Sunday, January 1, 2012

It's in the Details...Part I

Let me start by saying this is not a post inspired by New Years Day 2012.  I feel as if the last few days I’ve been inundated by headlines touting that predictable annual January topic of self improvement.  There are a few popular triathlon and/or running publications out there inquiring about what you're going to do to be faster/stronger/better in 2012.  I’d like to take it a step farther and ask; what steps are you taking DAILY, in order to be better EVERY DAY?  This is not about hitting all of your planned sessions.  If you are- that’s great.  Not very many people can say that too often, and consistency is the foundation on which great endurance athletes are built upon.  I'm asking you to take a deeper look at your body of work- what are you doing to ensure that you are recovering properly, and getting all the benefits of these workouts you are putting yourself through?
If you’re an athlete (of any kind) who is truly reaching the limits of your physical potential, then this is a question that you're probably familiar with.  It’s a simple notion you revisit frequently, and the answers are often varied, but seldom complex.  Every athlete is unique;  with different performance goals, and we are all trying to thrive under wildly different circumstances.  That being said, let the following serve as loose guidelines for some common needs of all endurance athletes.
Are you getting enough sleep?  I’m not saying anything earth shattering here, but this is by far the most overlooked aspect of training for many endurance athletes.  Contrary to popular belief, being tired is not a triathlete status symbol.  It's great that you have the drive and self discipline to hone your craft at an early AM Masters swim or a long midweek run, but at what point does fatigue start to hand you diminished returns on your sweat equity?  

Adequate sleep ensures proper recovery from workout to workout, allowing you to progress as an athlete.  Under-rested athletes risk experiencing a decreased time to exhaustion during exercise exertion, impaired hormonal response to exercise, or even developing over training syndrome.  Without sleep, the ceiling of your athletic potential is much closer than you think.
Are you taking advantage of ‘restful opportunities’?  Rest is often a much different concept than sleep.  Regardless of your profession, there are several small yet significant points in an endurance geek's day that can either contribute to physical stress on an overworked body, or provide small bouts of recovery.  Get off your feet when possible, avoid hours of uninterrupted screen time, if you can- take a few minutes each workday to just be still. 

Here's a scenario that helps to illustrate my point: So it’s Sunday evening, and you absolutely smashed your long run this morning.  Maybe you even got in a recovery spin this afternoon.  Now your favorite football team is on TV, and you never miss a game.  That’s fine, but for the sake of your recovering body; did you catch that game on your couch with your feet up, or bouncing around at a sports bar?  If you truly want to see the maximum gains from your sessions, and you have a choice in the matter- opt for the more mellow situation, every time.

Thanks for reading,

jw