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Rest Days: Learn How to Read Your Body Before Taking One

Time for the next session—but you’re tired and unmotivated to head out of the door. You’re not sure if the fatigue comes from having had a stressful week at work, or if you went a bit too hard at those weekend sessions. You are a dedicated athlete who feels very guilty whenever you miss a session. At the same time, you know that training through fatigue or illness is bad for your health. So what to do?

For this scenario, The Method athletes are given a few simple guidelines to “test drive” their bodies to help decide if they ought to skip a training session on any given day.

The key? WHEN IN DOUBT …  try it out!

This does NOT mean that you train when you’re sick.

But on those days when you’re unsure whether your should train, or not, The Method encourage athletes to simply try out your body to see what it tells you. Start the session with a very, very easy 20 to 30 minutes before making that call.

If you feel better, continue your session as planned. If needed, back off and take it easy later in the set if you find that you’re deteriorating.

If after that initial 20-30mins you feel the same, i.e. neither much better nor much worse, modify the session so that it places less strain on your body. For example, if you’re to do a long endurance effort, cut the duration. See how you feel later in the session before deciding if you’ll carry on. If you’re to do a lactate-tolerance session, greatly moderate both the duration and the intensity of the efforts and give yourself a lot more rest between each effort. You still engage your high-end aerobic system and fast-twitch muscle fibres, helping to maintain your accumulated fitness gains until you feel strong again.

If you feel worse after testing your body for that very easy 20-30mins, pack it in and head home. Your body’s telling you that it’s not prepared to train today; you might be fighting an impending illness or simply need to recover. Heed the warning and take the day OFF.

A stitch in time saves nine—if you’re ill or fighting illness, having a few days of rest from training will prevent a prolonged forced break from training and racing.

Use these simple guidelines to judge the most appropriate response on days when you feel sluggish or off. Often, you’ll have a great training session on a day you might otherwise have written off.

And on days you feel great?! Go for it! Just remember, the goal is not to deliver hammer blows to the body, but to generate a long-term, consistent training stimulus.

Illness
Try as we might, there is simply no way to avoid getting sick once in awhile. For these times, The Method stipulates you take time off and recover. Remember: With The Method everything is relative. When you’re sick, the body is weakened and needs to recover from training. The goal is to achieve maximum, effective consistency.

Rest
With all that said, The Method doesn’t set in stone when you’re to take rest from training. Unfortunately, this heretical notion of The Method has led to more misinterpretation than any other of its principles.

Life has a funny way of throwing curve balls at us: work, family and community commitments often cause us to miss out on training. Rather than worrying about missed training when this happens, take comfort from the fact that you’ve been training consistently and diligently until then.  Your days off due to commitments elsewhere become your rest days from training, and are automatically suited to your life schedule since they come when you truly need the time elsewhere, rather than when a schedule hammers them out.

You can also look at it this way: No schedule can accurately predict what you’ll be doing each day for months down the road. Quite simply, what The Method tells an athlete is rest when you need it.
Many amateur athletes spend the better part of their day physically recovering from their training at a desk or otherwise in their daily work. The Method accepts that most amateur athletes do not have the luxury of a daily routine dedicated to sport alone.

For this reason, The Method distinguishes between mental rest and physical rest. For example, a stressful work-travel day on which you can’t train may cause you much mental fatigue while your physical training systems have been resting. Consequently, that stressful day counts as a rest day, even though you might be tired from it.

Keep in mind that everything is relative in The Method training. The hormonal context in which The Method places you determines how you ought to train subsequently. If the stressful travel day
comes on top of a lot of other stress in your life, it can create a significant catabolic experience for your body. In this situation, The Method’s approach advises you to avoid endurance work or excessive lactate-tolerance training immediately following or during this (or other) high-stress period.

After taking a day off, be smart when getting back into the training. If circumstances required you to rest, use these simple rules to get back on the plan:

* Add some volume to the start of the workout in order to kick start your body again before trying any intensity. You don’t want to go too hard while being too rested. Rather, add volume to tire yourself a little bit without pushing the intensity. Then do your intervals. For example, add 30 minutes of easy running before the main set.

* If you are a performance-oriented athlete, then take an easy day in each of the sports after your day off. The reason is that you probably needed the day off due to deep fatigue levels, and the extra bit of easy training will help you recover back to normal fatigue levels. Then you’re most likely good to go again!

Learn how to read your body and stay consistent to your plan!

Enjoy your training,
the ironguides team

 

ironguides is the leading Lifestyle Facilitation company for athletes of all abilities. We provide coaching and training services, plans and programs, as well training education, health and fitness products to help you learn and live a healthy lifestyle. Come get fit with one of our monthly training subscriptions, event-specific training plans, coaching services, or a triathlon training camp in an exotic location! ironguides also provides Corporate Health services including Corporate Triathlons, Healthy Living retreats and speaking engagements. At ironguides, your best is our business!

Train with ironguides!

Personalized Online Coaching: Starting at USD190/month

Monthly Training plans (for all levels, or focused on one discipline): Only USD39/months

Event based training plans:

Sprint Distance (USD45 for 8-week plan)

Olympic Distance (USD65 for 12 week plan)

Half Ironman (R$95 for 16-week plan)

Ironman (USD145 for 20-week plan)

X-Terra (USD65 for 12-week plan)

Running Plans (10k, 21k and 42k – starting at USD40)

 

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Ironguides Bangkok – December 2021 Updates














ironguides Bangkok newsletter: Stay updated on what our group is up to!

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Dear athletes, below the relevant updates for the upcoming month

*6th December Swim is cancelled (Father’s day & Public Holidays)
*Race Report: ironguides draft legal triathlons & Open water swim race

*End year break dates announced Dec 20th to Jan 9th

Enjoy your training,

Visit ironguides Bangkok

The Warm Up (Head Coach Notes)

Dear Members,

The last month was all about racing. We hosted 3 events, the lake swim race at Taco and two triathlons, Sprint and Olympic Distance in the draft legal format. These were on the same weekend as Laguna Phuket Triathlon was supposed to be and the goal was to fill in the gap and boost motivation as well as pick up some different skills by racing in a different format.

There are three Tri-Dashes within the next 10 weeks, so for December and January we are focusing on the training, the timing as perfect as we believe in ‘reverse periodization’, which means work on speed first, and slowly build the distance towards the longer races happening later in 2022, so for now, its all about speed and short races.   

Enjoy your training,
Vinnie Santana
ironguides Head Coach

Race Report & Members Updates: 

Best images from the Draft Legal weekend of racing 20-21 November @Pranburi



Results:

SPRINT DISTANCE – MEN
Name FINAL
Kenshin 1:00:29
Romain 1:00:49
Golatat 1:02:15

 

SPRINT DISTANCE – WOMEN
Name FINAL
Vansa 1:14:42
Mujiratat 1:23:47
Gam 1:24:39

 

OLYMPIC DISTANCE
Name FINAL
Zach 2:02:51
Victor 2:05:14
Romain 2:06:22

—-

ironguides Team Swim Race – 30th oct 2021

Our open water event at Taco Lake is in the books. It was perfect weather for our 2 loop cable swim (about 1.4k).
Twelve swimmers competed in the event. The swimmers were divided into two teams of six. Each individual swimmer contributed to his or her team’s score.

Congratulations goes to Team Sanook consisting of Mathias, Vanza, Vicki, Mike, Vinh and Gam for just edging out Team Sabai Sabai made up of Zachary, Vinnie, Helder, Andrew, Ben and Finola. Every swimmer put in a strong effort.

The finishing places were:
1. Mathias
2. Zachary
3. Vinnie
4. Vanza
5. Mike
6. Helder
7. Vicki
8. Andrew
9. Vinh
10. Ben
Tie for 11. Gam and Finola

Thank you event sponsor U-Jamu herbal drinks for the prizes

—-

Train like the World Champion & Olympic Champion – the science of our track workouts explained

While the ironguides training Method may come across straight forward and simple, there’s a lot more science behind the workouts we do together.

Last month Coach Champ got you to alternate in between 2 efforts, which he called 10k pace (or short course triathlon intensity) and marathon/half marathon pace (or 70.3 and Ironman intensity), we can translate that to scientific terms of Anaerobic Threshold and Aerobic Threshold when lactate reaches 4.0mmol and 2/0mmol respectively. Each intensity is specific to a certain distance, we often spend most of the workout at around 4.0mmol to develop or anaerobic threshold (or FTP for the cycling friendly terms), when we switch back and forth, we build the ability to be more efficient at 2.0mmol since you put your body in a stage it must clear the excess of lactate from the previous set WHILE you are cruising at your race pace.

We add to this the component of pacing (being in control of your speed and associating with effort) and technique at each effort, and we have a simple yet effective workout. “The Norwegians” (World Champion Gustav Iden pic below on a long run, likely targeting 2.0mmol) collect their lactate via blood from ear lobe whilst on their training run to make sure they are exact at those numbers, we can however get pretty close with perceived effort.
 

Swimming

Coached Sessions at Racquet club 

IMPORTANT:
*SESSION CANCELLED ON DECEMBER 6TH (PUBLIC HOLIDAY & FATHER’S DAY)
*LAST SESSION OF THE YEAR 15TH DECEMBER

  • Where: Racquet Club (Map below).
  • Time: 18.30-19.50pm 
  • MONDAY: Technique Focus + Conditioning.
  • THURSDAY: Conditioning Focus + Technique 

Cost:

  • Free for coached athletes & club members (1x week only)
  • 600thb for drop in athletes (book & pay online, in advance)

Running 

Weekly Coached Sessions

*LAST SESSION OF THE YEAR 14TH DECEMBER
 

Where: National stadium (warm up 200m blue track )
When: Wednesdays @18.30-20.00

Cost:

*Free for members & coached athletes
*400thb for drop in athletes  (book & pay online, in advance)

Cycling

We are planning quarterly sessions at the velodrome which is currently closed, meanwhile refer to your training plan for a structured workout, you can download the sessions to Zwift or Trainerroad and upload to the app folder, they will appear under Custom workouts. More instructions in the members area of our app


Download file from the ironguides app and move to zwift folder


You can now let zwift guide your ironguides training

 


Velodrome Session (real world zwift!) – Coming up

Membership & Coaching Services

Drop in Sessions (book & pay online, in advance)

  • Cost: 400 THB running sessions, 600 THB swimming sessions. Payment online, in advance (non-refundable)

3 Months – Sessions Only Membership: 2 options  

  • Run Sessions only: 2500 THB per 3 months
  • Run + Swim Sessions: 4500 THB per 3 months

Includes access to weekly sessions, ironguides member status (preferred pricing on events & apparel)

3 Months – Sessions + Training Plan + Coaching Access: 2 options  

  • Run Sessions only: 4500 THB per 3 months
  • Run + Swim Sessions: 6500 THB per 3 months

Includes access to training plans via app, quarterly email with Coach to structure your training plans, weekly sessions, ironguides member status (preferred pricing on events & apparel)

Personalized Coaching + Sessions:

Includes:

  • Access to all sessions
  • Customized training plan
  • Weekly communication with your coach
  • Member status

Starts at 5.900thb/month (more)
 

ironguides APP – ALL in one place

With our new app we have 3 mains goals: 

Provide you a training plan & coaching support

All Training Plans are available in 2 loads, high and low (# of hours and training days) as well as 3 levels of workouts (beginner, intermediate, advanced)

Plans available 
Ongoing Triathlon (short course & overall development)
Balanced Running (5, 10k & overall development)
16-weeks Ironman 70.3
20-weeks Ironman Full
Bike Development, Swim Run maintenance
Run Development, Swim Bike maintenance
Swim Development, Bike Run maintenance

How it works: Sign up for the plans package, fill in the questionnaire with goals & background, discuss with the coach your 3 month plan, start training. Watch our explainer video. 

Build an Online Community

The message board is more structure, a good place to find training buddies doing the same training plan and sessions as you on non-coached days. Organize trips to races or events. Stay updated on coaching announcements

The social wall is a casual place to exchange information such as racing opportunities, training photos, members updates.

Manage your Performance

A training log to manage and log your training information with special features such as performance calculators and training performance analysis


Desktop View of your training plan. Mobile version also available


Manage your Performance – Mobile Performance analysis


Online Community: Train together, Race together, share experiences online and offline

Watch App Explainer Video

Members! We need to confirm your membership status

Regarding the time left on your membership, and you can track it following the steps in this video using your login access on our homepage footer (if you can’t retrieve yours, reply to this email).  

We are offering our members 3 options – we need you to confirm via this form your preferred option:

a) Run Only Classes (+ bonus training plan and access to the ironguides app). This membership will run at a third of the usual rate (ie 20 days will be frozen monthly). 

b) Swim + Run Classes (+ bonus training plan and access to the ironguides app). This membership will run at two third of the usual rate. 

c) Maintain membership frozen until you are comfortable to come back to training 

If you opt for option B, you will also need to select in the form one day to come swimming. Both days will offer the same workout, for now and all levels are welcome. Pick the day that best suits you.

if we dont hear from you, we will maintain the membership frozen by default  Here is the form 

Reactivate my Membership

Sponsors & Discounts:


OTHER SPONSORS AND PARTNERS 

Find the discount code at the message board of our app

TRI-DASH THAILAND: 10% OFF at any event during 2021 – use our coupon code on the members area when registering for the race http://tridashthailand.com/

UJAMU: 10% OFF at any event during 2021 – use our coupon code on the members area when registering for the race https://ujamu.net/

XTERRA WETSUITS: 65% OFF at any event during 2021 – use our coupon code on the members area when registering for the race https://www.xterrawetsuits.com/products/mens-vector-pro-fullsuit-special

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