Training volume is a component of three things; frequency, duration, and intensity. The right mix of the big three at the right time is the key to athletic success. It is a rare athlete that can absorb massive amounts of volume. Full time professional athletes that are able to sleep, eat, train, and repeat have a tremendous leg up on the rest of us that must to incorporate full time jobs into this mix. An afternoon power nap in and of itself is an incredible training tool, especially for sleep deprived Americans. Many athletes (and some coaches) insist on throwing massive amounts of training volume at themselves with the idea that more volume equals more speed. As one of my athletes pointed out several years ago "...this is the only area of my life in which working harder can actually work against me." There may initially be good adaptation to large training volume, but the athlete will begin to unravel if they can not absorb (recover from) the volume prescribed, both physically and mentally.

Duration is the most common component to be over-introduced; especially for athletes competing in shorter distance races. It is logical to think that more miles will equal more speed but that is not necessarily the case. I have worked with ultra distance runners training for distances up to the 100 mile mark. Time on the feet is essential for these athletes but all those miles did not equal top end speed. Long slow distance training has a specific adaptation- it trains you to cover long distances slowly. Why do athletes insist on endless base miles even for shorter distance events? I think it is the easiest of the big three to add to the training plan. It is relatively complex to time lactate threshold training, incorporate aerobic capacity work, and design a progressive strength endurance plan. For an athlete that is new to a sport adding the miles will create good adaptation up to a point; then performance plateaus. In order to break through this plateau other substrates must be addressed beyond endurance. There is most definitely a place for long slow distance training but it is but a single tool in the training tool box.

I often cut back an new athletes training volume, sometimes by as much as 30%. This is not an easy thing for an athlete to swallow but they are on board after performance metrics begin improving. In fact I have observed massive improvements in performance by simply resting the athlete! Mental outlook and enthusiasm for training is restored when a balanced plan is integrated. I have worked with athletes that are able to train 30-35+ hours per week, but they are a rarity and their lifestyles allowed for this type of volume. I find 15-20 is often the outer limit for an athlete with a full time job and family responsibilities. I have coached athletes to great success in under 10 hours per week. Making sure your goals match your lifestyle and time constraints is essential to athletic success.

Remember the big 3 and that the level of volume you can absorb is highly subject to outside factors (work, stress, sleep) and internal factors such as your genetics, age, and injury history. If you are chronically training on tired legs, enthusiasm is waning, and you find yourself nodding off at your desk, it is a good indication that you are no longer recovering from your training volume and are instead breaking the body down further and further. A few days rest is often just the tonic needed for compensation to resume. It is essential that you monitor for signs of overreaching and if you are coached; communicate them.

"He who recovers first wins"