Recovery: Avoid Injury and Overtraining

Many triathletes are familiar with the principal of overload and recovery.

To improve fitness, a triathlete must progressively increase the training load over a period of time followed by a period of recovery or rest. Classic periodization theory suggests three (3) build weeks (2 weeks for older triathletes) followed by a “recovery” week. During the recovery week the volume and intensity of the training is reduced by 20-50% over the previous three-week training block. The recovery week allows the body to rest, to adapt and to prepare for the next three-week block of exercise, which builds upon the previous block. Ideally, each three-week training block applies incrementally more training stress either by increasing the volume over the previous period, increasing the intensity, or both.

As a group of overachievers, triathletes tend to excel at increasing the training load, but often fall short of taking a vital week of recovery to let the body rest and adapt. During the spring and summer months, many triathletes log between 10 and 20 hours per week of training as the days lengthen and the racing season kicks into high gear. If their bodies have not been properly conditioned for the increased load, these triathletes risk injury and overtraining. Amateur triathletes (most of us), in particular, are susceptible to overtraining. The psychology of these athletes tends to be “if I’m not training, then I must be losing fitness.”

An irregular or inconsistent training program can exacerbate the problem, as triathletes who miss a day or two of training tend to overdo it by making up for missed training sessions. Work-related or family related-stress also contributes to the problem. The body does not seem to differentiate between the stress associated with training load and the stress associated with daily living. Rest and recovery is the only effective antidote to stress – training or otherwise.

Coach Kurt Perham, the points leader of the Tri-Maine Series, advises his clients to “train smart and recover hard.” Training smart implies creating and following a training program that establishes a solid aerobic foundation, builds progressively on that foundation and applies volume and intensity gradually at a rate that assures the body is ready for the increased load. “Recover hard” means take time to rest, relax and allow the body to adapt. Triathletes are advised to be as deliberate about their recovery as they are about their active training programs.

OA would like to hear about your recovery techniques. Tell us what you do to assure your body is rested and ready to go for the next training session. In subsequent blog entries, we will share your recovery techniques, along with some suggestions of our own.