The importance of down time

Posted In: ChiRunning | Fitness | Running April 26th, 2011 divider No Comments »

Folks,

I hope you had yourselves a nice long weekend! I sure did. A bit of fun outside, a bit of work and some great fun with friends.

I headed to the GTA for a workshop in Markham and to meet up with an old friend, celebrity trainer Pam Mazzuca. I also had lots of great down time, spending time with my best friend and his lovely family. Is there a better way to forget all your worries then to chase a giggling kid around the yard?

Even with my own business, I’ve seen the positive side effects of down time and rest. It’s not always easy since if you’re like me there’s always something to do but we need a physical and mental break every once in a while. After a great weekend, now I’m back to the grind and I’m pumped to get some work done!

I did a nice run with a buddy yesterday and we chatted about racing ultramarathons. Even those folks take some time off. It’s even more crucial at that level to rest every once in a while. You’re not a machine, you can’t go on auto-pilot all the time. Taking a break recharges the batteries. If you’re training properly, it will even make you stronger since you’re giving your body time to grow and replenish.

Now go and sleep on that!

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Here is a short video that I did with Lululemon. For some reason I couldn’t bring it in the post since it’s not a YouTube video. (If anyone knows how, I’d be very grateful if you could educate me!).

It gives you five tips if you’re running in the Ottawa Race Weekend, or any other race for that matter. I’m doing a talk with another Ambassador (Mia) called “Racing, Pacing and What to Expect on Race Day” next week at Lulu Rideau Centre. Stay tuned for all the details!