Big Day Training

By Mike Donikian, USAT Certified Coach, NASM-CPT

Today I scheduled a really tough workout--one of those workouts that just goes above and beyond what you're normally used to. In some circles they're called "Breakthrough Workouts" while other people refer to the concept as "Big Day Training". There are some slight variations in the two definitions but the goal is the same: gain a dramatic increase in fitness without taking on a huge risk of injury.

Here's what I did today, broken down by the Sports Bistro Methodology of "Before, During, and After".

Before:
I slept in a little bit and had a good breakfast. I wanted to make sure I was ready for the day ahead.

During Part I: 40 mi Ride:
I rode 40 hilly miles in two 20 mi segments separated by a 10 minute rest stop for fluids (and an espresso). During the ride I drank a total of 20 oz of water and 40 oz of Gu Electrolyte Brew sports drink. I also took three Gu gels spaced evenly throughout the ride. The entire ride took 2.5 hours.

During Part II: 5K run (with some extra weight):
I got home and drank some more fluids and changed for a run. I took my hydration backpack filled it with 70 oz of Gu Electrolyte Brew and stuffed my swim gear, lock, cell phone, keys and money into the pack's pockets. It was heavy! I also stuffed some gels in my tri top pockets and then took off on a hilly 5K run to my gym. I took one gel early on in the run.

During Part III: 25 min swim:
When I got to the gym I took another gel, changed and completed a 25 minute moderate paced swim.

During Part IV: 5K run (with slightly less weight):
I then changed back into my running gear, took my final Gu gel and ran another hilly 5K back home. I also made sure to finish my entire hydration pack before I got to my front door.

After:
I weighed myself at the end only to find I had lost 6 lbs as a result of this workout despite my best efforts of keeping hydrated. I quickly took my Fluid recovery drink as soon as I was done, had lunch, relaxed a bit and then took another Fluid recovery drink later in the evening.

All in all it was ~3.5 hours of training spaced over ~5 hours. The little bits of rest in between workouts was critical to making sure each workout was a quality effort. It also helped reduce risk of injury that could be caused by fatigue compromising my form and technique.