Empty tank

Gull is really really old. Geek should know, since he is Gull's older brother. Gull-do you replinsh soon after practice or wait awhile? If it is more than 30 minutes after workout, you body might need fuel sooner.

What about an extended period of sluggishness in the water? I'm getting much stronger in the weight room, but feel like a rock in the water. I've noticed this after I transitioned to doing more intensity and more fly in my workouts about 3 weeks ago. I expected to adapt by now, but the last few days I've had a really hard time. How long should it take to adapt from an aerobic type regimen to more of a power phase? I know this will vary, so assume the phase lasts 6 weeks; should you keep piling on the intensity or allow recovery within the six weeks. I wonder if I'm erring on the side of working hard vs working smart.

Hey, Jim. No, I haven't been eating anything beforehand since I swim so damn early in the morning because of work. Maybe I should. Robin, I am 51. My son tells me I am not old, Geek. Didn't you just age up? John, I usually have a grande latte from Starbucks after I swim. Not really hungry until later in the morning. I try to grab a Gatorade and something to eat midmorning but am starving by lunchtime. I was thinking this might be part of the problem.

I am a bit older than you. I am getting used to saying that. There are times when I feel like I'm swimming in Jello. Most of those times are when I have taken a break and starting the grind again. It sucks. I question the clock. I question the coach's stopwatch. I question the length of the pool I've swam in for years. I question the lane lines, my lane mates, the water temp, the cross, my goggles, the earth-moon alignment, and el nino. It passes. I then pat myself on the back and forget who that whiney fellow was.

I will add my voice to the chorus of those advising you to eat something right after workout. Like you, I never eat before an early AM workout because (unlike Jim) I cannot get up early enough to do so. I do eat before Saturday workouts because I go later on Saturdays than on weekdays. I don't notice much difference in workout performance based on whether or not I've eaten before. I do always drink coffee before workout, though, as well as a bunch of water before and during. People often wake up dehydrated; might that be a factor for you? What does really affect how I feel later the same day, and the next day, is how long I wait after workout to eat, and what I eat. Even if it's only 300 calories or so of food, a low-glycemic meal of complex carbohydrates with some protein helps a lot. Best is when I can arrange to eat it in the car on the way to my office (sandwich, breakfast bar, fruit and nuts).

Robin mentioned the 30 minute window of time to start replenishing depleted glycogen stores. I don't know too much about sports medicine but it's highly recommended to fuel up after each practice, even if it's a small amount of carbs or sugar. Many people are talking about the benefits of chocolate milk as an after workout recovery drink. This article sheds some light on the benefits. And it also talks about the recovery window. www.liveleantoday.com/article.cfm That sounds reasonable to me - but I don't drink cow's milk - I wonder if chocolate soy milk would do the same thing?

I think some specific post workout nutrition advice would be good. Chocolate milk is OK, but that's 400 calories in a carton from the stop-n-rob. Too many for me. I usually have a Soy Joy (140 calories, 5 g protein) or a Myoplex Lite bar (190 calories, 15 g protein). Later on, maybe a PB&J or turkey sandwich. What do others do?

Are your times maintaining, getting faster or slower? Are you feeling wiped out outside of the pool? Swam a Masters PB in November but with a few exceptions have not felt great in practice the past several weeks. Repeat times are slower or if not seem to require more effort, although I have had some good days. Always tired in the evenings (passed out on the sofa), but that's nothing new. Back in the day I never gave much thought to pre and post workout nutrition, but I may need to start doing that.

Robin mentioned the 30 minute window of time to start replenishing depleted glycogen stores. I don't know too much about sports medicine but it's highly recommended to fuel up after each practice, even if it's a small amount of carbs or sugar. Many people are talking about the benefits of chocolate milk as an after workout recovery drink. This article sheds some light on the benefits. And it also talks about the recovery window. www.liveleantoday.com/article.cfm

What about an extended period of sluggishness in the water? I'm getting much stronger in the weight room, but feel like a rock in the water. I've noticed this after I transitioned to doing more intensity and more fly in my workouts about 3 weeks ago. I expected to adapt by now, but the last few days I've had a really hard time. How long should it take to adapt from an aerobic type regimen to more of a power phase? I know this will vary, so assume the phase lasts 6 weeks; should you keep piling on the intensity or allow recovery within the six weeks. I wonder if I'm erring on the side of working hard vs working smart. Are your times maintaining, getting faster or slower? Are you feeling wiped out outside of the pool? Getting sick? If your times are getting slower and you're feeling sick and/or generally wiped out, you're probably overtraining and really need rest. If your times are maintaining and you just feel sluggish in the water you're probably just feeling normal training fatigue. At some point, you'll want to let your body recover a bit because eventually you might find yourself in overtraining fatigue. In general, you should probably take some recovery time within a training phase. Even if it's only a day or 2. But how to vary the building/resting depends depends on you.