Overtraining?

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MTBer Max
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Overtraining?

Postby MTBer Max » Sun Feb 03, 2013 11:12 am

Lately my heart rate during my training rides has been about 10bpm higher than usual. Also in a group ride I regularly go on I couldn't keep up with the people I can normally keep up with. I have been doing about 200km - 240km per week or 9hrs - 10hrs for the past 6 weeks. I have rested the past week and done some recovery rides but when I started riding again yesterday my heart rate was still very high.

I am not to sure if I am overtraining or overreaching or it is something else. Does anyone have any suggestions?

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sogood
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Re: Overtraining?

Postby sogood » Sun Feb 03, 2013 11:37 am

If you've dropped off from the upward improvement curve then there's no point in continuing to push it further. Pull back in both volume and intensity until your body can cope again. This obviously exclude other dietary/rest/emotional factors that may also contribute to similar changes.
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gururug
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Re: Overtraining?

Postby gururug » Sun Feb 03, 2013 12:15 pm

Give it a few more rides, make sure your diet and rest is good. Give yourself a few low intensity rides throughout the week if your not doing it already.

Go see a doc to rule out anything sinister if the hr is still high.

Chances are it's lack of something highest on the list is rest, could be a nutrient vitamin deficiency.

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Alex Simmons/RST
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Re: Overtraining?

Postby Alex Simmons/RST » Sun Feb 03, 2013 3:42 pm

May also have a virus or be getting ill, so best bet is to ease up to ensure all OK.

The ride volume per se isn't massive, but it depends a lot on what you've been used to. If that's double your normal ride load experience, or a lot more than you've done recently, then yes you will feel the effects and probably need a little recovery.

Real overtraining (the kind we talk about in high performance training) is an exceptionally difficult state to attain, and when it happens it is pretty serious and can take many months to overcome, sometimes longer. Over reaching is a more normal state attained when training hard and/or longer than one is used to, and can be addressed with relatively short recovery periods (days/week).

eveready2
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Re: Overtraining?

Postby eveready2 » Sun Feb 03, 2013 8:35 pm

I was taught I very simile way of testing of over training, although it is not very, well, sexy...

Wear your heart rate monitor to bed! Try and find out what your average rate is while you sleep by wearing it for a week or so. After a big ride or big training week wear it while you sleep. If you notice a jump in your absolute resting heart rate you know you are doing too much. The theory behind it has to do with sleep being the time your body does all its repair work. If your heart is working harder, it has to do more repair work, leaving you tried when you wake up. Training and over training is a fine line
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george-bob
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Re: Overtraining?

Postby george-bob » Tue Feb 05, 2013 11:48 am

what you are describing is exactly what happens to me when i am getting sick/recovering from sickness.

the best way to test for overtraining is to monitor your resting heart rate. measure and record it every morning, first thing before getting out of bed, it will be within 2-4 bpm day to day. if it is outside of that range you are likely overtrained or getting sick or dehydrated. it is an easy, early warning sign of something not being right.
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toolonglegs
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Re: Overtraining?

Postby toolonglegs » Tue Feb 05, 2013 4:55 pm

"Overtraining" takes weeks or months to attain... a slightly elevated heart rate in the morning may mean many things, my wife is hot after all, but it wouldn't have me basing my training around it.
34... lets ride hard, 37... oh crap, I need a week off! :P .

MTBer Max
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Re: Overtraining?

Postby MTBer Max » Tue Feb 05, 2013 6:45 pm

But it's not only my resting heart rate that is high, my heart rate while I am riding is also very high compared to normal. I have already had a week and a half off and I don't seem to be getting better.

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toolonglegs
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Re: Overtraining?

Postby toolonglegs » Tue Feb 05, 2013 7:00 pm

I expect it depends on a lot of things... overtraining I very much doubt, you really have to bury yourself over a long time to reach that level... depends how long you have been riding, how many k's you do and how hard you do them. Or it could be something completely unrelated to cycling.
A usual healthy person should easily recover in a week from over reaching in training... how bad are you?.

silkishuge
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Re: Overtraining?

Postby silkishuge » Tue Feb 05, 2013 8:01 pm

Generally, my HR does not get faster. In fact, the legs feel tired and it is difficult to achieve my FTP. I usually lay off the intensity and just do longer rides at low intensity to allow body to recover. Generally, I do not mix intensity with training times so I don't get tired legs. Condition the legs for race day. This seems to work for me. Recommended by an ex pro rider and I don't know any better anyway.

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trailgumby
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Re: Overtraining?

Postby trailgumby » Tue Feb 05, 2013 8:21 pm

Does your schedule include a regular recovery week?

You should schedule one easy week in four (3 "on", 1 "off" with easier recovery rides) consistently. Being well north of 40 i have followed Joe Friel's advice for over forties and increased that to one in three(2 on 1 off).

If i don't my progress stops, and i get sick or injured or both.

His advice of no more than 10% increase in total volume (intensity as a score out of 10 multiplied by riding time) per week I've also found to be accurate.

Rome easn't built in a day so it pays to take a long term view to building your fitness.... stick to the plan and don't try taking shortcuts by skipping the recovery weeks

MTBer Max
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Re: Overtraining?

Postby MTBer Max » Tue Feb 05, 2013 8:38 pm

When I am riding my legs hardly feel tired/farigued at all. It's just my heart rate seems to be 10 bpm higher than it normally is and I get a lot closer to my maximum a lot more easily.

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toolonglegs
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Re: Overtraining?

Postby toolonglegs » Tue Feb 05, 2013 9:19 pm

MTBer Max wrote:When I am riding my legs hardly feel tired/farigued at all. It's just my heart rate seems to be 10 bpm higher than it normally is and I get a lot closer to my maximum a lot more easily.
Then you heart is probably adapting to your increase in fitness... don't worry about it!... just ride.

Gumby.... 2 on, 1 off ... bye bye fitness. I have Wednesdays off ( sometimes ) :P .

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MarkG
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Re: Overtraining?

Postby MarkG » Tue Feb 05, 2013 9:38 pm

6 days a week on bike (work and back Mon - Fri) and club ride Sat.
Gym 7 nights a week.

You can combine bodybuilding and cycling :P
Proudly "a hater of academics with helmet cams"

vander
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Re: Overtraining?

Postby vander » Tue Feb 12, 2013 9:30 pm

From my experience (I think I was overtrained or really badly overreaching) it is a lot worse then you are saying. My RHR was up about 15BPM my training HR was decreased (which generally is what happens) and achieving high power numbers were almost impossible. I was sleeping close to 12 hours a day and still feeling extremely tired all the time not just tired legs it was a more general thing (as overtraining is). If this is your case. Take a couple of weeks completely off, ride at recovery pace for atleast a month then gently increase the intensity. You know straight away if you pushed it too hard as you dive straight back into the extremely tired state.

durianrider
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Re: Overtraining?

Postby durianrider » Wed Feb 13, 2013 2:29 pm

HR doesnt mean much as there are too many variables that could be at factor. Get a power meter. If you can't hit your usual numbers than something is up. Could be dehydration, not enough carbs, too much fat from your diet giving you lipemia etc.

Cut out ALL stimulants like caffeine. Listen to your bodies fatigue messages. IMPOSSIBLE to overtrain if you are not using stimulants, staying hydrated, getting to bed early, eating 10g + carb per kg of bodyweight per day and listening to your bodies fatigue signals.

I rode 6190km in Jan. Never at risk of overtraining cos I didnt use any stimulants and always listened to my body. I also use a power meter and train smarter vs harder. Easy. :)
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vander
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Re: Overtraining?

Postby vander » Wed Feb 13, 2013 9:09 pm

durianrider wrote:HR doesnt mean much as there are too many variables that could be at factor. Get a power meter. If you can't hit your usual numbers than something is up. Could be dehydration, not enough carbs, too much fat from your diet giving you lipemia etc.

Cut out ALL stimulants like caffeine. Listen to your bodies fatigue messages. IMPOSSIBLE to overtrain if you are not using stimulants, staying hydrated, getting to bed early, eating 10g + carb per kg of bodyweight per day and listening to your bodies fatigue signals.

I rode 6190km in Jan. Never at risk of overtraining cos I didnt use any stimulants and always listened to my body. I also use a power meter and train smarter vs harder. Easy. :)
*Yawn* More I am a vego eats lots of carbs and nothing else.......getting boring.

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sogood
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Re: Overtraining?

Postby sogood » Wed Feb 13, 2013 9:44 pm

durianrider wrote:HR doesnt mean much as there are too many variables that could be at factor. Get a power meter. If you can't hit your usual numbers than... too much fat from your diet giving you lipemia...
Really? :shock: :lol: :mrgreen: :lol:
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