Taking a Break - Recovery
Why is it so hard to take a break?
Part of it is we absolutely love what we do - run, bike, climb, ski. It is often exhilarating to run fast, to push fast on the bike. The other part is we’re trying to get ‘better’ at what we do…and maybe we’re so focused on results that we lose sight of the big picture. Our passion takes over. We’re hooked so to speak. Reacting to rules we create for ourselves. Self-judgements. Comparisons.
Unfortunately we neglect that in order to get better - we have to rest and recover. Recovery is where the good stuff happens! Muscles are built. Energy systems refilled. Sometimes it’s just a day, some times a week or longer if we’ve been pushing ourselves for an extended time. Sometimes it’s just good to hit the reset button.
We also have a culture that feeds us a very unrational and unhealthy message that more is better. MENTAL TOUGHNESS is better…and that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Smiling no matter how I’m doing!
Don’t shame yourself. It’s completely normal to want more and to drive hard! This is part of being who we are as athletes. As an uncoached athlete it’s even easier to go over the edge. I am only writing this as I made the mistake this past summer. The Leadman race series is an easy one to overtrain for. Five endurance races at altitude (three ultra distant) in a period of two and half months culminating in a hundred mile run in Leadville, Colorado. By the time I reached the hundred mile bike ride a week before the run my legs were shot! Spending a few short weeks recovering and starting to train for a marathon was another huge mistake that ended in injury. I have completed the races successfully in the past but by biggest error was doing too much, as well as too much intensity close together. Cycling is definitely my weakest area and because of this I put too much emphasis on intense rides, with little rest. This created a situation where I actually stagnated and lost power, effecting me as well on the run.
How do I prevent this from happening?
1) Self-awareness. How do our thoughts, feelings about a situation, pain, event lead us to a behavior - either helpful or unhelpful. It’s tricky because recognizing that we are in this pattern doesn’t come naturally. We can get lost in thought for hours. Hooked on these rules and comparisons we make. I know for certain I did. It’s easy and natural to do. What takes work is recognizing when we are in that trap. Journaling can help. Note the patterns in your training log. Note how you feel after each run, ride, climb. What is your mood doing? When you recognize the pattern take action and stick to it. I call this a choice point - we can go towards the unhelpful behavior of ‘training more’ or we can take what may be uncomfortable move towards the ‘helpful’ behavior of REST. (I say uncomfortable because what emotions come up for you when think of taking rest?…kinda scary…that’s a sign!).
2) Create space for it. This is a recovery day. This isn’t a day to take an easy ride or go for an easy run. It’s also not a day to go for hike up the Manitou incline. REST. Know that your body is going to go to work here and rebuild -bigger, stronger.
3) Remember stress is stress. Work stress. Family stress. School stress. All this adds up! go back to step 2. Create space for recovery. That disease that’s been going around called COVID caused a whole bunch of stress. For each one of us it was individual. Respect the impact it had on your life.
4) Adjust your goals. Grrr. no one likes to hear this. I sure don’t. Maybe for Leadman I create a goal of - in the next several years complete the entire series under the cut-offs! That pressure to get all done in a year is intense. What happens when we recover - we grow. I’ll only be more fit if I am focused and recovered.
5) Get a coach. Ideally a good coach is going give you the proper training dosage for you, not just a cookie cutter training plan. They check in with you at least once a week and alter your training to fit your lifestyle and stressors.
6) Self-Compassion. To er is to be human. You are not a machine. Learn from your past mistakes, recognize you may make them again. And forgive yourself. That’s one less person putting the pressure on! Remember also - that with stress AND rest we get growth.
7) Get help! If you recognize that you fall into this trap consistently reach out to a therapist that specializes in sport performance. I am available and taking new clients and more than happy to help or provide you with some names of people that may be a better fit.