"Athletic development is characterized by three stages:
1. Acquisition, corresponding to active training.
2. Consolidation, corresponding to competition and performance.
3. Decline, associated with a period of post-season recovery.
Withing the weekly micro-cycle, hard and easy training efforts alternate so
as to permit adequate recovery from acute fatigue and to facilitate
acquisitions associated with super-compensation. After several weeks of
demanding work, there is a need for a regenerative week or "worthwhile
break", in order to consolidate previous training and to avoid the onset of
chronic fatigue. In brief, the more demanding the work, the greater the need
for "load-leaping", and the shorter and more frequent should be the training
cycles..
One of the most common problems associated with chronic fatigue is a
depletion of mineral salts. For example, if athletes deplete enough iron the
can become anemic; if calcium depletion occurs, then athletes could
experience lingering muscular stiffness and soreness, and they could become
more susceptible to stress fractures."
Rob's entire career in athletics has been focused on work-recovery
cycles--daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, and total career planning and
goal-setting. The first two days of his track coaching season were always
spent in a classrom--the athletes assigned, then, to bring in their own
conditioning calendar for the year. He says, without this kind of basic
framework, achievement of excellence in athletics is virtually impossible.
This is something that is missing in my work. I have the weekly mini-cycles
nailed down fairly well, but have never really looked at monthly
cycles--mainly because, once we begin racing, we continue racing--there is no
season, it's year-round. When the racehorse starts getting tired, or worse,
hurt, you give him time off. This is very inefficient and certainly doesn't
apply to sports like endurance, where there is a season for competition.
My approach has been step-by-step progressive loading, with no "consolidation
weeks". I have consolidation workouts, and time outs for horses showing signs
of chronic fatigue or exercise intolerance--but these are reactive
rests--after the fact of oncoming trouble.
Despite the fact that Rob's experience is entirely within human athletics,
his ideas and knowledge are invaluable to us. He has much more to say than
I've touched on here.
ti