I am a 58 year old male swimmer - generally swim 4 times a week - 1800-2200 meters per workout. I was considering going to zones - which is first week in April. I picked up the intensity of my workouts - lots more effort - about the same yardage - after about a month - i was exhausted - i think i ran my immune system down and got a very bad cold that basically sidelined me from doing anything for a few days. i find this very frustrating. I do not feel like i am asking too much of my body to work hard 3 to 4 times a week at these yardage levels which probably put me at the lower end of a competitive scale. Perhaps as we get older - we need to limit the "hard" workouts and give our bodies more time to recover? Thoughts? Just seems a little depressing that i cannot swim hard 4 times a week at 58.
I am a 58 year old male swimmer - generally swim 4 times a week - 1800-2200 meters per workout. I was considering going to zones - which is first week in April. I picked up the intensity of my workouts - lots more effort - about the same yardage - after about a month - i was exhausted
I"m 68 and swimming about 12-13k per week, but it took awhile to build up to that point and I was a good HS and college swimmer back ummmm, about a half century ago. :)
So, just about all, if not all, of the books I've read on training point out that most people who start training are guilty of over training, not under training. If you are walking around exhausted, that's a sure sign.
Adaptation to training (building muscle) occurs when you rest, not when you train. So, if you are always exhausted and therefore not rested, muscle adaptation doesn't take place - training to the point of constant exhaustion is a self-defeating proposition and you will need to back off to see the benefits and gains from training.
Yes, recovery takes longer as one gets older and it takes longer to get well too from sickness. Also, as one gets older (past middle age) we tend to lose muscle, so you are fighting nature and entropy. Unfortunately, the fight gets harder, not easier, as we age and more recovery is needed.
As swimspire indicated you might want to provide a little more definition of your goals and practices. Get a coach to check out your mechanics and provide some workout guidance. I also think quicksilver's suggestions are good - back off from the hard workouts, inseer some recovery workouts with increased drill and stroke work.
My $0.02
I am a 58 year old male swimmer - generally swim 4 times a week - 1800-2200 meters per workout. I was considering going to zones - which is first week in April. I picked up the intensity of my workouts - lots more effort - about the same yardage - after about a month - i was exhausted
I"m 68 and swimming about 12-13k per week, but it took awhile to build up to that point and I was a good HS and college swimmer back ummmm, about a half century ago. :)
So, just about all, if not all, of the books I've read on training point out that most people who start training are guilty of over training, not under training. If you are walking around exhausted, that's a sure sign.
Adaptation to training (building muscle) occurs when you rest, not when you train. So, if you are always exhausted and therefore not rested, muscle adaptation doesn't take place - training to the point of constant exhaustion is a self-defeating proposition and you will need to back off to see the benefits and gains from training.
Yes, recovery takes longer as one gets older and it takes longer to get well too from sickness. Also, as one gets older (past middle age) we tend to lose muscle, so you are fighting nature and entropy. Unfortunately, the fight gets harder, not easier, as we age and more recovery is needed.
As swimspire indicated you might want to provide a little more definition of your goals and practices. Get a coach to check out your mechanics and provide some workout guidance. I also think quicksilver's suggestions are good - back off from the hard workouts, inseer some recovery workouts with increased drill and stroke work.
My $0.02
