Tips for optimal recovery

Tips for optimal recovery

Posted In: Coaching | Triathlon divider No Comments »

When yo do week-long training camp, recovery is key especially if you want to enjoy the training all week long. When I did Rudy Camp a few years back, I was done halfway through the week and just managed to hang out for the rest of the week. It’s hard to enjoy it that way.

Last week I  did about 300km’s of cycling, 45km’s of running and about 6.5km’s of swimming, and I enjoyed the entire week!

Here are some tips that have served me well:

  • Efficiency and form: The less pounding on the body during the training, the less time and energy you need to recover. I wish I would have known that during my early Ironman days…
  • Proper fueling: Proper nutrition during and after the workouts is crucial. A clean diet really speeds up the recovery process so having a great energy and protein-packed snack after a hard workout will help.
  • Alcohol: It’s nice to have a cold beer after a long ride but resist the age to have five more. Alcohol is a diuretic so make sure you also hydrate with other liquids. And no, wine doesn’t count either.
  • Hot tubs/cold shower: Both of these promote blood circulation which is a key component in muscle repair and recovery. And trust me, they both can be enjoyable!
  • Cross training: One of the nice things of doing triathlon is the cross-training aspect. The different sports make you use different muscles which helps with over
  • Massage: One of the guilty pleasures of triathlon training. And it becomes guilt-free after a good ride or a great run.
  • Yoga: One of the best ways to recover, especially if you do yin or restorative yoga. I call it glorified stretching and it will really help the tight spots, usually the hips and lower back for triathletes.

These tips will help you not feel like you’ve been hit by a truck the day before. If you recover quickly, you can enjoy your day-to-day more and also enjoy your next workout…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *