Training Block + CoV-19 Sickness - By The NumbersRecently, I finished up a training block with teammate Jerry Dufour here in the mountains of WNC. He came up for a big week, but we quickly realized the magnitude of the snow we were predicted and had to go back to the drawing board to squeeze it in. With a mix of mountain and road riding, we managed to log about 19hrs (with strength) in about 4-5 days. The two charts above show my recovery score {left) and my daily strain (right) for the week of training. We pulled the plug on Sunday, as the 12"+ of snow came in so that marks the first day off the bike. As you can see, I had a slow trickle down in overall recovery and a little boost after that Sunday off. Here was that 4 days files and what our relative goal of each was: However, then the sickness started trickling in. I was doing mostly fasted, morning trainer rides just because it was a recovery week, we were snowed in, and I'm a nerd when it comes to metabolic flexibility. Covid hit me on Friday...so now we take a deep dive there: Respiratory Rate (the number of breaths taken per minute) rose substantially from around ~14 to just sub 18 breaths. That's about 4 more breaths a minute, multiplied x 60 = ~240 more an hour. Definitely an interesting marker, indicating I was both requiring more O2 while omitting more Co2 and potentially not absorbing/accepting O2 like normal. Also, resting heart rate (RHR) tracked equally. This is my recovery starting the Friday I got ill; Saturday seemed un-phased and then the wheels came off starting Sunday. All of this is just to provide a little insight and share my experience with it. I'm now on the mend and watching the metrics climb back up. Again, I just utilize the WHOOP to reinforce where I feel I'm at with training and recovery, but in this case it was interesting to follow the indicators instead. I'll link a podcast below from WHOOP themselves on what they discovered through user input and a big database. Since, I have eased back into training with a delicate approach the first handful of days. Essentially a neighborhood spin day 5 or 6 to 3hrs on the 8th day back. Let me know what you think and if you've had a similar experience in the comments below!
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TOP TIPS FOR ESTABLISHING A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP WITH TRAININGAs the winter training kicks into gear and many of us are finding our stride, it’s important to keep a finger on the pulse of your relationship with training. BALANCE: there is often pressure to hone in on a single objective without compromise. It’s important to be flexible and keep variety in your plan to develop a good foundation. Try different routes, terrain, and workouts. Then mix in events, fun group rides, and use cross-training/strength training to keep things dynamic. SKILLS: getting *physiologically* faster is pretty cut and dry and tends to be a relatively responsive experience. Skills, on the other hand, are what allow you to capitalize on that fitness and are all-too-often overlooked. Dedicate some time to them this season and be intentional with it; it may not feel like a training day, but the benefits can be instrumental in your ability to go fast. RECOVERY: “train hard, recover harder”. Don’t be afraid to take it easy, spin, or just not ride! Recovery is what enables you to gain from all those days of work you put in. In fact, these are the days where those "blocks" get stacked up to build your fitness. Additionally, build in a time (2+ weeks ideally) where you can take your foot off the gas completely and reset. NUTRITION: fuel your workouts accordingly so that you can maximize the benefits from them. Don’t skimp on food/fuel when it you have a key workout, event, or etc. When off the bike, focus on really quality, balanced meals and eating to your needs: ie. don’t fall for stereotypes around what an athlete “should look like” or “can eat like”. Bottom line: STRONG IS FAST. PROCESS: embrace the process of developing this season. It is easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing (or say you should be doing) and lose your own “north star”. Lean into the notion that you’re building yourself up for competition and that it takes time and patience practicing the right things consistently. Highlight your calendar with important events but don’t be afraid to venture out and expand your abilities. Pick races and events that you truly enjoy, plan weekend MTB getaways with friends or family, and keep it fun so that you keep the pilot light lit for a season of training.
RACING: as the spring nears, you’ll likely begin to fill the calendar with events (exciting times!). However, not all of these are realistically going to be “peak events” – in fact only about 2-3 peaks are feasible in a season. Thus, I have athletes start with their “A Goals” that are most important. Then we layer in “B Events” and even “C Events” to help guide the training process and help athletes to understand that we’ll use some of these as “training races”. It’s important to have these low-pressure events to practice your nutrition plan, play with equipment, and get your legs underneath you. Altering and Accommodating Your Winter Riding Setup Training in the winter can be a bit of a gamble and lead to compromised rides, lost motivation, or unfortunate situations. However, when prepared for, the winter can be an exciting time to get to chase your health and performance goals. The following article is a rundown of key areas that can be changed to make your winter successful.
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AuthorCarson Beckett, 22 // UCI MTB Racer // Coach // // Student // Outdoor Enthusiast Archives
December 2022
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