The importance of rest
 
Rest is probably the one part of a cycling programme that the majority of endurance athletes neglect! You should not underestimate the importance of it. Your plan should be based upon the principle that rest will help you to improve your fitness level and that you should be undertaking rest at regular intervals in your programme.
 
The reason for including rest into your programme is because when you train you are weakening your body. Every training session you undertake stresses the body and this weakens it. This would mean that if you continue to train and not rest over a prolonged period your ability to improve your performance may decrease or stagnate. So including periods of rest into your programme will allow you to get fitter. This concept is of training to weaken the body and recovering to make it stronger is called 'super-compensation'
 
A simple way of putting it
 
'After training is the only time when you are resting are you getting fitter'
 
Super-compensation
 
The concept of super-compensation is the fundamental key to improved sports performance in most sports. It is the foundation that your training programme is based around and neglecting this principle (by training without adequate rest) would lead to stagnation of your current fitness level or it would deteriorate over time (burnout). A gradual stepped programme you will have an increased level of fitness and super compensation will occur I.e. an increase in your fitness level above previous levels.
 
To attain super compensation your programme has regular reduced training weeks and 2 week reduced training periods. This will enable super-compensation to occur and will allow your mind and body to recover from the previous weeks training, re-motivating you for the next training block.
 
How do I know if I am doing too much training?
 
Your programme should be designed to stress your body enough to gain an improvement in your fitness level, but not too much to push you into overtraining. This difference between the two is the key to a successful training programme. The two states are called 'over-reaching' and 'over-training'.
 
Over-reaching
 
Over-reaching has the following characteristics
 
·          Your normal training stresses the body to gain an increase in fitness.
·          This stress is beneficial to the body and is usually seen in the final training week before the rest week.
·          With correct rest this over reaching in the body will assist in gains of performance.
 
Over Training
 
Over-training has the following characteristics
 
·          Over-training occurs when the body does not get enough rest when it is in an over-reached state.
·          If training continues the body will get more and more fatigued resulting in large drops in performance and increases in lethargy.
 
 
What should I be looking out for to tell me that I am over training?
 
There are signs that indicate you may be overtraining and you should be aware of them and looking out for them. A change in the following will tell you that you are pushing your body and you may need to take an extra day off to allow for adequate recovery.
 
·          A marked increase or decrease in resting heart rate
·          A marked change in your enthusiasm for riding
·          Problems staying in or getting into your heart rate zone
·          A change in your sleep pattern
·          Changes in mood patterns
 
 
There are two different types of over-training these are based upon two areas of your nervous system.
 
These are
·          Para-sympathetic over-training (inhibiting systems)
·          Sympathetic over-training (exciting systems)
 
The names come from the section of the autonomic nervous system that they control.
 
They both have different symptoms within the body, if you notice a grouping of these symptoms then you should ensure that you take time off to allow for adequate recovery. You should also inform Dan immediately so that he can adjust your programme accordingly.
 
Para-sympathetic Over-training
·          Impaired performance
·          Lack of super-compensation
·          Fatigue, depression, apathy
·          Not disturbed sleep
·          Constant weight
·          Low resting heart rate
·          Low resting blood pressure
·          Suppressed heart rate-exercise profile
·          Suppressed glucose-exercise profile
·          Suppressed lactate-exercise profile
·          Suppressed neuromuscular excitability
·          Suppressed sympathetic intrinsic activity
·          Suppressed catecholamine sensitivity
·          Altered hypothalmic/pituitary/adrenal/gonadal function
 
Symptoms of Sympathetic over-training
·          Impaired performance
·          Lack of super-compensation
·          Restlessness, irritability
·          Disturbed sleep
·          Increased resting heart rate
·          Increased resting blood pressure
·          Retarded recovery after exercise