General Discussion Triathlon Talk » one or two recovery days Rss Feed  
Moderators: k9car363, alicefoeller Reply
2017-11-16 12:24 PM

User image

Extreme Veteran
1106
1000100
, Connecticut
Subject: one or two recovery days
So I've heard that for older triathletes two recovery days/week is helpful to avoid injuries. Means crunching workouts a bit more, into 5 days instead of 6. I'm thinking that taking 2 days in a row off is good. Would it be better to break it up into Monday and Thursday off? Assuming you accept that two days off is a good idea.
58, starting season nearly from scratch, planning for a HIM in June.

Mitzi


2017-11-16 2:40 PM
in reply to: MuscleMomma

User image

Expert
2852
20005001001001002525
Pfafftown, NC
Subject: RE: one or two recovery days
Not sure why you'd need 2/wk. Not sure you'd "need" 1 (scheduled). Just rest when you feel like you need to.

2017-11-16 3:27 PM
in reply to: MuscleMomma

User image


595
500252525
Subject: RE: one or two recovery days
I don't know. Would think if you have to do 2-3 workouts in 1 day to have 2 days off you don't benefit. How many runs, bikes, and swims do you plan on doing a week?

Nate
2017-11-16 3:36 PM
in reply to: nc452010

User image

Extreme Veteran
1106
1000100
, Connecticut
Subject: RE: one or two recovery days
Originally posted by nc452010

Not sure why you'd need 2/wk. Not sure you'd "need" 1 (scheduled). Just rest when you feel like you need to.



Trying to stick to a plan, concerned that going by feel I might do less than I could if I pushed to stick to a plan.
2017-11-16 3:38 PM
in reply to: nrpoulin

User image

Extreme Veteran
1106
1000100
, Connecticut
Subject: RE: one or two recovery days
Originally posted by nrpoulin

I don't know. Would think if you have to do 2-3 workouts in 1 day to have 2 days off you don't benefit. How many runs, bikes, and swims do you plan on doing a week?

Nate


Plan on 3/3/3 for 9/week. Feeling optimistic that I'll occasionally throw in a 4th bike.

2017-11-16 8:56 PM
in reply to: MuscleMomma

User image


233
10010025
Ventura, California
Subject: RE: one or two recovery days

As a older athlete (47) I will throw in my opinion on the subject. You are more then 6 months out from your race so during this early pre-season I would certainly take 2 days off a week. You can stagger them however best fits your life schedule. You do not want to push the training so hard that you burn yourself out and potentially lose hard earned gains. So take it slow and ramp up the training, allow your body to physiologically adapt to the training stresses. With that said it is very important to listen to your body as we do not recover quickly as we did when we where younger.

My suggestion would be to start out your training with 2 days off however you like. When you get to the 6 month out mark(Jan), go to 1 day of rest per week and every 4rth week, take 2 days off back to back. If you feel great and you don't want to take a 2nd day off then do something light like yoga, light weight session, power walk in the park, etc. Keeping your heart rate zone 2 or lower. The idea is we need to allow our bodies to heal and rebuild and again, the older we are the slower this process.

I myself have done over 20 races in 3 years. 8 of those being triathlons with 2 70.3's this year. 2 full marathons done 3 months back to back.....With torn meniscus in both knees! So take a day off, take two if you feel like. Don't burn yourself out or over-train and injure yourself, and above all listen to your body. I have worked through several soft tissue injuries during the last 3 years, they all stopped when I stopped following regimented training plans. The training plans are a guide, not a rule book. Let them guide you on your journey, but don't forget you are your own team captain and have the final authority over your training days/schedule.

Hope that helps. Best wishes on your journey to 70.3 greatness!

 



2017-11-17 12:40 AM
in reply to: nc452010


471
1001001001002525
Subject: RE: one or two recovery days
Originally posted by nc452010

Not sure why you'd need 2/wk. Not sure you'd "need" 1 (scheduled). Just rest when you feel like you need to.




This.

I don't take rest days because I don't need them. A rest day would be a swim or light jog that doesn't stress the body or mind.
2017-11-17 3:12 AM
in reply to: MuscleMomma

User image

Master
8247
50002000100010010025
Eugene, Oregon
Bronze member
Subject: RE: one or two recovery days
It depends on your needs. One thing you might consider is a swim-only day, especially if that swim is a fairly easy one where you are focused on recovery and good technique. I find that can actually be more beneficial than a day with no training--the water helps my legs recover from hard running and riding, and I can focus better on technique and hold my best form better if I'm not tired from a morning workout (I almost always have to swim later in the day due to pool access) or trying to hit certain times in the pool. I do mine on Monday since, like many people, I usually have to do my longer rides or runs on the weekends.

A day off entirely might also be a good idea if your body is letting you know it needs that. In some training cycles I have taken one; in some I haven't. I have done quality races off of either plan. It seems to depend on the volume and intensity of my training and what else is going on in my life. When I do schedule days off, they are usually Fridays, so I can go into the longer weekend workouts in a more rested state, wrap up weekly paperwork and plan the next week at school after work (I'm a teacher), and maybe get in a coffee, beer, or dinner with friends without having to stress about squeezing in a workout. But I would do whatever works for your body and your lifestyle. If you get to feeling like a rest day is not necessary or you're climbing the walls, just do an easy recovery workout instead, or something different from tri training, like a walk, strength training, or yoga.
2017-11-17 8:12 AM
in reply to: MuscleMomma

User image

Expert
2852
20005001001001002525
Pfafftown, NC
Subject: RE: one or two recovery days
I don't mean this harshly......but, that's the chance you take when you use a generic plan.

Good luck.
2017-11-17 1:36 PM
in reply to: nc452010

User image

Expert
4597
20002000500252525
Middle River, Maryland
Silver member
Subject: RE: one or two recovery days

I typically schedule one day off per week, two during "recovery" weeks.  Rarely back-to-back (on purpose, anyway...).  That just seems to work best for me. 

Life tends to force some off days on us here and there anyway, so I usually don't worry about it. 

2017-11-17 5:18 PM
in reply to: 0

User image

Master
8247
50002000100010010025
Eugene, Oregon
Bronze member
Subject: RE: one or two recovery days
One thing I forgot to mention--you really don't want to cram workouts into non-rest days so that you can take a rest day, if that means doing a lot more volume or time than you'd normally do, or causing stress in other areas of your life. 3-3-3 or 3-4-3 means you will be doing doubles 2-3 days a week, even if you train every day (or maybe one less, if a run is a brick). If you're training six days a week, 3-4 days would be doubles, and if five days a week, 4-5 days. You need to think about what your body and schedule can handle, and that you're getting enough sleep. I would NOT do three workouts in a day, unless it is a race simulation (which should happen very rarely), or maybe a short, easy recovery swim after a brick.

It would be better to replace a few of the non-key workouts in the plan with rest or easy recovery than to cram the full number workouts into a smaller number of days than the plan intended, particularly if you're only training five days a week. You should be able to figure out which are the critical workouts in each week--some plans identify them; otherwise, they are usually the ones with bigger volume (long runs, rides) or higher intensity.

If you do feel that taking two days off it useful; yes, I would break them up, and have them follow or precede the most challenging workouts of the week, particularly runs, which take longer to recover from. I don't think two in a row is usually necessary, unless you are sick, or hurting after a long race. If you are hitting it so hard in training that you routinely need two consecutive days off, the plan, or your pacing, is probably too ambitious for your current fitness.

Edited by Hot Runner 2017-11-17 5:21 PM


2017-11-19 5:22 PM
in reply to: Hot Runner

User image

Extreme Veteran
1106
1000100
, Connecticut
Subject: RE: one or two recovery days
Thanks, hadn't thought of it that way.
2017-11-21 10:34 AM
in reply to: MuscleMomma

User image

Champion
10018
50005000
, Minnesota
Bronze member
Subject: RE: one or two recovery days

I agree with everything Hot Runner said.

My personal experience is that I need more rest than the average person.   If I stick with a 6 day/week plan, I eventually blow it up and then I feel bad, miss key workouts, etc.  Better for me to plan on them.   I generally put a rest day after hard/long workouts and then maybe have 1 workout during the week that I can skip if need be.  Monday is usually my day off because I am the typical weekend warrior: cramming in all the long stuff Saturday and Sunday.    I may still be a bit tired on Tuesday, so I plan that to be a medium day.  Then Wednesday/Thursday harder again, with a fun/easy/expendable plan for Friday.  

This has become more important as I get older (40 this year), but I have noticed I just don't have the ability to go go go every day, no matter my age.  I wish I did!

New Thread
General Discussion Triathlon Talk » one or two recovery days Rss Feed  
RELATED POSTS

CECS Recovery stories

Started by littlelorinda29
Views: 541 Posts: 1

2017-02-17 7:06 PM littlelorinda29

Cybex vs recovery boots?

Started by cappelwsu
Views: 838 Posts: 3

2017-02-04 1:44 PM ThomasGerlach ProTri

Do You Use Recovery Compression Boot? Pages: 1 2

Started by ThomasGerlach ProTri
Views: 6924 Posts: 45

2018-11-23 1:05 PM ThomasGerlach ProTri

hip stress fracture - recovery???

Started by trichickdd2013
Views: 6965 Posts: 8

2017-10-19 9:02 AM stressfracture

donating dual red or platelets and recovery Pages: 1 2

Started by bossfan
Views: 24531 Posts: 26

2018-09-17 3:22 PM BlueBoy26