Fatigue vs Exhaustion - recognising the difference.

This is something that I often have conversations about with Andrew (Coach). He often tells me not to cross the line into exhaustion, yet to maintained being fatigued.

So, the question I often find myself asking is......Where is that line?? How do you know when you have crossed it?? Or, better still, how do you know when you are nearing it so then you can change your course and not go over it??

Exhaustion is something that many Ironman athletes, from all levels have encountered at one stage during the training, the smart ones just know when it is approaching and find a way to avoid it and the uneducated ones (me included in previous years) just dive head first into it without knowing and suffer the consequences there after.

This year, for me, has been a year of education from Andrew in all aspects of the triathlon caper. He has been able to obtain information from me that I didn't even realise that I was or was not doing correctly and from this info we have been able to identify aspects of the training that is or is not working. This has been a huge advantage for me compared to previous years. Sitting down with him monthly to pen a program that works for both of us and also relevant discussions on how we are going and if the direction that we both decided on is still the direction we both want to go.

Back onto the topic...

So in having these meetings and discussing the previous months training and the next months also, we can identify if I have hit exhaustion or ways to identify it and avoid it. I have been lucky enough this preparation to identify and avoid with the guidance if Andrew.

So, how can you tell??

I have been doing some reading on the topic as I am no doctor, nor do I hold a degree in either topics, but one thing I sure do know, is that I would rather be in a state of fatigue than a state of exhaustion!!

To save further reading with countless links to articles, I will throw my version/understanding with the difference:

Fatigue - is the body becoming weary from constant training, however you still the capacity to continue training day in day out even though you are tired. You can still achieve the relevant training goals.

Exhaustion - totally stuffed!! Other words, crossing that line and over training, trying to do too much, not being able to complete sessions as necessary. Failing to start a session due to tiredness.

For me, not being a rocket scientist or brain surgeon, I am able to identify when the line is approaching and being able to, under advice, alter what needs to happen to achieve the desired result.

As for my training, all is going well. I am heading down to Lorne for a training camp over the long weekend with a few others as set up by Matt at www.tritrainingcamps.com.au This is something that I am looking forward to and I am very confident of having a very beneficial weekend. The only downside that I can think of is the open water swimming as the weather has not been up to previous October Temperatures to date.

With only 2 1/2 weeks until my final hit out before the Ironman, I am making sure that all the boxes continue to be ticked and the excuses are left at the door.

As I stated previously, whilst the dogs are barking, we are out training.

For now...

X-Man