Over the past years I've noticed I always race better at the end of a hard week and race worse at the end of a recovery/easy week. Has anyone ever noticed this? or can explain it?
Over the past years I've noticed I always race better at the end of a hard week and race worse at the end of a recovery/easy week. Has anyone ever noticed this? or can explain it?
Absolutely. Not always. A few years ago ran the best 5k I've done since college at the tail end of the highest mileage week I've ever done in my life. Makes no sense to me either.
Supercompensation? You overload and adapt quickly. Usually you have to recover first to gain the benefit.
I've also heard of people that PR in 5k-10k in the 2-3 weeks after marathon. It does seem crazy.
For the last 4 July's I've taken part in a 3 race series held on a Sat.(10K and 4.8K Hill climb) and Sunday. Rather than being wiped for the 25K on Sunday, it has ended up being far and away my best run of the 3.
No clue.
I ONLY race well after a hard week, and more specifically, I race really well the day after a hard workout.
I would love to understand how and why this happens.
Thanks. Im glad to know im not the only one. I talked with some other people and they were telling me maybe its cause when youre on your recover week you body is in i guess "recover mode" and when youre on your "up" weeks or high mileage weeks your body is in more of a race mode or harder working mode.
my guess is that your body is in fight and flight mode. incredible hunk syndrome. you are running on adrenaline. I would be careful. Those PR periods are also the ideal time to get injured.
Two reasons; you are more economical, and you are still mentally focused on running hard.
Tapering or running easy all week can make you race badly if it affects these two factors. There is a way to avoid this and that is to have an easy week where you do some endurance and some speed work, but no hard days. Or you could do a hardish day perhaps four or five days before the race then a few easy days, with some short sharp stuff the day before the race.
What is important is not to lose your rhythm, focus and determination during an easy week.
sykes wrote:
I ONLY race well after a hard week, and more specifically, I race really well the day after a hard workout.
I would love to understand how and why this happens.
Maybe it's because you're "primed" to run fast from the harder run the day before. The idea of doing strides the day before a faster workout would support this same theory. Your muscles and head may be better prepared to run fast from the faster running done the day before.
Learn this lesson quickly even though it seems counter intuitive. I spent my whole running career (High School through D1 College) with coaches who kept tapering me, despite the fact I ALWAYS bombed the big end of the season races.
I also race MUCH better after my hardest weeks. I ran a 29:30 10k off my highest mileage and toughest week and then 3 weeks later after a taper, I couldn't even run that pace for a 5k. I was left completely confused.
I recommend trying this . . . take an easy week the week BEFORE a big meet and then the week of the meet, train hard. This model is always when I had my best times.
Because tapering is incredibly overrated.
Ever notice that elites who show up at a race after suffering a slight injury and resting for a few days run terribly?
College Frosh wrote:
Over the past years I've noticed I always race better at the end of a hard week and race worse at the end of a recovery/easy week. Has anyone ever noticed this? or can explain it?
After 35+ years of running, this is my history in a nutshell.
Ashley Madison wrote:
College Frosh wrote:Over the past years I've noticed I always race better at the end of a hard week and race worse at the end of a recovery/easy week. Has anyone ever noticed this? or can explain it?
After 35+ years of running, this is my history in a nutshell.
Plus - Even running multiple track events on same day or consecutive days my first race always seems to be my slowest.
Your body has adapted to running. It wants to run. Let it run. When it runs less it does not like it very much - physically and mentally.
It is also not unusual to see runners PR off of summer mileage and than start to get slower as the season progresses. That is why coaching is such an art and not just science. Knowing yourself or your runners is the key.
I'm the opposite. I've always run my best races by cutting my mileage significantly, with the following taper:
Mon: 45-60 easy
Tue:
am: 30 easy
pm: 2 miles easy + 2 miles at MP + 1/2 mile jog + 4 x 200 at 800/mile pace (rec: slow 200 jog) + 1/2 mile jog + 1 mile at 10k pace + 1 mile easy. (12 mile day)
Wed: off
Thu: 30 easy
Fri: 30 easy
Sat: RACE
Anybody else thrive off pulling the plug completely in the last few days?
not me wrote:
I'm the opposite. I've always run my best races by cutting my mileage significantly...
Anybody else thrive off pulling the plug completely in the last few days?
Absolutely. I do really well with lots of rest. I'm a middle distance guy - think the difference is maybe a fast twitch/slow twitch thing?
weIInow wrote:
Two reasons; you are more economical, and you are still mentally focused on running hard.
Tapering or running easy all week can make you race badly if it affects these two factors. There is a way to avoid this and that is to have an easy week where you do some endurance and some speed work, but no hard days. Or you could do a hardish day perhaps four or five days before the race then a few easy days, with some short sharp stuff the day before the race.
What is important is not to lose your rhythm, focus and determination during an easy week.
Tapering can make you *expect* to run fast without killing yourself. When your running hard, you expect to have to kill yourself and wind up running fast too. The great PRs come when you rest a little AND go out there and race hard.
Not sure if it's fast twitch/slow twitch. I'm more of an endurance guy.
The less I run, the better my legs feel, and the faster I run.
I have had both situations happen. PR off of my highest week and PR off of a dramatic taper. There seems to be no reason behind it. Maybe its all mental.
It could also be a blood sugar thing. When you are running more your energy needs help to regulate your blood sugar levels. So when you taper your blood sugar may spike and that could lead to a hypoglycemic condition come race time, ergo, inability to perform well.
Next time you taper try to stay away from foods with high glycemic loads and see how that works for you.