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MARCH 16th, 2007

Listen To Your Body

A common problem that a highly motivated (not necessarily highly skilled�) athlete is the curse of over-training. Many experts say that it is better to be under-trained than over-trained, and this morning I had to come to the realization that I need to throttle back a bit. The workouts over the last three weeks have been great, but I just haven�t allowed for enough rest time. This was supposed to be my last weekend of intense training, but I can tell that I will do more damage than good if I try to do too much. It�s a little frustrating because I have the motivation, and the time, but I guess this level of activity is just more than I am used to. Back when I was just cycling, I would ride 5 days a week, but I would usually allow 36 hours between rides to aid in recovery. I would ride Tuesday morning, then not till Wednesday afternoon, then take Thursday off, etc. But now I am swimming twice a week, weightlifting twice a week, running and riding three times each. That�s 10 workouts in a 7 day week! Don�t get me wrong, this has been a ton of fun, and great for my fitness, but maybe just a little too much to ask of a non-swimmer, non-runner to get ready for a half-Ironman in just 12 weeks!

The upside to all of this?

I got to see just where my limits are and next time I�ll be able to recognize �the edge� before I get there! Also, I get to start my 2 rest weeks a little early!

Dr. Jim

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