Recovery After Training Camp
After a large block of training such as an intensive training camp, your body will need to recover in order to ‘absorb’ or ‘adapt’ to the workload.
Immune System
Your immune system will be compromised with the high workload. Your body will be spending significant energy repairing damaged tissues, sometimes with the expense of supporting your immune system. Focus on getting in nutrient-dense food & good hygiene practices.
Mental Break
After a weekend, week or longer focused on triathlon, you’ll need a bit of a mental refresh. Sometimes you feel mentally drained from concentrating during sessions and recovery or learning new skills. It is easy to lose motivation when back in your home environment. A recovery week will also allow you more time to spend with family members & friends you may have neglected when on camp.
Muscle & Central Nervous System Fatigue
Each time you place stress or load on a tissue (muscle or nerve) it becomes damaged at a microscopic level. When your body rebuilds these tissues, they become stronger. For the rebuild process to occur you need to rest & not continue loading the tissues to the same level.
Triathletes, and high-level endurance athletes, are typically highly motivated and keen to resume normal training ASAP. Learn to read the signs of fatigue displayed by your body and trust your coach & the process to get the recovery right. This will avoid overtraining syndrome resulting in illness or injury in the 4-6 weeks post camp.
Further Reading
GPC Squad – Periodisation for Individual Sports
GPC Squad – What Being Coached Means
