[Photo – California Triathlon Coach Marek Skoczen]
By Thom Richmond, Founder, California Triathlon & USA Triathlon Coach
This is not only a chance to discuss the benefit of rest but also an amazing opportunity to include a video from Chicago. Enjoy. Truly, everybody needs a little time away.
Rest can mean to relax, take a rest, ease up/off, let up, slow down, have/take a break, unbend, unwind, recharge one’s batteries, be at leisure, take it easy, put one’s feet up; lie down, go to bed, have/take a nap, catnap, doze, sleep, chill (out) and chillax. It is as important to get quality rest as it is to complete quality training sessions.
Triathlon is both physical and mental so it figures we need to get rest for both the body and mind. In addition, endurance sports are supposed to be stress relieving and not stress inducing. If your upcoming race is stressing you out unnecessarily it would be a good time to reassess your goals. Here are a few tips to get that much needed rest.
- Full rest for the mind & body at least 1-2 days each week.. Full rest doesn’t mean a slow run. It means complete rest. I make exceptions for stretching, yoga, a visit to the chiropractor or massage.
- It takes a pro to go slow. Make your hard days hard and your easy days easy. 80% of your trainings should be “low and slow”. Train with friends that are slower than you on your LSD – Long, Slow Distance days. Avoid those same friends on tempo days.
- Get copious amounts of sleep. Be proud to say you had a PR sleep day, etc.
- Be in the moment. Each training session should have a purpose, warm-up, main set and cool down. Don’t short change today’s training because you are concerned about tomorrow’s workout. You should always know why you are doing a particular training session.
- Avoid stressors whenever possible. Ask yourself the question whether something adds or decreases from your stress level. If the answer is adds to your stress level than avoid it as much as possible. Stressors are counterproductive to your mental rest.
- Limit social media. Take back countless hours and avoid the mental stress of expectations; yours and others, by limiting social media. Unplug and unwind without having to feel like you are falling behind to the social media peacocks who share their training files for everyone to marvel at. Put a “gone fishing” note on your computer.
- Pick a local race whenever possible. This avoids the added stress of driving long distances or flying and carting your bike around the country. Logistics can have you so stressed out you are shot before you get to the start line.
- If your “A race” is 3 months away plan ahead. File those taxes early, apply for vacation time at work, book that hotel room [if necessary], schedule a tune-up for the family roadster and get that birthday present for your significant other. Is your 1 year old staying in the same room with you the night before the race?
- You might have a problem. Make sure you become familiar with the phrases overreaching and overtraining. Overtraining can be a real problem with symptoms that include: lack of ability to sleep, irritability, excessive soreness, perpetual fatigue and a loss of enjoyment while training. If you find yourself overtrained take a couple days off and dramatically reduce your training amount and intensity until these signs start going away.