Training with Pain #10 — Burnout, Race Rehearsal & Sumo Deadlifts

Training Updates: Running

Last week was one of the toughest weeks I've had in a long time. Probably the toughest since the COVID period when I lost my gym and I ended up moving back home while trying to figure out what came next.

Normally, I love training.

I look forward to lifting.

I look forward to running.

I look forward to seeing our members and team every day.

Last week felt different. On reflection, I think I was edging towards burnout.

Everything started feeling harder than it should have, especially mentally.

I found myself wanting to avoid things that I'd normally enjoy. Running felt like a chore. Work felt overwhelming. Even simple decisions seemed to take more energy than usual. My mood was terrible.

The good news is that I recognised it early and decided to make a few changes.

I cancelled my Monday evening UK call with our CEO.

Normally I'd push through, but I didn't want to think about work and I didn't want to solve problems. I didn't want another commitment.

I reduced my strength training to just two sessions:

• Tuesday
• Saturday

I also gave myself permission to sleep longer.

Instead of my usual 5:20am alarm, I slept until 6:00–6:30am most mornings and averaged over 8 hours and 15 minutes per night.

Running stayed at four sessions for the week. With the half marathon approaching, that's the one variable I couldn't pull back on.

Friday's track session 😖 I turned up kicking and screaming.

And by Sunday, I felt noticeably different.

A little more like myself.

Why Stress Matters More Than Most People Realise

One of the reasons I wanted to share this is because stress is often invisible.

We talk about training load. We talk about nutrition. We talk about recovery.

But stress sits underneath all of it.

Your body doesn't separate stress into neat little categories.

Whether it comes from:

• Financial pressures
• Poor sleep
• Family responsibilities
• Hard training
• Relationship breakdown

Your body responds in a very similar way. When stress remains elevated for prolonged periods, it can impact:

Higher stress levels are associated with slower recovery between sessions and increased feelings of fatigue.

Building muscle requires energy and recovery resources.

When stress is chronically elevated, the body becomes less efficient at directing resources towards growth and adaptation.

Chronic stress can negatively influence hormones involved in recovery and performance, including testosterone and growth hormone production.

For some people, stress drives overeating. For others, it suppresses appetite completely. If you think I’ve lost weight recently ✅ and I hate this.

Neither outcome tends to support training performance.

Poor sleep increases fatigue, reduces recovery capacity, impairs decision making and often creates a cycle where everything feels harder.

This is why recovery isn't simply about taking a day off. It's about actively reducing stress where possible.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is not add another training session.

It's getting to bed earlier, saying no, taking a walk and cancelling the meeting.

Running Update

Let's talk about the run I had been dreading for weeks. The infamous 19km race rehearsal.

I knew this session would tell me a lot about where I currently sit so I treated it like race day.

I got to bed early. I hydrated properly the day before and again that morning. I made sure my nutrition was dialled in.

The Alphaflys came out. I took on approximately 300g of carbohydrates before the run and carried gels for the harder efforts.

Then it was time to go.

• 4km warm-up @ 5:44/km
• 4km @ 4:43/km
• 9km @ 4:20/km
• 2km cool-down

The warm-up from South Yarra through to Albert Park was exactly what I needed.

Easy pace and easy conversation.

Once the talking stopped, it was time to focus.

The 4km block at 4:43/km felt controlled and manageable.

After a gel, I stepped things up again.

The goal was to average 4:20/km for the next 9km.

This is the pace I'm targeting for race day and would put me somewhere around the 1 hour 31 minute mark.

From the start of that block, I was flirting with the red line.

Not over it, but bloody close. Breathing was hard, heart rate was up, but I was in control. The flat roads around Albert Park definitely helped.

The challenge will be carrying that same pace on a hillier course in July.

Why Race Rehearsal Runs Matter

Sessions like this aren't just about fitness, they're about building confidence.

They allow you to test:

• Race pace
• Nutrition
• Hydration
• Footwear
• Mental preparation

You learn what works before race day rather than discovering it halfway through a race.

Most importantly, they help remove uncertainty. And uncertainty is often what creates anxiety.

When I finished the final 2km cool down, the feeling was pure relief and a massive confidence boost.

For the first time, I genuinely felt that my goal might be achievable.

Holding 4:20/km for 21.1km is still going to be incredibly difficult.

But now I know it's possible. Finished off with an hour in the hot tub. Bliss.

Strength Update

Last Thursday I coached our 9:30am session and one movement stood out as always:

The sumo deadlift. I love it. There's something incredibly satisfying about producing force through the floor and moving something heavy.

Why We Use The Sumo Deadlift

Compared to a conventional deadlift, the wider stance of the sumo deadlift creates a more upright torso position and generally requires less forward lean.

This changes the demands of the lift slightly.

The sumo deadlift heavily targets:

• Glutes
• Adductors (groin muscles)
• Hamstrings
• Upper back

One of its biggest benefits is that it allows many people to produce high force while placing less stress through the lower back compared to other deadlift variations.

It's also an excellent movement for building lower body strength, improving force production and developing confidence lifting heavier loads.

And let's be honest, It just feels good moving heavy things.

Q2 Workshop – Dr Samina Kausar

A quick correction from last week's newsletter.

The workshop isn't in July. It's on:

Saturday 27th June – 11:00am

Consultant Gynaecologist

We already have five people booked in and expect this one to fill quickly. Non gym members are also welcome but we need bookings so we have adequate seating.

Dr Samina will be discussing:

• Menopause
• Perimenopause
• Hormonal changes
• Exercise
• Strength training
• Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)

This is an area that impacts a huge percentage of our community and one that deserves far more discussion than it often gets.

Book via the "Courses" section in the app.

We’ll also be welcoming Rosetta Coffee offering refreshments from 1030am, so make sure you arrive early and get your coffee order in.

New Equipment

Those who trained yesterday will have noticed we've added four new hip thrust pads to the gym.

This might seem like a small upgrade. But one of my biggest frustrations has always been watching hip thrusts performed on standard benches.

For many people, particularly shorter members, the setup can force awkward positions that make it difficult to achieve a comfortable and effective movement.

These new pads solve that problem.

They create a more stable setup, allow better positioning and make it much easier to load the exercise appropriately.

We put them straight to work with KAS bridges and the feedback was good.

Final Thought

Last week was a good reminder that more isn't always better.

More work.More training.More intensity.

At some point, all of it requires recovery.

The best athletes, lifters and performers aren't the people who can train the hardest.

They're the people who can recover well enough to keep training consistently.

If you're feeling overwhelmed right now, don't ignore it.

Look at what you can control.

Sleep.Nutrition.Training load.Workload.

Small changes often create the biggest improvements.