How to be match sharp?

deadybai

I play hurling and find a lot of the time my legs are very fatigued particularly at the beginning of training or a game. There is a very rare occasion when I actually feel fresh and could run nearly all day.

I regularly try foam rolling, ice baths, stretching and eating enough protein but I'm still very sluggish when I run (when I'm in top gear I'm very fast).

I'm currently in pre season where I do running interval training Monday and Wednesday while i do a core circuit on Friday. All other days are usually rest or walking.

My runs on the two days can be very tough due to my fatigued legs. I never have that sharpness where I can come out of the traps like a race horse. What I am doing wrong?

Alf Veedersane

What's your eating like?

endacl

What's your sleeping like?

deadybai

Eating is good getting plenty of protein while getting enough carbs and fats. The one thing I would say is lacking is my fruit. I'm not to fond of any fruit at all.

I usually get 8 hours plus a night for sleep. I need at least 8 hours. Nine for me would be perfect.

Alf Veedersane

deadybai wrote: »

Eating is good getting plenty of protein while getting enough carbs and fats. The one thing I would say is lacking is my fruit. I'm not to fond of any fruit at all.

I usually get 8 hours plus a night for sleep. I need at least 8 hours. Nine for me would be perfect.

How do you know you're getting enough? Have you any idea of calories you get in / need?

Irishcrx

Height and weight are a factor as well...

I play football several times a week and have high stamina/pace to the point where I'm a nightmare to mark because I'm always on to move looking for space, it might look easy to others because I do it so often but it takes a look out of you, especially moving into late twenties.

I used to only have pace but very low stamina , it was my diet and sleeping patterns that were causing it and I had to adjust them. One , I was eating enough and two I wasn't eating enough Carbs on training/match days and hence I ran out of energy and would feel sluggish. I adjusted them to match what I eat depending on what I am doing that day Ie -Lifting/training/playing and I adjust my Macros to match it in terms of calories in/out , carbs vs protein.

It sounds more complex than it is once you get used to it becomes autopilot. But if it's not a fitness problem , injury, weight etc than I guarantee you it's your diet. Try adjusting it like I said and see how you feel, even try a protein/milk shake before and after training.

Also - Answer is probably no , but do you smoke?

deadybai

Alf Veedersane wrote:

How do you know you're getting enough? Have you any idea of calories you get in / need?

I use the my fitness pal app and I would usually get around 2400 calories each day maybe a small bit more on training days. I carry a bit of weight around my stomach which I'm trying to get rid of at the moment .

I weigh roughly 13 stone and would consider myself to be above average in Upper body strength while slightly above average in lower body strength.

I'm 23 and I an 6'2

deadybai

Irishcrx wrote:

Also - Answer is probably no , but do you smoke?

I smoked when I was in school for two years. Not heavily more of a social thing. Gave them up when I left in 2011

deadybai

Irishcrx wrote:

It sounds more complex than it is once you get used to it becomes autopilot. But if it's not a fitness problem , injury, weight etc than I guarantee you it's your diet. Try adjusting it like I said and see how you feel, even try a protein/milk shake before and after training.

What would you say would be the ideal macros for a match/ training day and a rest day? And what calories should I be aiming at?

Alf Veedersane

How much of those 2400 would be carbs on training days and the day before training days?

deadybai

Alf Veedersane wrote:

How much of those 2400 would be carbs on training days?

Generally I try and get 50/30/20 Carbs/fats/protein. Thats rest and training days

Alf Veedersane

You can try upping it a bit and seeing how it affects your fatigue. With slow-digesting carbs

cc87

deadybai wrote: »

I'm currently in pre season where I do running interval training Monday and Wednesday while i do a core circuit on Friday. All other days are usually rest or walking.

Whats your last 3 months being like?

Whats your interval training look like?

Any other strength based training besides a core circuit?

deadybai

as doing weight training in the gym before Xmas trying to build strength. I took it easy then over Xmas and preseaon began this time last month.

My interval training is 100m sprints 2 sets of six runs and gradually building towards 3 sets of six runs.

I haven't been doing gym work since before Christmas.

I've had this problem during last season too

nice_guy80

Eat More, at regular intervals during the day.
Sleep More. Even a 30 min nap during the day works wonders

Walking and cycling are great activities to help legs to recover I find.

nice_guy80

Eat More, at regular intervals during the day.
Sleep More. Even a 30 min nap during the day works wonders

Walking and cycling are great activities to help legs to recover I find.

cc87

deadybai wrote: »

as doing weight training in the gym before Xmas trying to build strength. I took it easy then over Xmas and preseaon began this time last month.

My interval training is 100m sprints 2 sets of six runs and gradually building towards 3 sets of six runs.

I haven't been doing gym work since before Christmas.

I've had this problem during last season too

Strength training of some form should be an ever present in your program at this stage in the season.

So you're going from a session of 1200m to one of 1800m, in a hurling match you will probably cover around 8000 to 10,000m. You need more volume (total work) in your program at this stage of the season. Interval training is really popular and slower work has taken a bashing in recent years but you will spend the majority of a game at a slow to moderate pace.

Look to have more runs but at a slower pace. Something like 4 sets of 6x100m but at 80% max pace. If possible aim to rest between sprints for about 2-3 times as long as it takes you to complete the run. I.e if it takes you 15 seconds, rest for 30-45s. Then over a number of sessions either slowly reduce your rest time or (my recommendation) increase the number of sprints.

Darrenon91

cc87 wrote: »

Strength training of some form should be an ever present in your program at this stage in the season.

So you're going from a session of 1200m to one of 1800m, in a hurling match you will probably cover around 8000 to 10,000m. You need more volume (total work) in your program at this stage of the season. Interval training is really popular and slower work has taken a bashing in recent years but you will spend the majority of a game at a slow to moderate pace.

Look to have more runs but at a slower pace. Something like 4 sets of 6x100m but at 80% max pace. If possible aim to rest between sprints for about 2-3 times as long as it takes you to complete the run. I.e if it takes you 15 seconds, rest for 30-45s. Then over a number of sessions either slowly reduce your rest time or (my recommendation) increase the number of sprints.

+1 on the volume. You should be doing a lot more that 1.5 - 2k of sprints imo. I would aim for 3.5/4k.

Again start off with longer runs at for example 50/60% and then build up to shorter runs at 90/95%.

Darkest Horse

To be honest guys, nobody here knows what the reasons are behind the issues the guy is having so it's pointless being unequivocal about it. The eating better advice obviously is good and has no chance of backfiring but to suggest that around 2k of higher intensity running is inadequate and that he should maybe double the volume? You just can't make a blanket recommendation like that without knowing the content of the rest of the training programme. What if club training already consists of more discreet conditioning work like small sided games and the OP's problem relates to an adverse reaction to excessive training volume? You've just told him to double the volume!

For me the answer is to get in touch with a well qualified coach who can monitor a few diagnostic tests over time and give a more complete picture of what is going on. Of course, that is more expensive than just coming on boards and good coaches are rare but for me that's your best bet OP.

Darrenon91

deadybai wrote: »

I'm currently in pre season where I do running interval training Monday and Wednesday while i do a core circuit on Friday. All other days are usually rest or walking.

I personally made the recommendation to up the volume based on the OP's original post. See above. I took it as he was doing 2/3 X 100's twice a week and a core circuit on Friday while resting other days. Imo that's not enough volume. Maybe OP can clarify if there is more to training i.e conditioning games etc.

deadybai

Darrenon91 wrote: »

I personally made the recommendation to up the volume based on the OP's original post. See above. I took it as he was doing 2/3 X 100's twice a week and a core circuit on Friday while resting other days. Imo that's not enough volume. Maybe OP can clarify if there is more to training i.e conditioning games etc.

Apologies should have been more clear in my interval training. Its bacially a four week program at the moment where week one is 6 100m runs for 2 sets, week 2 and 3 is 5 100m runs for 3 sets with week 3 having less rest time. Finally week 4 is 6 100m runs for 3 sets with again less rest time. Im doing this on my own,Monday and Wednesday with core training with the club on Friday.

I presume that once the 4 weeks of interval training is done, we will be out on the field Tuesday night, probably a mixture of hurling and running and then continuing the core stuff on a Friday night. Then after a few weeks a game here and there on the weekend.

Darrenon91

deadybai wrote: »

Apologies should have been more clear in my interval training. Its bacially a four week program at the moment where week one is 6 100m runs for 2 sets, week 2 and 3 is 5 100m runs for 3 sets with week 3 having less rest time. Finally week 4 is 6 100m runs for 3 sets with again less rest time. Im doing this on my own,Monday and Wednesday with core training with the club on Friday.

I presume that once the 4 weeks of interval training is done, we will be out on the field Tuesday night, probably a mixture of hurling and running and then continuing the core stuff on a Friday night. Then after a few weeks a game here and there on the weekend.

Ok so ye haven't started collective training on the field yet? My advice then would be stick to the programme for now or even add a bit more if you feel up to it as I still feel it is a little on the light side, then evaluate how you are doing in the runs compared to others when you start collective training with the team. Again this is just all advice based on my personal experiences.

Can I ask when your competitive season starts?

deadybai

Darrenon91 wrote: »

Ok so ye haven't started collective training on the field yet? My advice then would be stick to the programme for now or even add a bit more if you feel up to it as I still feel it is a little on the light side, then evaluate how you are doing in the runs compared to others when you start collective training with the team. Again this is just all advice based on my personal experiences.

Can I ask when your competitive season starts?

Fixtures havent been announced yet but usually end of March start of April is when the league begins.