Maintenance Work, please help!

Hello all,

 

A little background: I am a 16 year old, 135 lb (61kg) male who runs XC (cross country) at my high school while doing F1/F2/H1 in the afternoon. I run about 7 miles each time (11k) and you can see my GST stats in my signature.

 

Today I had a very poor race. I was expecting to go low 17's, but instead ran 18:10ish. The course was difficult, but that is for another time. This leads to my question: is there a way I can put my Foundation/Handstand work on hold until October 26 (2nd to last race, most important one of the season), while focusing on running, and losing minimal strength? Give me a way, and I will find it. I can pack my own lunch, eat at a caloric deficit, etc. Please, please help! Thanks, and any more info I can give please ask and I will answer ASAP! I love you guys.

According to my experience, having had done similar things once it was matter of stopping WL/PL in favor of preparing cycling competitions, I can say in the next 20 days you won't loose strength, not really. You may want to consider working out as you are doing now but just using the deload week scheme for the next 3 weeks. This will keep your Im level, I'm just not sure that it's good to work on the SLS/Im with all the running you are going to put in.

Thanks for the suggestions! In regard to the SLS suggestion, I will only do it on weeks I don't have a race. I just don't want to tire my legs if preventable.

Before you reduce F1 what is your nutrition like? At your age you should be able to do both easily.

If your nutrition is good you could reduce the total training days of F1, but keep up the intensity.

Here is a typical day:

 

Breakfast: Small energy bar, run, vegan energy bar, chocolate milk, apple, some type of whole grain (pancake, no syrup, biscuit, etc), nutri-grain bar.

 

Snack: Protein bar or beef jerky

 

Lunch: Some type of school protein, as many vegetables as possible, sometimes none because I'm the last lunch, fruit, chocolate milk.

 

Snack: Oatmeal with honey, almonds, peanut butter

 

Dinner: Some type of meat, fruit or vegetable, and another side.

 

I constantly drink water throughout the day. I try to convince my mom to put more Paleo meals on the menu, but she doesn't like them because they taste "bad" (I've tried explaining how healthy they are, and that she needs to get on some F1! ). I haven't had a soda since I was about 10 or 11, and eat no junk food, minus once or twice a month. I'm thinking about starting to pack my lunch... Maybe a turkey sandwich on whole-grain bread with lots of spinach, some carrots, and something else (suggestions). My main problem with nutrition is I am hungry 24/7... I eat whatever I possibly can, as long as it's healthy to a minor degree (no cookies, ice cream, etc). I try to eat vegetables whenever possible, just don't know how to get a variety.

Stopping any leg work would be a bad idea. I ran a marathon two years ago, stopped all leg work other than putting in 37-52miles a week leading up to the event. My time was 4:57. This past year, I started training for a marathon, 7weeks out, ran it in 4:28. The only difference was I kept doing maximum strength and kettlebell work to keep my legs from weakening on me. I was 24, 165lbs( about 75-76kg) at 5'10". If I ever do run it's strictly intervals sprints now, but just throwing my experience out there. Ask your coach and see what he says... As for nutrition, that was the other thing I changed. Back then I stuck to the typical carb loading cycle, but now and after a year, I've been in nutritional ketosis. But again, just throwing my experience out there. I know NSCA has put out a lot of studies in regards to strength training(legs), running endurance, and how they work together.

I'll do heavy squats in the offseason, but there is no place for me to put my leg work without it affecting a workout or race, otherwise I would be doing it.

 

Squat study: http://www.slideshare.net/sjm1368/strength-endurance-training

In your age it's normal to be hungry all the time. And when you eat quality it is best to eat all the time

My suggestion woud be to eat 20-30g of protein in every meal. Dont forget the proteins from your breakfast. Add good fats to your every meal. And with your age and training there is no need to be so lo carb. You can add rice (or similar carb) around your WO meals.

But. There will not be big setback in 3 weeks

The knee work in the SLS PEs will be invaluable for you in race prep. It would be rejuvenating coupled with some kit Laughlin stretching. You could dial in your nutrition while working the other foundation exercises in a steady state manor or choose and easier exercise/earlier microcycle on current exercise and work those. Should decrease f1 volume while maintaining some intensity. Thoughts guys?

You should be able to do F1 plus running, at your age I trained for a marathon (4 days per week) did Karate (twice a week) and Rugby (once or twice a week depending on if we had a game or not) and yeah it was tough but I didn't lose anything through overtraining. I'd just say eat more, just add in some more calories on what you're already getting, you're already getting a good amount of nutrients so don't worry overly as to where these extra calories come from

I would avoid the SLS while in the midst of the competitive season of XC.  This training is effective for runners, but not during peaking period.  the hay is in the barn and tiring your legs out more will only hinder your performance.  I would drop to once weekly F7 as maintenance during this month.  do it on a monday or tuesday so you're recovered by race time (assuming weekend races). I wouldn't do strength work within 3 days of a race.  I am also a competitive runner, so i speak from experience, but also from a scientific background. A fatigued core and shoulders would certainly impair your racing.  Once your peak phase is done, hop back into the training and as long as you've done some strength work during this period you won't lose ground, you just may not gain ground.  I agree with maintaining the iM components, and you may even drop back to the previous element on some of these.  Looking at your statistics, I think the ones most likely to fatigue you would be the FL and SLS.  I feel the foundation training goes excellent with run training, but disagree with it's use during peaking phases.  The nutritional recommendations above are excellent.  Don't forget good sleep too!  Have a great racing season, and it's great to see a runner not ignoring the strength training side of things!

Thanks MT Nordic! And yes, I have just a few weeks left to fully peak, so I don't want to mess it up. I try sleep 9 hours about 5 days a week, 8-9 two days or less. What are your PR's? Nothing against your credibility, just interested.

Totally agree with you MT Nordic. One thing is the preparation period, one thing is peaking.

Awareness, I'm over twice your age (nearly 3x!) so I'm sure i don't have the speed you have.  My 10k times are currently in the 36 min range. I haven't raced a 5k in years.  I'm mostly a trail runner/mountain runner.  I run 50k to 50 mile distances all summer, then cross country ski race all winter (which is actually my favorite, as it involves endurance, strength, and power).  As I've gotten older I've moved to longer and longer distances because I enjoy it more and I'm more competitive at those distances.  I love going for a morning run through the mountains and seeing peaks and lakes that other people are backpacking for days to see.  My 50k times are around 4-4:30, depending on elevation gain (usually around 3000-8000 ft).  My 50 mile times are 7-9 hours, again depending on terrain.  Strength training has been a boon to my trail running, and I love feeling strong and nimble racing full speed down the side of a mountain.  I coach some local runners now, and am involved with our cross country team when I have the time.  Their speed at the short distances makes me envious!