V-CLUB TRAINING CORNER
We’ve teamed up with Marilyn Trout, certified USA Cycling Elite Coach to answer V-Club members’ training questions. You can view her coach profile at: http://www.trainingpeaks.com/coachdirectory/searchbydiscipline.asp#MarilynTrout
Send your cycling inquiries to Marilyn, and for a limited time, if yours is selected to be answered in our V-Club column, VeloWear will send you a $20 gift certificate that can be used towards any purchase on VeloWear.com. To submit your inquiry, e-mail her at trout_mic@msn.com, and type “V-Club Training Question” in the subject line of the e-mail.
STRESSED? BUSY? ... "DON'T SWEAT IT"
by Marilyn Trout
Three little words. It seems so simple so straightforward. It rolls easier off our tongue than entering our ears doesn’t it? We’ve got too much on our plate and at this point, it doesn’t matter whether we have overloaded it or someone else has, it’s there and the plate has gone from being full and tasting good to a sick-to-the-stomach overwhelming kind of feeling.
“OK…we’re stressed, get to the point and tell us how we keep the training going!”
Indeed, all of us have to deal with stress. Some deal with it better than others perhaps due to personality, hard work or experience but all of us have a choice in how we respond to it. I like what Stephen Covey says, “Between stimulus and response, there is space. In that space lies our freedom and power to choose our response. In those choices lie our growth and our happiness.”*
Usually when there is stress, we feel boxed in, like there isn’t a way out. Freedom to choose, or Covey’s “space”, brings a sense of simplicity and straightforwardness that is less offensiveness and more palatable than “don’t sweat it.”
Do I believe that an athlete can maintain fitness during these stressful or busy times? There is no doubt in my mind,that it can. When developing a training schedule, there are a few variables that are key to an athlete’s annual training plan which fluctuate according to the cycles within the ATP. (Definitions from Joe Friel’s TrainingPeaks.)
- Frequency - The number of times per week that one trains.
- Intensity - The qualitative element of training referring to effort, velocity, maximum strength and power.
- Volume - A quantitative element of training, such as miles or hours of training within a given time. The combination of duration and frequency.
By decreasing these variables according to increased stress or busyness, the athlete can maintain a good fitness both physically, and more importantly, mentally. I refer to this as maintenance mode. If an athlete is able to feel like there has been some consistency, he/she will have a more positive outlook which will in turn keep the immune system at a more healthy level. Although a maintenance mode is relative to the level of the athlete and the number of training hours per week, by decreasing all of these variables is certainly not out of the question when life is a little crazy ie) 3 times a week of both 30 minutes aerobic activity and abdominal work. Of course, this won’t win medals but it will get you through tough times as opposed to getting discouraged, letting the training go completely and not refreshing yourself.
Are you stressed? Don’t sweat it…well, maybe just not as much.
*This quote from comes Erik Weihenmeyer’s book, The Adversity Advantage, a book about turning everyday struggles into everyday greatness. It’s a good read.