The subject of "fatigue" is a much studies field recently, with no better understanding despite the research. There are a few things that we should all recognize that can help overcome fatigue. Once they are written down, they seem so obvious. The following advice however simple, is sometimes not easy to follow:
1) Rest - this means sleep. Not resting in front of a computer screen, or in front of the T.V. It means getting into good sleeping habits, going to bed early, and getting the much needed shut-eye you need to recover from the long sessions. The normal hormonal fluctuations that occur with the body trying to balance recovery form training, and building of new structures requires sleep as a key ingredient. I believe this is probably the most important factor missing in most training programs.
2) Good Nutrition - as Ginny and I experimented with different food intake over the past number of years, in an attempt to reach an "ideal" race weight, and also to help recover form our strenuous training, I found the single most important intervention was being aware of what I was putting into my body. Following some specific guidelines, outlined by Melissa Spooner, (
http://www.endurancehealthandfitness.com) Ginny and I both made some very positive improvements in our diet, but also in our performance. It was a combination of quantity and timing of certain nutrients that made a significant difference to our ability to recover from specific workouts, and I encourage everyone to make contact with Melissa if you are interested in taking your diet to the next level in terms of helping improve performance.
3) Listen to your body - as Ginny mentioned, it is the ability to take information in, and know what to do with it, that separates BPR athletes form other training philosophies. Each one of you are learning about your body, and the LBP testing we do is meant to help guide those feelings, and give some structure to the intensities required for structural and functional development. Remember, it is a learning process.
I remember my mentor coming by one day while I was riding at the gymn, and asked how things were going. I told him I was having a tough day. My HR was elevated, and I felt really sluggish. "GREAT!!!" he siad, in his thick Swiss accent. "Dees means your training is making you worse! Fabulous! You have now three choices. 1) You go home, eat, and go to sleep, knowing this is hte only thing that can make you better. 2) You keep training, at a very low intensity, with a specific idea to work on something that does not continue to make you worse...coordination, core strengthening, balance, posture, flexibility. You do this, because you have set the time aside, and might not have time once the kids are home form school, or you are forced to go to work in the morning. 3) You keep training like you are, and keep getting worse.
It is sometimes hard to stop a training session, when deep down you know it is the right thing to do. The measurement tools we use, help us determine which those days should be. And if we focus on recovery, then there will be less of these days for us to have to deal with.
