Why so much?

I've had some friends ask me why so much volume as of late....my first race is not until TTT. One good buddy even suggested it would make a great blog topic...since I am in Michigan, on a vaca of sorts....it was perfect timing! (Thanks DC!)

First, one can only label something as "a lot" or "a little" when comparing it to something else. So, if one compares my training to their training and establishes I am training a lot, all that means is I am training a lot when compared to them. While I have no issue with this, I think this is a mistake we all make when venturing on any sort of task. It's a danger of looking out externally as opposed to internally and what you do day to day.

I fall victim to this often. I'll look at someone, and compare what they do to what I do, and make a judgement towards their actions as opposed to my own.

Let's assume I train 12 hours per week, and I look at a friend who is training 20 hours per week. At the same time, someone who is training 8 hours per week looks at me. Am I still training lots?

In the context of our 8 hour friend, sure. From my perspective looking at the 20 hour beast, I'm not doing much.

But lets forget all these comparisons...am I training lots?

My coach at EC says to me, "Mike, training is about being able to back it up." If I can get up everyday, do my job, spend time with my kids, make time for family and "back it up," then I am most likely not training lots.

To me, training lots is not an interval of time or a score on a TSS chart....training lots is when you are training so much it takes away from other responsibilities of life. Eventually, something gives, and you can no longer "back it up."

That is training. Get up every day, no zeros, and do it over and over again. Whatever number that shakes out to be is different for us all, and "a lot" or "a little" can only be defined by how one reacts to the training itself. Not improving? Too little. Can't back it up? Too much. Too much intensity or too much volume? Who cares, doesn't really matter....you are either improving or you are not. You are either hitting it every day, or you are not. Figure out which, and add or subtract volume and/or intensity.

I would think if you have been in the game for going on 3 years, 2 hours per day broken into 2 workouts should be fairly simple (not easy!) without breaking down. 1 hour swim AM, 1 hour run/bike PM. Done. That is 14 hours per week at a pace that allows you to "back it up" every day. I don't think a 1 hour swim at 6:00 AM and a 1hour bike at 7:00 PM would impress many people. Repeating that cycle every day for years on end? That, is not a lot, it is simply consistent. And consistency is what it takes....a lot is what it takes to not be consistent. Make sense? So, the only possible way I could be training a lot is if I couldn't back it up every day!!

What is the pace that allows one to be so consistent? Well, we can put in HR caps and such, but one should be able to pin this down....it's the pace that lets you do it day in and day out, while improving (getting faster), yet does not prevent you from missing a day. Best to establish the consistency first, then look back at your training and see what HR/power zones allowed you to be so consistent.

What about motivation? One thought from Gordo at EC that struck a chord with me is "wanting the goal is not enough....you must want the lifestyle required to reach the goal."

That should tell you my motivation--I don't want the external things that await us at the finish line--I want the lifestyle it takes to earn them. Because this is true, there is little motivation required--I'm living the goal every day; I imagine the things that await me at the finish line will be pretty good. I cannot control what those things are; as long as I am happy with the lifestyle, it matters little.

I have external goals; however those external goals are established by wanting the lifestyle those goals require.

So, are you training a lot or a little? For the answer, look at your consistency, not the hours.