Hills help to improve anaerobic threshold, functional threshold power, strength endurance, and mental toughness.  If a longer threshold or tempo training unit isn't going to be feasible because life gets in the way, try one of these two SOT (short on time) workouts;

For Runners
Uphill Tabatas
10 minute-warm up
4 minutes of uphill tabatas; 10 seconds of max effort followed by 20 seconds of jogging (x8)
5-10 minute cool-down

For Cyclists
Sweet Spot 10
10 minute warm-up
10 minutes of climbing at just under FTP with 10 seconds out of the saddle surges every 3 minutes.
5-10 minute cool-down

While not specifically designed to replace an original threshold or tempo training unit, this short on time approach is far superior than a zero.
        

Take Rest Before You Need Rest

Joe Grey wins his 4th
consecutive MWRR.
Photo: Joe Viger Photography

"Take rest; a field that has rested yields a beautiful crop."  -Ovid

Athletes are taught that effort yields results.  And while it is most certainly sound physiologic principle, it is also true that periodic restoration allows the mind to refresh and the body to rejuvenate.  

The months of preparation for an "A" (or high priority) race tend to take a tremendous toll on an athlete psychologically and physiologically.  What you do following an "A" race may determine the next 6-8 months of training and racing.  Follow these guidelines to give yourself the best chance to go after your goals this fall.

Schedule A Transition
Transitions are periods in an athlete's training during which they come off a structured plan.  Generally these are scheduled after a macrocycle (8-12 weeks of training) and most commonly after an "A" race.  Without this important "time off" the grind of months of training followed by the emotional and physical toll of a big race can make an athlete susceptible to illness, injury, and burn out.  

During a transition the athlete can continue to exercise for physical and mental health but the pressure to log structured training units is removed.  The length of a transition (week or weeks) is directly related to the length of the "A" race with ultra's and marathons requiring up to four (4) weeks.  Effective transitions result in the athlete feeling mentally refreshed and physically rejuvenated. 

Take Care of Nagging Niggles
Within the last few weeks of a training cycle, leading up to a high priority event, it's easy to ignore nagging minor aches and pains (ie. "niggles").  Most athletes experience them.  The transition period is the perfect time to tend to and resolve these issues.  "Minor" physical issues have the predisposition to turn into "major" physical issues if proper attention isn't given to them.  In nearly every circumstance with a little rest (absolute or relative) these "niggles" resolve.  

Get Back In The Gym
A solid strength training program is the most overlooked and underappreciated training modality for endurance athletes.  It's usually the first thing to fall by the wayside during a focused training cycle.  Transition periods are a great time to recommit to getting to the gym on a regular basis.

It is always better to take rest before you need rest.  An effective transition is like hitting the reset button.  It allows athletes to push ahead once again toward big goals without increasing the risk of getting sick, injured, or burning out. 
   

Generally It's Important To Be Specific

Upper Walking Boss
Loon Mountain Race
Scott Mason Photography

"Forewarned, forearmed; to be prepared is half the victory." -Miguel de Cervantes

There may be no greater challenge in northeast mountain racing than the infamous section of double black diamond ski slope at the Loon Mountain Race known as Upper Walking Boss.  This kilometer of grassy ski slope not only comes near the end of a grueling 6+ mile mountain ascent, but it has sections of terrain that exceed 40% grade!  And yet for many mountain runners their race may be made or broken much further down the mountain.  When breaking down a challenge like the Loon Mountain Race the more information you have about the entire course, the more specific you can make your training and the better prepared you'll be both physically and mentally on race day.  Here's an example of how US Mountain Running team member (and client) Kim Nedeau prepared to race the Loon Mountain Race in 2016. 

Kim on her Incline Trainer.

Loon Mountain Race Preparation
Knowing most would focus on Upper Walking Boss we decided to break the course down into five distinct sections and develop a training plan and race strategy to match those very specific demands.  With widely available course GPS data and local knowledge of the terrain we created a series of workouts to match those sections.  Many of these workouts were performed on her specialized incline trainer with still others done outdoors on similar terrain.

For very good reason Upper Walking Boss is the signature element of the Loon Mountain Race.  But many folks who've raced Loon will note that the part of the course just before the Gondola is arguably just as difficult.  For us this represented two sections and were a pivotal part of the training plan and race strategy.  As an example, we named a section of the course Upper Bear Claw (after the ski trail) and developed an incline trainer workout to simulate the distance and elevation.  

Upper Bear Claw

Mile 4.8 -> 5.6

Distance: 0.8 miles

Approximate Average Grade: 20% (there are short sections here that are 30%+) 

Sample "Upper Bear Claw" treadmill workout;

1 mile at 3-5% grade (warm-up)
1/2 mile at 6-8% grade
3/4 mile at 15% grade*
1 mile at 3% grade (warm-down)

*max elevation for most commercial grade treadmills

Kim is very fortunate to have an incline trainer that elevates to 40% grade so matching the 20-30% grades of this section were possible.  This training approach allowed her to specifically prepare for the event both physically and mentally.  Successful training plans involve reducing the number of race day "surprises" under your control.

When training for an epic event like the Loon Mountain Race start by collecting as much intelligence on the course as possible.  Then break the course down into mentally manageable sections.  For very challenging ascent-only mountain races that's generally no more than a mile.  Finally, develop a training plan specifically to the unique demands of the race (terrain, footing, elevation).

You can follow Kim on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kim.nedeau.