Post IMC Summary

Some thoughts came to me on my run this morning that I wanted to share. Here is a short recap of my five weeks since IMC.

Weeks 1 to 2 -- No training at all. Pretty exhausted the whole time. Sleeping 10-12 hours per night. About ten to twelve days after the race, I started to sleep normally again.

Week 3 -- Went on a tough four-day camping trip. Ended the week with my first swim. I was feeling good throughout the week and had some big days on the trails. My feet were trashed on the camping trip due to poor footwear selection!

Week 4 -- "Normal" training week. Three swims, two rides and one major trail run. The trail run had lots of hills. The downhill element of the run trashed my legs. Ended the week feeling tired.

Week 5 -- Only one session -- a long run. Legs felt very average and tightened right up at the two hour mark.

Lessons (for me):

• I came back to the long sessions too quickly. Even using a very easy pace, the long sessions left me feeling pretty spent.
• Just like last year, I was OK around the three week mark and then a second wave of fatigue hit me.
• When coming back from a training break we should emphasize frequency rather then duration/intensity. I kept my intensity down but the longer workouts really left me fatigued. This is the same experience as what I had last year.
• I am applying my lessons this week. I am going to keep the intensity down and increase my frequency. I am going to target a similar level of weekly volume but spread it out by using a lot of smaller workouts.
• I've gained quite a bit of weight. This is from a mixture of being rail thin for IMC and slacking off on my nutrition. I think it is normal for all of us to gain some weight in our transition period. The more control we are able to show on our nutrition, the less we will have to lose once we get back on it. You'd never guess that I am twenty pounds heavier now than pre-IMC. With my clothes on, I look about the same. ;-)
• Speed. Similar to last year, I've dropped some speed due to my break. This is also normal and you should expect some losses in aerobic power when you come back. The good thing is that we bounce back quickly, so the slowness should be temporary.
• Consistency. Once again, the break has shown me the benefit of consistent training. Long breaks are very costly in fitness terms. If you feel sickness or fatigue coming on then it is wise to take one or two days off quickly. If you lose a week due to illness then there is a real fitness cost. Consistent training is the fastest (and easiest) way to long-term improvement.
• The three week period. Just like last year, I toasted myself from coming back too quickly. This year the issue was session duration. Last year it was session intensity. I'm going to save this note for next year.
• Fatigue. I did a lot of racing this year and pushed very hard at my final A race. In hindsight I underestimated the accumulated fatigue in my system. I suppose that this is an issue we all face. The more motivated you are -- the more you'll want to watch this point.

I hope my case study helps you have a smoother transition period as well as a comfortable early base period.

All the best,

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