This week I have been pondering what to write my blog on. I have had lots of inspiration. How to pick the right coach and what are some of the pitfalls; Athletes resting; even something about nutrition.
Training Peaks published a very good good article (4 steps to hiring a coach) and after a few incidents this week with rogue coaches I decided not to rant by quoting chapter and verse about accreditation and insurance. I thought I would leave the one about nutrition until later in the season.
This week I have read a few tweets about resting and scored the internet for good articles and in old copies of Runners World and Triathlete Europe.
A few unhappy athletes after being told to rest today. Rest is the most important ingredient for long term performance. #itstraining.
Successful athletes place equal importance on the stress & rest parts of the training equation. You should too. Stress+rest=progress
Most of us know that getting enough rest after exercise is essential
to high-level performance, but we still over train and feel guilty
when they take a day off. We are constantly reminded that the body repairs and strengthens itself in the
time between workouts, and continuous training can actually weaken the
strongest athletes (this is my new excuse). Rest days are critical to sports performance for a variety of
reasons. Some are physiological and some are psychological. Rest is
physically necessary so that the muscles can repair, rebuild and
strengthen. For us mortal recreational athletes, building in rest days can help us to maintain a balance between home, work and training.
In general, one or two nights of poor or little sleep won't have much
impact on performance, but consistently getting inadequate sleep can
result in subtle changes in hormone levels, particularly those related
to stress, muscle recovery and mood. While no one completely understands
the complexities of sleep, some brainy researchers indicate that sleep
deprivation can lead to increased levels of cortisol, decreased activity of human growth hormone (which is active during tissue repair), and decreased glycogen synthesis. Other studies link sleep deprivation with decreased aerobic endurance.
It is the alternation of adaptation and recovery that takes the athlete
to a higher level of fitness. High-level athletes need to realize that
the greater the training intensity, the greater the need for planned recovery. Monitoring your diary workouts and nutrition, and paying attention to how your body feels and how motivated you are is extremely helpful in determining your recovery needs
and will help modify your training program accordingly.
Having been inspired I had a look back over my Training Peaks Diary. My last "No Training" rest day was New Years Day. Don't get me wrong I have had days of light exercise but coupled with a chaotic work schedule, early morning training and late nights socializing. I feel fatigued. Its amazing how all the days rolled into one.
There are many customs based on the collective experience of
generations of multi-sport athletes across the world. The most professional and
high-level competitive athletes rest two to four weeks after completing a
training cycle. I have also heard that some runners will rest for the number of days they raced in miles. I am not sure, all I can say is I am going to be up all night researching this a little further.
Whilst on my level 3 course the tutor Simon Ward had a mantra "Rest is Best". I think I can go one better.
"Stress the system then rest the system"
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