Doubling up on workouts could do more harm than good

You might have seen a few of my prior columns for everyday people like you and me who are beginners or have a goal to attempt their first triathlon. 

If you are looking into the sport of triathlon, chances are you have found yourself a beginner’s training plan to get you into shape over a certain amount of time, as you move closer and closer to the date of your race. Your plan likely started 25 or eight weeks out, depending on your level of fitness prior to your race goal. No matter what type of schedule you are on, life happens, and sometimes you will miss a workout. 

How will you react?

A common problem for most beginning triathletes and many intermediate or age-group triathletes is overtraining. When a workout is missed due to any outside stimuli, some athletes feel the need to “double up” on their workouts the next day to make up for the lost fitness activity. 

While doubling up at a very low or recovery intensity could be beneficial, to try and go 100% twice in one day can be a bit much for your body. Doubling up on intense workouts without the proper strategy could lead to any number of race-inhibiting factors, such as stress fractures, muscle fatigue, dehydration and many more.

If you are a busy person like me, chances are you are not trying to win the race. If you are not a professional athlete who fully understands all the ins and outs of nutrition and professional training, often when a workout is missed, you can log it as a day off track and get back on the next day. Although time goals are positive and motivational, never sacrifice your health or ability to continue training by doing too many high-intensity exercises in one day to make up for a missed workout.

With your body strong and your training plan handy, you will conquer your goal and be able to call yourself a triathlete sooner than you think. Your race will be enjoyable rather than painful, and you will be able to focus on the festivities of the race and your excellent fitness.

Now get out there and train!

Cory is a husband, father of three, vegan triathlete and ironman. His blog, Real IronDAD, is a lifestyle blog about food, family and fun that helps passionate people, mostly parents, who have over-scheduled, busy lives maintain a healthy balance of plant-based nutrition, fitness and overall wellness. Visit him online at realirondad.com and follow him as “realirondad” on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube or Instagram.