On the Bleeding Edge of Fitness

An interesting question, or two...

Cyboc said...

Yah, AHH-NOLD! You looking supa pump!

Anyway...two questions for the running sensei:

1) Do you continue training when you get a cold?

2) How much sleep do you get per night when you are training?

I try to keep a training journal pretty religiously. To get an idea of just how anal I am? One of my nicknames as a Pace Group Leader is the "Pace Nazi", patterned, at least I hope, after "the Soup Nazi" on Seinfold. The other names I can't repeat in case my Mother reads this.

I take my heart rate every morning. If it gets elevated five beats above normal, I take the day off. Period. No exceptions. Even for cross-training.

My heart rate has been pretty good lately. My construction labour has been very debilitating, as was the 64K Stormy Ultramarathon Trail run. I HAVE been leg tired. Just TOO much work. I have NOT scaled back my mileage or speed until the past weeks.

My solution was to back off for a week and try to get some snap back in my legs.

If I have a chest cold, or illness below the throat, time for some days off. If it is a head cold, I take it easy but still log a few miles.

I am ALWAYS very conscious of the feedback I am getting from my heart rate monitor.

I normally sleep about seven hours a night. At this stage of training in a marathon clinic, over 65 miles per week, it increases anywhere from eight and sometimes, to even nine hours!

Monday night I slept twelve hours! Got an hour massage and then an hour in the steam room. Then I napped for two hours. Then I did 8K in 33:08 and FELT GREAT!

I also nap if I can. Usually after a very long Sunday run. But if I'm working, it can't be done. I nap here and there where I can. Military studies have shown that even twenty minute "cat naps" have positive benefits.

LOVE YOUR BODY AND YOUR BODY WILL LOVE YOU!

So do it now!