I am doing some very intensive TRX work with a trainer who tells me that nutrition is the 4th event of a triathlon. I have no desire to do a tri-, but the same advice holds for any athlete I suspect. I don’t wrestle with nutrition between 5 am and 7 pm, but when I get tired after 8 o’clock at night, sweets become a siren song to me and I can rarely abstain. I have tried all sorts of tricks, but I think the reality is that it is (simple to say and difficult to control) self discipline.
At our Tuesday night indoor training last night, I got an earful from our cycling coach about not recovering enough. He has an uncanny ability to know what my effort level is, how I am feeling and what I am up for even before my heart rate monitor or power meter is registering a byte. I know the value of recovery, but I question the difference between pushing yourself hard to get more fit and stronger and being a wimp by not going harder than you have gone in the past.
It is very clear, doing the same thing that I always did creates the same results, so I am pushing. I don’t think I have ever over-trained in my life (although I do know the affects of lack of motivation and this I pay attention to) and so I think my lack of energy is a combination of dropping my calorie intake, going anaerobic once a week for a very intense TRX work out and trying to ever increase my power output…most of these things are very individual and only the cyclist knows how he or she should push it….but I wonder…..
Less then 6 weeks to Barry Roubaix
Go WSI/Team Active Racing
Jack