First, I wrote about the importance of starting gently at an altitude camp and then about how I maybe didn't quite do that in week 2. This article, therefore, unsurprisingly, discusses the consequences of overdoing it at altitude.
After week 2, my body was still fresh, and that was also the case on Monday and Tuesday of week 3.
Tuesday afternoon was a really good training session with Kristian and my coach Henrik, who supervised it from the sidelines.
My coach, Henrik, came down to us on Tuesday in week 3, to help with training planning and treatment - and he would prove to be very necessary.
Sore legs and a tired body
Wednesday morning I woke up with a tight and sore calf and a VERY tired body. We jogged a gentle 70min and I was tired, more than usual. I almost stood with my hands on my knees in the supermarket, shopping afterward, and mostly wanted to lie down in the cold fruit and vegetable section.
Wednesday afternoon, (after a nap, plenty of food, and relaxation), the body was better, but the calf more sore - we had to change the plan. Pronounced fatigue and significant soreness were clear signs that I had overdone it at altitude. The body was stressed. Maybe week 2 had been too hard? And now came the bill? There's always a bill when you cross the line, the size depends on how much you squeeze the lemon.
A squeezed lemon
Thursday and Friday were quieter days and it promptly paid off, so I felt better running on Saturday and Sunday and had managed my calf. 170km for the week total and there was now a week to the European Championships. I was hopeful again. Unfortunately, my body had other plans. One of the things that can happen when you're on the edge (and over), is that your immune system gets a bit suppressed, and you become more susceptible to illness. I got one; a stomach infection to start the week of the European Championships, it was critical.
Monday, Tuesday, and the night to Wednesday were spent in bed and in the bathroom. I felt terrible and it affected me mentally. As cool as it is to be at a training camp when it's going well, it's just as tough being there when you're sick, injured, or otherwise unable to train. You're in a place that's all about training, surrounded by people doing it and the constant reminder that you can't - it's frustrating. Add to that, the days counting down to a race you've been looking forward to, it sets the mentality ontest.
Fortunately, the mood returns as quickly as the illness disappears. Wednesday, on our travel day to Antalya in Turkey, where the EM cross was to take place on Sunday, I started to feel better.
