I'm not 20 anymore!
That has to be the crucial thing I have learnt in the past 18 months of entering the world of ‘Masters Athletics’.
Whilst the entering this new level of competition on what is a global stage, the hunger to do well that has come with that has made me increase my level of training. The mind-set that ‘one more thing just might be enough’ certainly crept in and made me work a little too hard!
I know I’ve been working too hard, as I sit here a week away from competing in the European Masters Championships in Aarhus, Denmark, I am once again injured.
You may recall that earlier this year I pulled my hamstring in the preparation for the World Indoors in Korea.
The importance of recognising how the body slows down its ability to adapt and recover is crucial to not just have that knowledge but to actually apply it in practice. I have been too focused on what my body used to be able to do to get to a certain time etc., and that usually involved a build up of volume.
Training hard 6 days a week, 3 track sessions, 2 weights sessions and Hill session each and every week has been the regime for as long as I can remember.
But of course the body changes right around the age we become ‘Masters’. Although I know this and somewhat believed I had applied it, its clear as I look in my diary for this year, I most definitely have not applied it enough.
The take away is clear.
Stop looking back at what I used to do when I was younger
Increase my protein intake (older athletes need more in order to trigger the syntheses)
Sleep more!
Extra day off a week minimum
Intensity /quality of sessions is more important than frequency of sessions (reduce the sessions and reps and increase the quality so the body is more adapted)
Have active recovery days
Listen to the body!
I have already trained for 20 years, the body already has a lot of the adaption you need, stop chasing it
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