May 11
18
We are now approaching the colder months here. Those readers in the Nth. Hemisphere will make the point that Australians dont face nearly the same challenges as they do. To a large extent this is true but there are some common considerations for all athletes in facing the change of season
It is well accepted that humans are indeed like other animals and experience “hibernation response” and at the more extreme end “seasonality disorder”
In simple terms animals do a bit more hunting and gathering when the weather is good- build up a little cache of food and a safe nest and then wait out the colder months. During this time they generally sleep more and exercise less.
If you look back through human history we are not that much different. Understandably the bigger the change in season the more pronounced this behaviour tends to become. The fact is its a natural and healthy process if properly planned
Some general observations:
-Very few people can train the same volume in winter that they maintain in summer- in this I’ll make the condition that Im talking about those that train consistently and hard
-Exercising in extreme heat or cold produces temperature stress that consumes energy on top of the exercise demands itself- this is why its so much harder to do the same time trial time when its 5c out- lets not go into tyre pressures please!
-Intensity-it is normal for people to have difficulty exercising at the same intensity when very hot or cold- obvious hey- but how many of you actually make allowance for it. Are you still trying to hammer those FTP intervals at the same watts all year round?
-Sleep/recovery- in colder temperature its healthy and natural to want to sleep more and exercise less. Recovery tends to also be slower. This is true for very hot climates also. How many of you actively make the decision to sleep more during the winter months?
About this time of year we get the usual bleating from people:
-struggle to get up
-cant get going in the cold
-im not motivated
-not enjoying it
etc
This is of no surprise if the planning is not there to accomodate the change in season
-Are you still going to bed at the same time as summer?
-Do you have all the warm clothes laid out ready to go. Is your gear really good-lights,jackets,hats etc or is it just “dealing” with it? ( i actually used to put the tights/bike thermals on before bed when Ive lived some really cold places)
-Are you trying to ride just as hard as summer?
-Are you giving yourself more time to warm up?
-Are you thinking about when the best time to do things are- swim at lunch instead of am for instance when sun is out? swim less bike more?
I so often find that disappointment is as a result of not making a conscious change to the plan
We get the old problem of overcorrecting rearing its head- train like a world champ for 10 weeks while the weather is good, winter hits-no change to routine>get sick>stop training> get depressed> start back at the bottom again
Then there are the people who actively sleep in more- maybe dont go out if its pissing rain or too cold but they maintain a routine the whole way through winter. Perhaps they train less hours but when the sun is out with a bit more intensity. These people dont miss training and then try and cram back- they just keep chipping away. Perhaps they cut their night swims down to 40mins when its cold but they go a bit harder
So who is going to come away at the end of the year stronger- the guy chipping away and sleeping more or the guy training the house down and then going cold turkey in winter
One is training with his brain the other 100% brawn
Food- The guilt
When did it become unnatural to eat more when its really cold? Listening to some of the PT idiots on TV you’d think the whole world needed to live off powdered protein every meal weighed on scales and 45 different measured portions a day
No wonder people get sick and disappointed with themselves in winter- they are working against nature
To put it bluntly if they could keep their mouth shut more consistently in winter and summer then they wouldn’t have an incentive to try and overcorrect nature
Are you adapting what you eat to the season? soups, warmer curries and roasts etc make sense. Why would you be living off ice smoothies and protein powder all year round?
Overcorrection- thats the common thread
Do you anticipate the season and make adjustments-get exactly what you want. Or do you wait till your training goes out the window and get disappointed that you cant get the same sessions done?
Personally if its 6C and raining Im going to sleep in a bit hit the windtrainer hard for 30 mins have a nice cup of coffee and stay dry. I couldn’t disagree more with the old “rain hail shine” BS you get from some of the old coaches going around. When it boils down to it they want you to show up and dive into a pool that is so cold its going to make you sick- because if you dont they are not making money.
In their defence some people are just way too soft and not only will they miss that session they wont adapt and substitute either- so its simpler to say show up rain hail or shine. If you are an idiot you need to be trained like an idiot. There are many very smart athletes who have idiotic training habits- they need to be treated like idiots too. The point I am making is dont make “adapting” for winter a whole book of excuses not to train at all. Find a balance between HTFU and being too soft
Like the taxman says adaption is ok avoidance is not
Hormonal Responses and Mood
The euros embrace the idea of winter “melancholy” or ones mood becoming mellower in the winter months. They see this as a constructive emotion for more reflection and contemplation. Unfortunately in a lot of western countries we think everyone should be “up” all the time and self help books and medication are the answer. It is normal as activity levels drop or after a big phase of activity (eg after an IM) you will get a down- lets not call it depression. Thats the most overused word on TV. Most people that claim to suffer depression just suffer mood suppression- that’s normal, you are not special and you do not need Dr Phil, pills,books or your triathlon coach to bring you out of it. What you do need is to take responsibility for it. Firstly recognise and embrace your different highs and lows. If you smashed yourself and need a few months recovery busy yourself on projects at home, admin, going on a relaxed holiday- stuff that will prepare you for your next big effort. Dont sit around on tri forums feeling depressed and goal-less and wondering what to do now that IM is gone or you feel tired more so than summer. Get into something, anything. Starting something and recognising you are like 95% of the adult population is the first step. That guy you think is always “up” is probably bi-polar and his mood crashes when he is home out of your sight. Talk openly with your mates and laugh about change in mood-but dont bore them with it. If we all didn’t make such a big deal of this stuff Opera would be out of business
So lets summarise the basic ideas I have thrown up and keen to hear others ideas:
-Planning
-Active Correction
-Adaption not avoidance
-Middle ground between HTFU and stupidity
-Embrace and recognise “moods”
-Laughs, friends and keep chipping away
Good luck out there
JC (Outspoken hater of cold and reptilian in nature)
