The Build Period and Health

The most critical time in your season is from three weeks to 12 weeks before an A-priority race. This is when your hard training is the most effective. Missed workouts now have a much greater impact on race performance than at any other time of the year. You must stay healthy and injury-free by whatever means possible.

When training hard your immune system is under a great deal of stress and may not be able to fend off invaders. You must help it now more than at any time in the season. If you become sick now you will miss the most important workouts of your long build-up to the race. Go out of your way to avoid people who are sneezing, coughing or otherwise obviously sick. You’re likely to encounter them at work, school, parties, and in your family. Traveling to races or for any other reasons can be particularly risky. I often tell the athletes I coach that when in public places to keep left hands protected. If possible, keep it in a pocket. Use the right hand to come in contact with the world – door handles, counters, railings, shaking hands, papers, luggage and everything else. This will help to ensure that you have a fairly germ-free hand for touching your face and for personal hygiene. Wash your hands frequently when around people. Stay healthy.

You must also avoid injury which would set you back and ruin your chances for a best-ever race. Stop a workout whenever something doesn’t feel right. This could be a slight twinge in a tendon or joint or even just a sense that you aren’t up to training on a given day. A day off or one missed workout is far better than missing a week or two while recuperating from an injury. Prevention is less costly than the cure.

Do not train with niggling injuries. No matter how insignificant it may seem at the time, the first step is to always rest when something isn’t right. During this time do whatever training you can that doesn’t aggravate the tender spot. If with two days of rest the discomfort isn’t gone or at least considerably better then make an appointment to see a physical therapist, sports doctor, chiropractor or whatever form of medical care you prefer immediately.

The bottom line here is that you must stay healthy and injury-free in the last few weeks before an A race.

 

 

Comments

[Phil Brown]

Very important consideration Joe, thankyou. By following your structured program I have not succumbed to respiratory illness for the first time since I started cycling - and crucially, enforcing the difference between hard and recovery rides during Build has been key.

Is it true that you are most vulnerable to picking up an illness in the few hours following a hard workout?

[Joe Friel]

Phil--Yes, there is some research that shows that to be the case.

[Madeleine]

Many thanks for your comments on staying healthy, especially the point about washing hands, which is a big deal in my workplace. I would also point out that hygiene in the kitchen (e.g. washing cutting boards on which meat is prepared, cleaning the cutting wheel of can openers, proper technique in cracking eggs, being mindful of the "best by" dates on packaged greens and dairy) will help minimize the risk of foodborne illness.

[Steve Oz]

Joe, I travel to europe, asia, and australia during my training for 5 days at a time and typically bring my travel bike. I also frequently target "rest" weeks for travel so that minimal spinning in a hotel gym can be used. I find I need to be extra careful about germs in the airport/ airplane, and the impact of jet lag.

I'd like your opinion on impact of the jet lag to training as adjusting to new time zones (on both arrival and return) feels physically difficult in both directions. From a training perspective, would it make more sense to stay longer, say 2 weeks to more fully adjust? Would you suggest altering the training plan around the travel?

[Joe Friel]

Hi Steve - My experience has been that when flying east it takes roughly 1 day to adapt to a new time zone for every zone of change. So, if you travelled 7 zones east allow 7 days to fully adapt. Flying west is about half of that - 1 day for every 2 zones.

[Ilya Cantor]

Joe

I travel a bit also, and I'm now in Eastern Europe, and the only accessible training I have is to run. Which I was aiming to do anyways as I'm doing a couple of triathlons this season.

However, cycling is my primary sport.

The specific question is this - I am traveling during my scheduled rest week, and I do need a rest week, as I buried myself leading into it on purpose.

Does running regularly during a "cycling" rest week mess up the concept of a rest week?

Thank you
ilya

[Joe Friel]

Ilya--Well, as usual, the answer starts with 'it depends.' Depends on how much running you'll do and how well adapted you are to it. At some point (lots of miles and low adaptation) it would certainly upset recovery.