[pct-l] Fw: First ultra

["Joanne Lennox" <goforth@cio.net>]

----------
> From: Karl L. King <kking@execpc.com>
> To: goforth@cio.net
> Subject: Re: First ultra
> Date: Wednesday, November 03, 1999 7:27 AM
> 
> Joanne Lennox wrote:
> > 
> > Thank you Karl, I appreciate your advice!
> > 
> > 8 weeks! GASP!  I have a feeling that you are right but I can't
understand
> > why it should take so long.  
> Joanne, 
> 
> Muscles will recover fairly well in a couple weeks, but it will take
> another two weeks for the connective tissues to recover ( they have a
> poorer blood supply ), but the 8 weeks are required for your endocrine
> system to recover.  Why it takes the glands so much longer to recover is
> unknown.
> 
> > What gets replaced or rebuilt?  About 3 months
> > into my thruhike, I started to feel really tired, the last 2 months I
was
> > dragging.  I was aware that there seemed to be something missing, but
never
> > did find out what it was.
> This is a clear sign of endocrine fatigue.  Your body was losing its
> ability to produce the stress hormone cortisol which has a number of
> profoud affects on body tisses, primarily resulting in energy
> generation. Without the cortisol, one just doesn't have the energy
> expected.
> 
> There's also an affect on the brain when the endocrine system is
> battered - loss of motivation.  Many people who train for ultras
> eventually overtrain and lose their motivation.  It is a natural way of
> correcting the abuse.  When the body, including the endocrine system,
> has recovered, the motivation returns.
> 
> One response in your situation would be to begin hard training.  That is
> laudable from the mental standpoint, but a better response would be to
> see yourself having earned a period of gentle, restorative work.  Light
> exercise will keep the healing circulation going, so one should not
> temporarily become a couch potato.  The desired mode is to exercise
> lightly and not beyond the point of feeling tired.  After 4 weeks you'll
> feel pretty strong, and after 4 more weeks you'll be ready to handle a
> return to endurance work.
> 
> The first couple endurance workouts may be a little rough, but with your
> substantial base, you'll be back in short order.
> 
> Karl
> > 
> > I find it interesting that you seem to separate endurance from
> > "conditioning".  By conditioning, I suspect that you mean
event-specific
> > training, but don't know.
> > 
> > Joanne
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