Training Programs

Attached are your protocols for the first week of training in Phase 9. Please outline your schedule as to when you plan on shopping, cleaning, prepping, and packaging your fruits and vegetables for the week. The easier it is to access these items, the higher your consumption of high-quality vitamins and minerals which will improve your recovery and enhance your immune system.

Though you may not realize this, but your body is constantly adjusting to the demands that you are subjecting it to and striving to execute to the best of its ability.  When this happens, your body implements what I refer to as Performance Hierarchy of Needs and it adjusts the amount of energy that is dedicated to the immediate needs placed upon it.

Illness: when your body is invaded by a microbe, your body sends your immunity cells to “kill” the microbe.  Your body only has one fuel and energy tank.  If you exercise too hard or long during an illness, your body has to “decide” to dedicate energy to either exercise & performance or fighting the microbe.

Hot & humid environments: your body’s focus is ridding itself of internal heat, through sweat, to maintain an optimum internal temperature.

High Intensity training: If you are training at a high intensity, the focus is to deliver enough oxygen to the working muscles to accomplish the task at hand (distance, pace, etc.).

Sleeping: when you lay down at night to sleep, the body will centralize all of the blood around the heart to protect it at all costs (this is why you lose finger tips and toes in extremely cold environments, your body will sacrifice an appendage at the expense of protecting the heart).

When you understand the Performance Hierarchy of Needs as it relates to health, wellness & ultimately performance, you realize that your responsibility is to pay attention to the elements that enable your body to adjust, adapt and improve based on what you are subjecting it to during training and racing: proper food (types and amounts), hydration (amounts and absorption), sleep, flexibility, etc.  By being consistent with all of these elements on a daily basis sets the foundation for your to perform optimally on a daily basis and reach your true potential as both a person and an athlete.

Understanding the Performance Hierarchy of Needs…another piece to help you Work Smart, Not Hard and Avoid Overtraining!

Yours in sport & health,

-Coach Robb, Coaches and Staff

Thought for the week:

“If you wish to be out front, then act like you are behind.”
– Lao-Tzu