Balancing Burnout on the "Tour O' Trahan"

Exactly one year has passed since my comeback to soloing multisport competitions.  2014 to 2015 has been a fantastic year of competing and my personal renaissance in the world of multisport.  An incredible spring at the Berkshire Pentathlon, Tuckerman Inferno, Whitewater Triple Crown and Seven Sisters all events shared in the presence of my loving, supportive wife and sweet little daughter.

With my wife and daughter travelling to visit the Swedish family this summer season and I staying home to work, I thought to myself.  You better not watch the grass grow and God-forbid start playing MMORPG's (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games).  Trust me, if you know how much energy I place into sport; imagine what happens when I get addicted to gaming! Forgoing any plans to sit on buttocks killing time, I tentatively planned the "Tour O' Trahan!"

              2015 Early Summer "Tour O' Trahan!"

• Jersey Inferno Adventure Race - June 6, 2015
• Black Fly Challenge - June 13, 2015 
• Summer Solstice Sprint Triathlon - June 19, 2015
• XTERRA - French River, Sprint and Long Course - June 27 & 28, 2015 

With lots of baby gear I learned to travel light and only bring the necessities. You know the usual; kayak, bike, skis, half dozen pairs of shoes, helmets, packs, paddles, poles and protein! Fulfilling this hit list of early summer events I would sadly be solo. There were no strollers, carrycots, diaper bags, Baby Bjorns and car seats, etc. No heart warming support, holding hands, big hugs and sweet kisses. What was I going to do with myself? How would I hold up all alone and "feeling" like a bachelor again... and oh the trouble I could get in!

Waters colleagues band together for the Summer Solstice 

Challenged by the possibility of burnout my body was sending warning shots following each event. Sudden and momentary instances of fatigue, headaches and multitude of muscle aches and pains facing lactic acid buildup. Nothing quite like an overdose of testosterone, the HGH of the human body, followed by increased levels of cortisol, a natural pain killer.

A consistent approach in training, preparation and recovery allowed me to maintain a relatively high level of intensity going back to back for one month. Elements of cross training such as kettle-bell and TRX strengthened areas I was lacking and proved successful last season. This year I am experimenting with bike commuting which gives me additional fitness opportunities without being a time constraint on the family life. I have already accumulated a 14% increase in lower intensity zone 2 training as compared to 2014  adding to my overall fitness base. 

Trail running proves a convenient way to get combination strength based workout keeping away from the impact and road stresses triggering tricky knee tendentious. Light treadmill sessions just keep the feet moving and succeeded in getting my stride back, controlled breathing and maintaining a constant heart rate in my lower work zones were an important part of this training.

MRA club members representing at the XTERRA French River Sprint

As a certified spin instructor I have been able to supplement my outdoor workouts further delivering structured endurance, strength and internal programs to my students which is a good measure of personal discipline.

Mindful of how virtual miles stack-up I opted to instruct 4 of 9 spin classes in June from the floor.  Going over 400 cardio miles across multiple disciplines in a month of training alone can be maintained with relative care and consistency.  However, exceeding 400 miles constantly pushing the intensity of zone 4 is a bit risky. Taking command of the floor 60+ virtual miles of strength internal fitness was banked for use on race day. I could have executed additional sessions but at far greater risk of injury, sacrificing not only results but keeping things technically clean during the events.

Trying to deliver reproducible competitive efforts without completely crashing or getting injured was strategic. Taking days off before and after each event is obvious but sometimes hard to follow.  Following each event training lightly in the endurance zone allowed me to keep the mileage up. Most important addition to the racing seasons has been adding a midweek Yoga session where I would normally would have just been executing a higher intensity interval or double session.


Less is more, when your body is screaming at you. It is amazing how the body recovers rather quickly if you just listen, make day-to-day adjustments and handle with care.  After two long weekends away I chose to pull back a little and keep it local.  A nice relaxing visit with my family was planned after the Summer Solstice Sprint and preparations for a weekend at the XTERRA French River off-road triathlons.

These triathlons are discussed in my proceeding two blog posts are events hosted by MRA Multisport.  Taking the time to document each event is consuming but a privilege as I share new experiences surrounded by energetic and outgoing people of the sport.  Having learned so much in such a short period of time, I am just inspired to make these small, extra efforts in the grand scheme.

Work Hard, Train Hard, Play Harder!
Mark