I would never normally worry about over-training this time of year for myself or other athletes I work with in northern New England. Usually the long winters keep training hours under control until April. Late April is usually when I see athletes (including myself) start showing signs of doing too much too soon. This is most always caused by the obvious: the onset of the racing season and better weather.
This winter, as I have mentioned in previous posts, has offered many days for riding outdoors. I also have the luxury of a schedule where I have the mornings off every other day. Good days plus lots of time to ride equals lots and lots of miles. I have never done 10-14 hour weeks in February and March like I have this year. I also have never had the form I have right now.
For the most part, I have trained well up until this week. My power has increased at a steady rate as well as my endurance. I have scheduled good recovery time including a full week off the bike during the last week of February just to be sure.
March has been a bit of a different story. I am consistently doing 3 hr+ rides with intensity including many group rides with team members eager to push the pace. As I come to the end of this week having already ridden 10 hours through Friday, I have noticed my two primary “over-training” indicators knocking at my door: irritability and poor sleep.
I slept terribly during the last two nights, especially last night. I woke up feeling wicked cranky. I feel better after eating a big breakfast and a few cups of coffee. Our team ride is set for later this morning. I don’t suspect it will be the “smackdown” it was last week, but the pace will be faster than I would ride on my own today. In fact, I would tell any other athlete I work with, not to ride today if they were showing the signs that I am.
Poor sleep and irritability are just a few of the signs suggesting an athlete should stop or at least slow down. Other signs include lethargy, poor concentration, and decreased libido (who wants that?). These symptoms are considered behavioral. There are also physical symptoms like decreased performance, soreness, and infection. To be safe, don’t ride when showing some of these symptoms. In my case, my symptoms are primarily behavioral. My legs feel good and I am not sick.
Why then will I ride?
I will ride today because I am still trying to understand how much I can take. I want to know how my legs feel, what my power output is, and if I can crank out another 3hr+ ride when I am in this state. It is possible I will need multiple days to recover, but that was my plan anyway. I am set to race next weekend so I have only scheduled 1 hard and 1 medium hard workout for Tuesday and Wednesday next week. I will use the other days between now and then for recovery.
For me, I need to see if I can push through one more workout this week. It is early enough in the season that I can afford to make a mistake, especially if it provides me with valuable information. I would never do this later in the season. It is possible, riding today will provide the necessary stress I need at this point in my training. I won’t know until after the ride and the days that follow.
I will post a Part II to this post in the coming days. Until then, ride well. mb