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!
For your age, you are probably overtraining. You are also over reacting and over thinking. If you have constant muscle soreness, you may want to consult a doctor. It could be unrelated to weights or swimming. Low potassium levels will have that effect, along with some tired/lethargic feelings.
Hey Boninator! Haven't heard from you in a while! I agree with you, work can be exhausting sometimes! But I swim at 5:30 am so I can't use that as an excuse, lol! I think if I could grab a 30 minute nap in the afternoon, everything would work itself out, but alas, my patients want me awake when I see them. I'm gonna cut back to doing just 4500 max for a while, and weights only twice a week. I was reading the symptoms of overtraining (it's an actual syndrome, BTW) and I have 4 out of the 9 symptoms, well, maybe only 3, but still, it was enough to sober me. And I'm sorry to say, that Fortress advised me to only do weights twice a week a couple of months ago, and I ignored her! Live & learn. I have also noticed many older people, athletes or not, seem to need quite a bit more sleep than the young - my 82 yo father-in-law is asleep more than he's awake, now days.
Thanks McNair! I'm gonna look into liquid protein - usually they taste like yuk though. Not sure an energy bar would stay down - unless I get up earlier to eat it. I've noticed some of the kids on the team get out during our bathroom/water break & will eat like half of a granola bar, so that's an idea.
Bonk
This should be a scientific term. When your body says you can't do more, trust it. It's not worth the injury risk to push it. It's probably not a bad idea to experiment with different diets and see if it helps (it might!), but if you do bonk, just bail, and don't feel bad about it. You pushed your body to its limit, and that's as good as anyone can do :)
Bonk. This should be a scientific term...
It sort of already is ...
In endurance sports such as cycling and running,hitting the wall or the bonk describes a condition caused by the depletion of glycogen stores in the liver and muscles, which manifests itself by sudden fatigue and loss of energy...
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!
Yes! I agree with the recovery week concept and should have mentioned it earlier. I can't seem to do more than 4 weeks of intense training without needing a recovery week -- consisting of fairly easy workouts and eliminating weights entirely. I typically try to plan these around meets. If I fail to do this, I start to feel run down. Recovery is important and allows your body to adapt and supercompensate. Too little recovery, there is no supercompensation and overtraining can occur.
And I completely agree with what you said about sleep, Celestial! I definitely need more than I used to to sustain my training. Without enough sleep, my capacity for performance declines and I get de-motivated.
Thanks McNair! I'm gonna look into liquid protein - usually they taste like yuk though. Not sure an energy bar would stay down - unless I get up earlier to eat it. I've noticed some of the kids on the team get out during our bathroom/water break & will eat like half of a granola bar, so that's an idea.
You might try EFS shots. They contain carbs and protein and actually taste pretty good. Just be sure to drink water or Gatorade with the shot as it is fairly concentrated.
Wow, you are a hard worker Celestial!!!! If I remember correctly you also work full time; I think you're a NP. I'd have to say that since I've reached my mid-fifties my profession makes me lots more tired than it used to. I have a very physical job and work 8-10 hours per day, 5 days per week. I usually try to sit down and do paper work a couple hours before working out to let my body re-coup a bit. I've also noticed whenever I add something new to my workout routine I usually end up with a run-down sinus condition.
I have given up on weight workouts but try to do strength exercises with my own body weight.
I think the advice to rest if you just aren't feeling it is great advice.
I was talking to a very successful usms female swimmer who just turned 70. She told me she swims 4X per week about 2,500 yds per swim. She said she hits each workout very hard and does high quality stuff, but if she does any more she's just too tired for the rest of her day. She also said she looks forward and savors each workout totally. I hope I'm still swimming with that type of an attitude when I'm that age.
You guys are all so great! So supportive and encouraging! We'll see on the eating thing, I have to also then figure out when to take my thyroid (it's supposed to be taken on an empty stomach, an hour before eating). That's a big part of why I resist eating right off, but I might be able to take it before bed, if I can stay out of the ice cream!
