One of the best things about keeping a detailed training log is looking back and seeing how things differ between training cycles and figuring out what works best. The last two weeks have been much higher than I’m used to, and I’m definitely feeling it!
Last week was particularly tough because both days of boot camp were heavy on lower body workouts. I was sore after Thursday’s class and had to cancel my long bike ride home on Friday. I had already swam and biked home at lunch that day, but on the way up the hills on my lunchtime bike ride I could tell my legs were not happy and were not up for the last bike ride.
Here are my workouts since last Monday by the numbers:
- Time exercising: 8.25 hours
- Miles run: 11.9
- Bike miles by commuting: ~22.5
- Meters swam: 2800 (? – I lost track in yesterday’s workout)
- Lunges at boot camp: TOO MANY
I know this schedule isn’t a lot to some of you triathletes out there. But to put it in perspective, my usual workout schedule is 5-6 hours a week. In order to keep this up, I need to focus on a few things. Number one: more sleep. By Friday each week, I have been exhausted. Bags under my eyes, trouble focusing, the whole nine yards. The biggest challenge here is that Neil is a night person and I’m a morning person and I have trouble falling asleep without him there. So basically, I need to force him to go to bed at 9 pm. Number two: meal planning. I need to make sure I have enough (healthy) food to get me through the day. Because we had our families over for dinner last Sunday I didn’t do my usual weekly prep. Yesterday I went to Whole Foods and this week I will be focused on eating lots of veggies and lean proteins.
Workout plan for the week (I’m assuming with the rain I won’t be bike commuting much, so I’m adding the spin classes. I’ll try to bike commute as possible though):
Monday – Rest day as always
Tuesday – AM boot camp + run 4 miles
Wednesday – swim 40 minutes + lunchtime spin class
Thursday – AM boot camp + run 3 miles
Friday – swim 40 minutes + lunchtime spin class
Saturday – run 7 miles
Sunday – Bike DC (20 mile bike ride at an easy pace)
Do you have any tips on getting through high volume workout weeks? I need all the help I can get!
-Plan out/press/etc your outfits for the week on Sunday. This is easy when you, uh, care as little about what you look like as I do.
-Get a head start on the workweek sometime on Sunday so that it doesn’t hit you like a ton of bricks on Monday. Or, two tons of bricks.
-For healthy meal planning: I love Washington’s Green Grocer. Several pounds of produce delivered to my door midday Friday? Yes please.
Love the outfit planning idea!!
I’ve just found that the first two to three weeks of high volume training are super tiring but after that your body just gets used to it and you’re not exhausted all the time anymore. I also typically front load my day with meals, having 2-3 breakfasts, lunch, snacks and only a small dinner. It definitely helps.
I love the tip about planning your outfits ahead from Victoria! That would help me so much.
Meal planning is definitely a life saver for me. Another thing I’ve been doing lately is breaking down fruit/veggies at the beginning of the week and dividing them up into containers so I can just grab and go for lunches during the week. that saves a lot of time!
yup, more sleep. make sure that you put a recovery day (swimming, for me) after a tough day on the legs. LOTS MORE SLEEP. and you probably need some extra protein for muscle recovery. make sure you are eating enough to support the increase in volume, even though you might not feel as hungry. it always takes me about a week to get adjusted to a jump in volume, and i usually do two-week blocks and then a recovery week where everything is easy.
Getting enough sleep is so important. And all the suggestions about prepping/planning are so key! I swear that preparation is at least 50% of the success. Also, what you eat is important but so is when you eat! Make sure you eat (carbs & protein) within 30 minutes after each workout. That’s the best time to get fuel back to your muscles so they’re ready to go again.
SLEEP! I agree, it’s so important. I always end up waking up on Thursday CONVINCED that it is Friday, and then I have to make the depressing realization that it’s still a day away! I’ve found that protein shakes are a great way to help your muscles recover, but they do have dairy in them–so that might be an issue for you! I totally hear you on the meal planning for the week, Sunday’s are so great for that & when I don’t get it done my whole week is thrown off!
Kim – do you have any tips on packing smoothies to bring to work? Can you freeze them and they will taste OK a few hours later?
i think boot camps with lower body work count for like 12 workouts. seriously.
my advice: eat a lot, still get your rest in! and embrace the mornings!
yikes why so many two-a-days?!
so I can kick ass in my triathlon
Excited to see you this weekend!
I can honestly say I’ve never had such a high-volume training schedule, but I definitely think sleep is super important. Good luck!
Marathon training is high volume if you ask me!