[Neil]

My training week is pretty lop-sided in that I hike 2-3 days in a row, mixing my Z3 workout time into the majority of Z1 time, take a day off, then over the next 3 days I sandwich a max strength workout in between two ME workouts (each ME workout is 2000′ of elly with low weight- around 10-15 lbs uphill and 5 downhill).

I’d rather spread things around more evenly and do two max strength sessions instead of just one but my schedule is what it is. I’m wondering if there any modifications/adjustments I might want to make in order to compensate for the lop-sidedness of this regime.

(At this time I’m just over half-way through 6 months of training and 2 weeks ago did a mid-cycle peak of 27 hours with 16,000′ of elly followed by a lighter week of 5 hours and 7,000′.)

Topic

[Anonymous]

Anonymous on October 12, 2017 at 7:24 pm #6384

Neil;

Normally I would say that what you’re doing is at the very best sub-optimal and at worst harmful. However I know you are well adapted to this sort of overload then then rest type of schedule and from you own accounts it does seem to be working for you.

The most unconventional and troubling to my coach’s mind is the ME-Max-ME days all packed together. That is a very big local muscular loading that, if done correctly must leave your legs feeling totally worked. I would doubt the efficacy of the second ME workout is very high as there is no way you can recover from the previous 2 days.

But as they say> “If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it”. Given your time constraints This may be the best plan for you as unconventional as it is.

Good luck and keep us posted.
Scott

[Neil]

Neil on October 26, 2017 at 8:46 am #6492

Thanks Scott,
In spite of this weekly triple whammy I definitely feel that I am progressing as the weeks go by. I think my saving grace is that the ME workouts are only of 2000′ elly and I don’t carry much weight (10-15 pounds, which is close to my winter day pack). Sometimes I carry no weight at all and ascend faster, always feeling like my legs are right at their limit.

Also, the max strength workouts only involve 4 exercises (3 lower limb) and I only do 3 series.

I have felt some deep quad soreness now and again when descending and that signals me to insert an extra rest day. I either drop one ME workout or skip my weekly max strength session.

Less than 2 months before the big project!!