To much training?/Long term structure help

For the last 10 months I have been using F1 and H1 in replacement for all my supplemental training to my rock climbing, running, and mountaineering. I used to run ultra-marathons but have shifted to training for hard rock climbing. Thanks to foundation I have already fixed most of my imbalances and 100% of my injury's; I feel stronger and healthier than ever. Anyway, I climb 4-6 days per week, run 1-4 (easier and short now), train F1 4x and H1 2X, and intermittently (once or twice a month) have 10-20 hour hiking/climbing days off-trail in Grand Canyon. On deload weeks, every activity is deloaded. I do find myself having to repeat micro-cycles after not completing mastery's quite a bit. However, my climbing is always improving and overall I am progressing with the courses. My first question: is this to much training?

I live in a house with three professional distance runners and two chiropractors who have all recommended to me a period of complete physiologic rest and one of the chiropractors recommended a water fast with this. The roommate who recommended the fast worked at TrueNorth, the leading fasting rehabilitation facility in the world. I have decided to water fast for 7-10 days under his supervision starting the November 4, right after a 5 day climbing expedition in Grand Canyon. I have not taken longer than 5 days off of all activities for the last 3 years, over which time I have run the Leadville 100 mile trail race and climbed nearly thirty buttes and temples below the rim of the Grand Canyon. Is a long break a good idea? Also, with this kind of background information and details on activity level, I would appreciate any recommendations on long term structuring of training with my goals being to possibly climb professionally progress at a normal pace with f1/h1. I ask this because sometimes on week 11 I come up short on form, reps, or both and fail masteries and can feel simply weak or unmotivated for up to a week at a time before I become mentally and physically refreshed. Sorry for all the drawn out garble.

evere3 said:

I ask this because sometimes on week 11 I come up short on form, reps, or both and fail masteries.

Yeah that happens to everyone.  You used to run Ultramarathons, so how am I supposed to know if you're overtraining?  Overtraining is a concept for us mere mortals...

Bipocni said:

Yeah that happens to everyone. You used to run Ultramarathons, so how am I supposed to know if you're overtraining? Overtraining is a concept for us mere mortals...

I am making an attempt to reverse the damage I did because I learned the hard way that ultras are extreme overtraining...I don't put down the miles like I used to for a reason. Just looking for advice on what to do with Foundation and other activities. Possibly use the other activities to benefit my foundation work instead of inhibit progress.

When you deload on Foundation do you do it with all your other activities as well?

I don't see anything wrong with taking a break, but an almost two week water fast seems completely insane. I'm quite interested in fasting and some of the potential benefits, but all those theoretical benefits maximize in a very short period of time. Even assuming some benefit, those claimed by 'TrueNorth' really don't look to me like they'd be useful to somebody who used to do ultra marathons: http://www.healthpromoting.com/water-fasting/who-benefits-fasting (I think it's safe to assume you're not an obese drug addict?). Another page on their site says 'The long-term health benefits of fasting are often dependent on dietary and lifestyle modifications.' So in other words, water fasting is only helpful to people who eliminate the factors in their lives that are actually making them unhealthy. It sounds like those magic diet pills that help you lose weight but only in combination with exercise and diet.

On deload weeks, every activity is deloaded

On the link you posted Colin, number six said physical recharge is a good reason to fast. I do already eat clean and am most definitely not a sleep deprived, obese, drug addict...ha!

Only you really know if you do too much. You definitely do more than i coud ever do.

If you feel that your other activities are eating your progres in F and H you need only to deside what is your main goal for now.

If your top peiority in GB then make shure you always train fress and well rested from your other activities. Or vice versa. What ever is your personal goal.

evere3 said:

.....and intermittently (once or twice a month) have 10-20 hour hiking/climbing days off-trail in Grand Canyon.....

Just wanted to point out this sounds like good fun.  I always wanted to make it to the grand canyon some day.

evere3 said:

On deload weeks, every activity is deloaded

On the link you posted Colin, number six said physical recharge is a good reason to fast. I do already eat clean and am most definitely not a sleep deprived, obese, drug addict...ha!

I figured. 

If you're convinced that it's something to do, try it. But from my understanding fasting isn't going to increase your energy level, in my opinion it will probably do exactly the opposite. You'll probably feel great afterwards from the psychological satisfaction of overcoming a hardship, but I doubt your energy levels will objectively improve. Also, from your activity level I'll assume that you're fairly lean. If you don't have a lot of fat reserves to draw on, you body will lead to muscle wasting in order to keep functioning.

I think in answer to you first question, you're simply training too much. If your focus is foundation and gymnastic progression, I'd stick to a four day schedule (which seems to work for a lot of people) and cut way back on your activities to once a week for everything. Then every week add in another session of something else. With your activity level, you'll probably itching to do something. Once that drive to go do something fades a bit and starts to be replaced with fatigue, you'll know more or less how many times a week to train. As you gradually build up activity you can also keep and eye on your foundation progress and at what point it starts to slip.

You may want to consider blocking out the four foundation days as training days where anything goes, and reserving the other three for rest and see how you feel with that.

If you're current schedule is beating you up, a break will only be a temporary fix. If you go right back to what your're doing now, I think it's inevitable that you'll just end up in the same place after a while.