What professional athletes change when training time is limited – Triathletes

Life has a habit of throwing curve balls at athletes. Whether it’s a new job, a new baby, a health scare, or intense tests to study for, it can be very difficult (or simply impossible) to continue training as you normally would. This is not only a common phenomenon among athletes of this age group. Many professionals have encountered it as well.

We spoke to three experts about dealing with real-life complexities while still working (the trio) – Matthew Marquardt, Jackie Herringand Justin Metzler – to find out what they adjusted for when training time wasn’t what they planned.

1. Cut to size first

When time is tight, the instinct can be to reduce all training equally, but Marquardt has learned to be more surgical than this – and the benefits are showing. Medical student He recently won the Ironman in South Africa Shortly after a massive nine-hour exam.

“Size is always what gets reduced the most,” he says. “If I had to quantify every hour of training we’ve cut back, it’s 80% volume and 20% intensity.

“For example, if we were to reduce my training by five hours for a given week due to other life circumstances, four hours would be pure volume and one hour would be intensity divided over the entire week. However, volume never reaches zero because as a long-distance specialist, it’s important to keep that aerobic base under control.”

Metzler, whose training time was significantly reduced after Achilles tendon surgery and Launching training workHe says he follows similar patterns. “I might shorten the session or reduce the intensity if I’m feeling too tired, but I’ll always get out the door, and I’ll always try to get in a session.”

For advice: Reduce the length of the session, but avoid skipping it completely. If you normally ride for three hours on Saturday, try going out for an hour. Cut your running from 40 minutes to 20 minutes. Aim to maintain this habit and your exercise base without creating more fatigue.

2. Manage the load holistically – not just training stress

One of the most important shifts Metzler made as life got busier was to remind himself that stress is stress — whether it’s training stress or life stress. It’s important to take this into consideration before doing too many high-intensity workouts.

“The initial tendency might be for coaches to say, ‘Well, you have less time to train, so let’s increase the training intensity,'” he points out. “But I think a better approach is to look at things holistically and think about how much overall stress you have in your life.”

He says that when he prescribes training to busy athletes, he looks for the “sweet spot,” trying to balance the amount of training pressure an athlete can actually absorb when they already have significant life stressors. “This is really important,” he says. “It’s my number one rule.”

Marquardt shares a similar viewpoint: “If a workout has too much load given your life circumstances, you will never be able to fully recover from it, even if you have done everything perfectly from a recovery perspective. (My coach and I) always look at the changes through the lens of the overall load and whether the life circumstances at that moment will enable the body to absorb the work.”

For advice: Before doing a huge workout after a busy or stressful week, ask yourself honestly how much work you think you’ll be able to fit in. Sometimes, making your workout shorter and easier can be the smartest move you can make in the long run — and make you faster, in the end.

3. Pair sessions for maximum efficiency

Some of the most successful athletes are also highly efficient time managers – and there’s no better way to make the most of a time-packed schedule than with pairing sessions.

It’s one of the first things Metzler prioritized when his training time was reduced. “I looked for ways to be smarter instead of trying to work harder,” he says. For him, this means putting in more effort Brick run bike Or mark a lifting session at the end of a Swimming workout. He added: “I see a lot of age group athletes trying to work hard and not focusing on how to achieve the greatest possible efficiency.”

For advice: Pairing sessions can significantly reduce the “dead” time (moving, changing, etc.) that comes with training without affecting training motivation.

4. Consistency protection

It’s no secret that consistency is the cornerstone of endurance training. “Something is better than nothing” and “Do the best you can” were mottos that were never far from Herring’s mind when she took time away from distance training to have her two children. She says she would often go to the pool for a 20-minute swim, and do several 45- to 60-minute training laps to make sure she stayed consistent, even though she knew she wasn’t ready to race.

It’s something Marquardt places the utmost importance on, too.

“The biggest mistake I think age group people make when life gets busy is not prioritizing consistency,” he warns. “It’s better to do 30 minutes every day than to do nothing during the week and then go out for a hard five-hour workout on the weekend. The work you do layers on itself day after day, so consistency is really important compared to doing massive champion workouts, which I think increases the risk of injury.”

For advice: Something is better than nothing, and staying consistent with your training during busy times will make it easier when you return to your regular training schedule.

5. Start your day with exercise

There’s one great way to ensure you get exercise – doing it first thing in the morning.

Marquardt, who consistently logs 18- to 27-hour training weeks as a third-year medical student, has also been known to… Train while on a cruise shipHe says he realizes that not everyone exercises in the morning, but “by exercising first, you protect yourself from chaos later in the day.”

For advice: The later in the day your workout is scheduled, the more likely it is that it won’t happen. By doing this first thing, you maintain consistency and are likely to feel much better for it.

6. Be mentally flexible – and give yourself grace

Of course, the adjustments you make to your training during difficult life circumstances are not all physical. Learning to be flexible and compassionate with yourself can go a long way, and is something Herring says has made her a much better athlete.

“I think what surprised me most was how much my mental flexibility improved by being able to deal with unknown and changing scenarios and messed up plans,” Herring says.

“I used to get tired easily when things didn’t go my way, and after having a baby, I learned little by little that I have a tremendous ability to adapt and go with the flow. Now, this is a huge asset to me on the race course, especially in the long distances when things are bound to happen throughout the event.”

She encourages anyone going through a difficult time to give themselves some grace and look at the big picture. She says it’s smart to ask yourself what you’re trying to achieve and whether this is the right season for it, adding: “Who needs you the most and are you the person you want to be? Just take an honest look inward and set your life up from there, keeping in mind that life comes and goes in stages. Nothing is permanent.”

Marquardt also highlights that the human body can be much more capable than we often expect, adding: “You are capable of more than you think, as long as you give yourself permission to try.”

For advice: Learning how to adapt and have compassion for yourself can be very valuable skills to have, both on and off the race track.