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Rest. For most athletes, this is a four-letter word (and not a good one). Most do not like rest days or days off and resist. And when I say athlete, I mean anyone who is out there doing something new, working towards a goal, or even just adding in fitness for health reasons. It applies to all and not just those towards the front of the pack. Is it something about how we are wired, our culture or something learned? I don’t know the answer to this but I do know that in my over 20 years of coaching, teaching athletes that rest is just as important as training still remains one of my biggest hurdles. And truly, the idea and practice of it challenges even me at times. This is the first of our series about the road to Ironman Canada. When you sign up for any big event or long distance event like an ironman often one year in advance, race day can seem so far away and yet so close that there can be a lot of anxiety building up even now. 10 months to go… It’s 10 months away. There’s plenty of time!.......Or, is there? Are you guilty of doing the workouts you love but then skipping the small things? If so you are not alone. As a coach, I see this all of the time. Runners love to run, not lift, so if pressed for time they will always get their run in and most likely tell themselves that they will do the foam rolling or PT work “later.” Triathletes will get their swim, bike or run in but they are much more hit and miss with lifting or stretching. Lifters get in all the strength work but where is that cardio or that mobility? Over and over, I see my athletes skipping the little stuff. {foam rolling, mobility work, stretching or maybe some PT exercises} It is fantastic that the planned runs or rides are getting done but sometimes it is just as important to get in the little things. Just as recovery is a critical part of being the best athlete one can be these little things are too. The little things are a big part of the foundation for achieving goals. If they are always skipped, then the danger is that down the road you will be missing some key building blocks in your athletic foundation. As an athlete, it is not only about training the engine and just like it takes time to develop the engine it takes time to develop muscles, tendons, muscle patterning, mobility and flexibility. There aren’t any quick fixes or short cuts. You can’t pop a pill and suddenly not need to stretch any more and there certainly is NOT an app that will do it all for you. |
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