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2012-09-23 7:58 PM

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Subject: Mental Burnout Suggestions

I did my first sprint in the beginning of August and won my age group and was pumped! I was determined to get a better time for another sprint in the end of october by at least 5 mins in the bike... and a faster swim.... I have trained my tail of the past 1.5 month. On top of that I signed up for a half  Oct 6th which I didn't think was going to be bad to train for because I have do tons of them. The tri training has really helped my running and I was like oh I have to PR the half too! 

Long story short I had a mental burnout today at about mile 7 on my 10 mile run.... pushed through it but I was like I have to have a break I am going crazy. I had been doing serious 2 a days for the past month. Should I just push through it and I will overcome it or maybe take 2 or maybe even get crazy and take 3 off. 



2012-09-23 8:08 PM
in reply to: #4424302

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Subject: RE: Mental Burnout Suggestions
If you feel like you need it, take a day off! Rest is important too. Or if you can't bring yourself to taking a full day off, go easy for a few days, or start with doing just one workout per day.
2012-09-23 8:10 PM
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Subject: RE: Mental Burnout Suggestions
Can you elaborate on what you were feeling at mile 7? Did you want to stop? Just had a temporary disgust with triathlons?......not sure if I can help but maybe with a little more help , myself or someone else can give our 2 cents.

Possibly the two a days are too much everyday If you are juggling work , life , family
2012-09-23 8:12 PM
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Subject: RE: Mental Burnout Suggestions

I think you need to take a mental health day and just relax, have a soft serve cone and maybe go for a splash fun day at the beach instead of practice.  When you do start practicing again you need to dial back those two a days.  It's much easier to go through a race and go "oh shoot, under-trained a bit" instead of get a full-blown case of training fatigue from which it will take months for your body and mind to come back or maybe never reach the same level again.  Resting is an important part of training too since you need to give your body time to recover from the workouts.  Otherwise you're just doing demolition on your muscles and your body will break down and it lets you know via fatigue, injuries, and mental burnout.

Soft serve cone, beach splash fun day, stat!



Edited by ayabrea 2012-09-23 8:13 PM
2012-09-23 8:51 PM
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Subject: RE: Mental Burnout Suggestions

It is very likely that you need a little bit longer recovery time.  If you have been pulling 2-a-days for a while this could be your culprit and your body is telling you to slow down.  Along with the recovery make sure you get some good nutrition to pick up any chance that there may have been a fuel deficit for the run. 

There is another chance that you have been over training.  If this is the case you may need to take more than one day off, or go very light, to completely recover.  Over training can definitely leave you in a serious rut and can potentially destroy your season or enjoyment of the sport altogether.

Take a full day off!!!  Sleep in a little more in the morning.  Go to bed a little earlier.  Then assess and get back at it.

2012-09-24 5:57 AM
in reply to: #4424302

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Subject: RE: Mental Burnout Suggestions

What came to my mind, for what it's worth.. The more you commit to, the more training you are commited to do. 

This is my second season of doing triathlon and my motto is base train... Build up slow and easy.

The events will always be there.



Edited by KateTri1 2012-09-24 5:58 AM


2012-09-24 8:06 AM
in reply to: #4424318

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Subject: RE: Mental Burnout Suggestions

FELTGood - 2012-09-23 8:10 PM Can you elaborate on what you were feeling at mile 7? Did you want to stop? Just had a temporary disgust with triathlons?......not sure if I can help but maybe with a little more help , myself or someone else can give our 2 cents.

Possibly the two a days are too much everyday If you are juggling work , life , family

 

I just mentally was like I am tired of running. This is not fun anymore. I think it is the running more than anything that I had a burnout on. 

 

I think I am going to take everyones knowledge and rest a little bit. Take today off for sure and then maybe just swim and bike for a few more days and no running.... Taper a bit for my half and hope I get some swag back for the run race day for my half!

2012-09-24 1:06 PM
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Subject: RE: Mental Burnout Suggestions
rungirl222 - 2012-09-24 9:06 AM

FELTGood - 2012-09-23 8:10 PM Can you elaborate on what you were feeling at mile 7? Did you want to stop? Just had a temporary disgust with triathlons?......not sure if I can help but maybe with a little more help , myself or someone else can give our 2 cents.

Possibly the two a days are too much everyday If you are juggling work , life , family

 

I just mentally was like I am tired of running. This is not fun anymore. I think it is the running more than anything that I had a burnout on. 

 

I think I am going to take everyones knowledge and rest a little bit. Take today off for sure and then maybe just swim and bike for a few more days and no running.... Taper a bit for my half and hope I get some swag back for the run race day for my half!

I would rethink your plan.  I don't see the necessity for two-a-days when your volume is just geared toward sprint tri and half mary.  I would think you could knock out training for sprint tri in 6-8 hours a week max and half mary training in maybe even less.

2012-09-24 2:45 PM
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Subject: RE: Mental Burnout Suggestions
This sounds like a typical case of overtrained... Big question is what's your athletic background? For how many years have your been doing some kind of physical training? If you went from nothing to 2x day, then yes, you will get burnt out quickly. You're simply not equipped to handle that kind of volume yet. Also, have you periodized your training plan and have you included rest days? You can't continue to build volume each and every week and never back off a bit and never take a rest day...
2012-09-24 2:58 PM
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Subject: RE: Mental Burnout Suggestions
I would do one of a few things. Cut back on the two-a-days a bit since they aren't necessary as often as you think. You can get away with just a bit of running off the bike one day instead of splitting it into two complete sessions. Another thing is to try something different that keeps your cardio up, but isn't S/B/R. Try running some place new or mix things up. If you're sticking to just going out and running, most people will get bored of the same routes, hitting similar times, day after day. Try out some trails or do something to break the groove you're in. As mentioned above, if you're not a lifelong athlete, having done 2/days for long periods of time before, this is very taxing on the system. Playing college soccer, our 2 or 3/days only lasted for a bout 2 weeks, with a full rest day in there, too. You've got to give yourself a break or your body will make you take a break.
2012-09-24 3:07 PM
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Subject: RE: Mental Burnout Suggestions

audiojan - 2012-09-24 2:45 PM This sounds like a typical case of overtrained... Big question is what's your athletic background? For how many years have your been doing some kind of physical training? If you went from nothing to 2x day, then yes, you will get burnt out quickly. You're simply not equipped to handle that kind of volume yet. Also, have you periodized your training plan and have you included rest days? You can't continue to build volume each and every week and never back off a bit and never take a rest day...

 

My athletic background is rode horses actually competitively for 25 years, swam on swim teams and was very good and my adult life I picked up running for fun about 6 or 7 years ago and run about 4 or 5 half marathons and about 2 maybe 3 full marathons a year.  

No I really skipped a lot of rest days because I am not tired... or a different friend says hey I am going swimming or hey you wanna go to spin class today on a rest day and I can't say no.

How many rest days do you suggest? I am also not just doing 2 a days for the sprint and half marathon in a few weeks my goal is to do a HIM in March and IM in the fall....



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