How can you tell if you're overtraining? I'd like some "expert" advice from some 50 somethings (or a coach of 50 somethings!) about how to know when what I'm doing is too much. I've added weights to my swimming - I go three times a week for weights - which I follow by a fairly easy swim to loosen up my muscles. I'm still frequently sore the next day (and the next, and the next) however - but I know this is to be expected - if I didn't feel sore, I wouldn't feel like I was actually even pushing myself. the other three days of the week, I generally put in a good 90-120 minutes workout, getting in from 4500-6000m. Sometimes, like today, I get to the point where I just can NOT muster up the energy to put any real effort into the swimming - today, for instance, I did fairly well for the first 3000m, but then once we started the "real" workout, the first main set, I was just pooped. I could swim, but at only a slow pace. (By this I mean that an interval I usually can keep on a 200 by about 10 seconds, I missed by 1 second - and I was wearing zoomers. And the thought of doing like a 50 sprint, was out of the question.) This was NOT a day that I swam following weights, BTW.
Do you think this is a nutrition problem, and that I'm just not getting enough protein in my diet? I have to say categorically, that eating BEFORE practice is out of the question - I swim at 5:30 in the morning, and would probably barf if I ate before practice, although I do sometimes eat some Shot Blox. Am I overtraining & need to cut back somewhere? Or is this a short term transition (it's been going on & off for weeks now) & I need to just hang in there?
Thanks in advance!
I agree with Fort, weights 2 x's a week is enough. It also sounds like you need a recovery day once a week where you just swim EZ. Also you may want to consider a recovery week every so often!
In terms of nutrition, when I was at the High Performance Camp two years ago, we had Jennifer Brunelli (wife of Nick Brunelli) a registered dietitian and a VERY good swimmer when she was at North Carolina, talk with the group. She said two things which I have adadopted since. One was to put a few grapes at your bedside to munch on when you awaken during the night. This keeps your blood sugar up for when you arise in the morning (I put two grapes on my night stand). The second thing was the importance of eating before workout even if you swim at 5:30AM.
I too never thought I could do this ( and I swim at 5:30AM), but what she suggested and what I do is have two Ritz crackers with peanut butter and a swig of milk to wash them down before I leave for the pool. This has NEVER bothered me. Or if you think two is too much, start with one cracker or even a half and see how it goes. Your body needs fuel to perform. Try it.
I agree with Fort, weights 2 x's a week is enough. It also sounds like you need a recovery day once a week where you just swim EZ. Also you may want to consider a recovery week every so often!
In terms of nutrition, when I was at the High Performance Camp two years ago, we had Jennifer Brunelli (wife of Nick Brunelli) a registered dietitian and a VERY good swimmer when she was at North Carolina, talk with the group. She said two things which I have adadopted since. One was to put a few grapes at your bedside to munch on when you awaken during the night. This keeps your blood sugar up for when you arise in the morning (I put two grapes on my night stand). The second thing was the importance of eating before workout even if you swim at 5:30AM.
I too never thought I could do this ( and I swim at 5:30AM), but what she suggested and what I do is have two Ritz crackers with peanut butter and a swig of milk to wash them down before I leave for the pool. This has NEVER bothered me. Or if you think two is too much, start with one cracker or even a half and see how it goes. Your body needs fuel to perform. Try it.
