Most athletes that train to a program have a variety of loads week to week that may go something like this;
- Wk 1 12 hours (recovery)
- Wk 2 15 hours
- Wk 3 17 hours
- Wk 4 22 hours (overload)
- Wk 5 12 hours (recovery) etc
I have a great program that Dave sets me and I do my best to follow, that gives me monthly overload weeks to build strength / endurance and intensity that varies both across each week and between them to keep the body and mind continually adapting and progressing.
With Epic Camp, led by John Newsom and Scott Molina coming through the French Alps two weeks ago, I was tempted to test out the advantages of an overload week that verged on the insane. It's tag line is "There is no easy way" and it prides itself on attracting only the strongest of athletes and in being incredibly tough to complete.
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| There is no easy way up here! High on the Col de Galibiere |
Having just finished the camp, I can now testify to the fact that it did attract a great group of very strong athletes and there was no easy way to complete the minimum activities each day required for camp completion, let alone the additional mileage that some people did. For me, I completed each day's activities and took a couple of occasions to do a little more when it suited my objectives and I had some spare energy. My week ended up incorporating 55 hours of training in 8 days, 1,130kms on the bike (+20,000m climbing), 46k of running, 14k of swimming and a couple of hours of yoga to keep the body from locking up. Each day there were King of the Mountain races on one or two major cols, and we also had a triathlon, aquathon and running race on different days to keep the intensity varied and high at least once every day.
Overload objectives
Each of the 13 people participating in the camp, including the organisers Scott and John, would have their own objectives and specific primary goals that the camp was to help them achieve. For some the primary goal was the camp itself, maximizing points to win the yellow, polka dot and green jerseys by focusing on doing all they could each day. For some it was getting back to a really great level of competitive fitness after a bit of a break, to jump start their readiness for next seasons such as one of the current pros that was on his way back after a year developing other business and life interests outside of triathlon. For others, including me, the camp was a building block that I hoped would improve strength / endurance and efficiency for races still to come this season.
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| Col bagging across the Alps Having fun riding uphill, and enjoying the well earned descents! |
To be honest I also saw the week as a great chance to ride a lot of the classic climbs of the Alps that are too hard to access within a day's ride, or drive and ride from our home in the Haute Savoie. During the week we rode many of the truly stunning roads in the Alps and had the opportunity to climb many of the famous cols including; Col de l'Izoard, Col de Galibier / Col de Telegraph, Col de Lauteret (3 times!), Alpe D'Huez, Col de Vars, Col de Pre, Col de Grand Colombiere, Col de Saisses, Cret de Chatillon / Semnoz, Col du Fréne, Col de Forclaz, Col de Lescheux and a few other speed bumps that I have forgotten the names of as they blurred into the long days' rides.
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| Stunning Southern Alps Heading up the Col de L'Izoard |
Did it work for me?
Everybody and every body is different. For those who have the fitness, endurance and strength to take on a camp such as Epic Camp, each absorbs the load differently. I saw some athletes strengthen noticably as the week progressed, while others got slightly more ragged around the edges by the end. One thing that was consistent with us all though was a tan and good raccoon eyes thanks to the amazing summer weather that we had each day, culminating in our final ride into Lyon at 40oC!
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| Ready to race. Enjoying the run at Passy one week on |
I realized pretty early on that for me as the only woman in the group and one of 3 that qualify in the "veteran" category, that I would need to manage my energy carefully to make sure I came out of the week stronger and not just totally blown up, ruining the remainder of my season. Each day I let myself race at high intensity for one competitive activity, but no more even if I felt good enough on that day to give it a go. I felt that if I let myself race everything, constantly pitting myself against the best of the group (professional male athletes 10 years younger than me) I would end up doing all of them in a wishy-washy way rather than picking one activity and doing it well, therefore keeping some better variation in intensity and speed. Although this approach didn't always go down well with those who wanted to compete at every opportunity, I think it is one of the reasons that I was able to race well just a week after the camp and prevent exhaustion or injury and maintain some higher intensity bursts in my training despite the high volumes.
Benefits of big overload training camps
In summary I think it was a really great week for me given my fitness going into the camp and my objectives. The most telling test will be in a few weeks when I race one of my two key races of this season, the new Challenge Henley iron distance race in the UK.
The best things about the week from my perspective were:
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| Scott Molina and Clas Bjorling on Alpe D'Huez |
• Interesting, good athletes to train with, all of whom had very different ways of looking at their training, racing and recovery, including some truly experienced current and ex pros and full time athletes. I enjoyed hearing stories from those who had raced for years all over the world, I learned from watching how others trained and competed and from asking and listening to some wise thoughts on what I was doing. Thanks Scott! I am now working on damping down upper body movement while running. As with most good learning from watching others, I learned some things I would like to emulate and some things I would rather not. Both are valuable. We were also lucky enough to have Rachel Joyce, Tamsin Lewis and Declan Doyle join us on one of our longer days around Annecy. It was fantastic for me to have the chance to ride with and talk to such strong female athletes (and Declan too of course!). Besides being great athletes, they were genuinely nice people too!
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| The Haute Alps |
• Learning that perceived limits were just that, perceived. I redefined my concept of what is possible in overload training. I now have a new concept of what my body can endure and sustain for a short period. I more than doubled the volume of my previous biggest week's training and did so without injury / illness or exhaustion that wasn't able to be reversed after a recovery week.
• Having a stunning environment to train in. I really loved the opportunity to explore the Alps. This was also helped by the weather which was spectacular, probably the best week we have had since early June. Riding up the moonscape-like high alpine terrain of Galibier or l'Izoard or cycling along the lovely river valleys will remain with me I hope forever.
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| My trusty Valdora TT and I high in the Alps |
• Absorbing the overload. I hope that the volume of the training that I absorbed during the week will set me up with a whole new level of endurance. The climbing and daily higher intensity efforts on the bike should also build additional strength I didn't have before. Also I made the decision to take my race bike (my lovely Valdora TT) rather than my roadie as I had done most of my training this year on my roadie and felt just a bit out of sync with my TT. I always have the excuse that I am riding big hills given the terrain I live in, so taking the TT leaving the roadie at home removed the option. By the time we got back to Annecy I had slightly sore hands from the more limited hand positions, but otherwise felt right back in tune with my race bike whether climbing, descending or on the flats. We didn't do massive volumes of swimming or running but some good training in each, including some faster efforts kept me in tune in both other disciplines.
Making overload work for you
A week like Epic Camp clearly isn't for everyone and despite my positive experience, it won't best support the achievement of every athlete's needs and objectives. However I think that participating in a camp environment can be a real value in most athlete's programs if it meets a certain set of preconditions. Here is my summary of what I feel these are from my experience. I'd be interested in your experience and what you think makes a camp environment / overload work best for you.
1. Finding a camp that is the appropriate level for you. Make sure the camp enables you to do the effort (volume and intensity) and provides the infrastructure and support that best suits your level, objectives and experience. I wasn't sure that Epic Camp would be right for me as it looked pretty...well, Epic. However it was a really good stretch. So a stretch is good but just don't go and break your band, ITB or other!
2. Making sure it meets your objectives. Recognized what your needs are in terms of primary outcome before you select a camp type, duration and timing in your season. When in your season would be the best time for a big overload? I personally couldn't have managed Epic Camp after a winter break as my cycling would not have been up to the level required. Equally any closer to my primary race may have risked not absorbing the load and fully recovering in time, carrying residual fatigue into the race.
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| An early morning aquathon in Annecy |
3. Managing yourself en route. Keep tabs on yourself during the training period itself; physically, mentally and emotionally. Don't let objectives of others in your training group determine your week. So, keep the ego in check and watch for easy groupthink traps! Just because the strongest athlete in the group wants to add a 20k run on the end of a busy day or take off and sprint out the final 20k of a ride, doesn't necessarily make it a good idea for you. Fit with the group as best you can to make it fun and get the benefits that will have been designed into the program, but use the flexibility that will usually be provided within the activities to your best advantage. Equally drinking with the boys late into the evening may seem a good idea at the time (and may fit into your priorities) but if not, have some good excuse handy and remember to get to bed before it gets too ugly. Remember a camp is not about showing you are the best to the others there, it is about getting the best outcome for you long term.
4. Allowing time for recovery. Ensure the body is able to fully absorb the overload week by giving yourself the recovery you need during the week and after. It is no good completing a massive overload week and then losing 3 weeks after through exhaustion, injury or illness. As with most things, consistency in training is key to long term improvement. During the week you will have limited options, but take those that you have to rest, put your legs up the wall, stretch or do some yoga after intense or long efforts, get a massage, self massage or use your foam roller/balls and get some sleep. Also focus on quality hydration and nutrition so you deplete yourself as little as possible. Once the week is over, take a rest day (not just your travel day!) then plan in an appropriate light training period where you keep the body moving but don't tax the system deeply with either intensity or volume. Rest and eat well, cutting the volume but maintaining the quality with good high nutrient food. Also as much as possible re-establish your flexibility, removing muscle tightness through gentle exercise, massage, stretching, yoga etc before it has a chance to create any injuries.
So if you are thinking of taking on a big overload week, definately think about doing it with a group and in an organised camp environment. If you find the right one, that fits your current level and goals, this can make it much easier for you to learn from others and focus on your training while a team (hopefully as good as the Epic crew) sort out the essentials of life like food, accommodation and route setting etc.
Whatever your season goals are, I hope they are progressing well for you.
A bientot / Catch up soon
Christine
