Hypertraining
If training is increased and positive results are not realized within three or four weeks and test workouts don't go favorably, then back off or a least make some serious assessments of current training. You are training too hard for the results that are being realized.
I call this "hypertraining," because it corresponds to the definition of hyperventilation so nicely. Hyperventilation means breathing more air than is necessary to do the job at hand.
Hypertraining means training harder than is needed to perform at a level that could be attained with less training. When this happens, it is better to train less and still get the same performance.
More: What Is Overtraining?
My recommendation for someone experiencing hypertraining is the following four-step program. Try each step, in order, until you find one that works.
Back off in your training by lowering total mileage, which will decrease the amount of quality work. Reduce quality mileage according to the following schedule: by up to 10 percent of weekly mileage at threshold pace, up to 8 percent at interval pace, and up to 5 percent at repetition pace.
Cut out all quality training for a week or two and treat yourself as if you were recovering from an injury. At this point you are already stressed from hypertraining, so don't do anything that might add to your mental fatigue.
Try maintaining your weekly mileage for a couple of weeks, but switch to a different quality emphasis (for example, abandon interval training in favor of threshold or repetition training.)
Give the same program one more try for a couple of weeks without any changes.
Usually the first step produces positive results within a week or two. I suggest a 20 percent drop in mileage as a starting point. You may have to cut back even more, particularly if you are on a high mileage program.
Setbacks are few until a fairly high training load is reached. However, at some critical point, further increases in training are accompanied by a rapidly rising chance of a setback. There is an area of training, shown by crosshatched lines, that represents the ideal training window for any runner.
More: 4 Running Setbacks and How to Handle Them
In the window, about 95 percent of all possible benefits will be realized with a low chance of setbacks. This is where the bulk of training should take place year in and year out. To reach outstanding performances, a runner may have to venture to the right of this window, but only for a few weeks at a time.
This will provide extra seconds of improvement but it also carries with it a greatly increased risk of a setback—you can't stay out there too long.
Planned Breaks in Training
In addition to various setbacks that runners are bound to experience, there should also be some planned breaks in training. I recommend a serious break from training at least once per year. It may even be wise to take other small breaks at different times in the same year.
The length and timing of a break depends on how hard training has been and how many unplanned setbacks occurred during the past year. The amount of time will vary from runner to runner and from year to year. Sometimes a couple of two-week breaks during the year may be enough, but eventually, a more prolonged break of four to six weeks will probably be useful.
In the hierarchy of training, breaks rank right up there with threshold runs, intervals, reps, and steady running. All have a function, and when placed in proper sequence, all build on one another. Think of "break training" and plan a specific program to follow during this phase.
It may involve walking two hours a day, reading one hour each day, or visiting friends on weekends, for example. Often, a training break offers a great opportunity to carry out a strength program or to learn more about stretching and relaxation. However you visualize your break, remember to look at it as a positive part of your overall plan.
More: Your Guide to a Healthy Offseason
What to Do During a Planned Break
A planned break may include small amounts of running or may be a furlough from running. If it takes place during the winter, the break may consist of fairly extensive cross-country skiing or other sports, depending on interests, climate, and conditions during the break time.
It is also okay for the break to involve no special physical activities at all; a break can be an escape from a structured lifestyle.
In the hierarchy of training, breaks rank right up there with threshold runs, intervals, reps, and steady running. All have a function, and when placed in proper sequence, all build on one another. If it makes you feel any better about breaks, add "break training" to the other types of workouts I have described earlier, and then plan a specific program to follow during this phase.
It may involve walking two hours a day, reading an hour each day, or visiting friends for six hours on weekends, if these may be activities you've neglected in favor of training. Often, a training break offers a great opportunity to carry out a strength program or to learn more about stretching and relaxation. However you visualize your break, remember to look at it as a positive part of your overall plan.
More: The Importance of Rest for Runners
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