Do What You Can

Conventionally, there are two main levers of training which can be adjusted: intensity and volume. Typically, if one increases, the other decreases. For a short period of time, even the weakest individual can survive high volume/high intensity training but catastrophic collapse looms the longer the athlete inhabits the pain cave. Conversely, low volume/low intensity without change can’t really be described as training as there is no progressive overload to drive adaptation.

But what if there were a third option for those that are not in a position to increase volume or intensity due to – for example, a pesky virus that is derailing your training plan? Enter “variability.” This is another “not new” concept that gets forgotten, and has to be rediscovered every decade or so.

Sunday, with a thick stuffed up head, there was no way I was going to increase either the intensity or volume of my training while still ill so instead, I added some variability by putting five kilograms (a trivial weight) in to my backpack for my morning walk. Same walk, same distance, same pace (zone 1 to 2) but, if you try it, you’ll feel a difference. Later that day, Doug and I went for an easy paddle out from our home bay and over to Cullendulla Creek where we paddled up this quiet and peaceful waterway.

It was otherwise a quiet and subdued training week. The final statistics: 39 kilometres on foot with 770 metres elevation gain, two core sessions, two strength sessions, 10 kilometres paddling (for shame!) and one kayak rolling session (short). Do what you can is not a bad adage.