The Purpose Of Recovery
If you've been following my Instagram account lately, then you'll be sure to know my thoughts on the importance of recovery phases in training. It's a topic that I strongly feel is most overlooked in our society as a whole. A meaning that can be utilised not just in sport, but in general work environments. Here I try to explore my own viewpoint.
"Coach, you've put me down for two rest days back to back. Why?" Now coaching is something I'm hugely passionate about. Whether it be motivating or inspiring my clients on a daily basis. Seeing them achieve personal bests, or receiving messages on how good they felt during a workout, is such a great feeling from a coaching standpoint. It's essentially saying 'Hey Coach! I'm loving the training you're setting and it's given me a real purpose and happiness in life." If I can change someone's emotional state, and view life in a more positive meaning. Then we're all winning. The impact that the training is having on my clients can have a monumental effect on the way I view my own workouts. Having said that, being a coach isn't just sitting on the sideline and setting the training. It's a complete package, of being the individual's motivator, trainer, friend & most importantly their biggest supporter on everything. I'd say 80% of the time running is a real hustle, maybe not the most enjoyable of experiences. It's a discipline that requires the use of the whole body and full focus. But the aftermath, and sense of completion is like nothing else. Smashing obstacles, breaking into new fitness territories, and creating an 'impossible is nothing' type attitude, is what we're all about.
However, during these rigorous training blocks, the most important ingredient to success and achieving what you want, isn't just in the form of my clients pounding the streets, the parks, the tracks, the hills. Running at varying paces. Improving their self-confidence and stressing their bodies on a daily basis. No. Within my coaching system we implement Rest & Recovery, or for a more fancier expression 'Supportive Growth Session'. Let me ask you a question. If you push your body 365 days in a row. Everyday, you're burying yourself in pain. Working until there's nothing left to give. Within those days your only recovery period is a 6-8 hours sleep. Is that giving your body enough time to rebuild and become a better performer in your distance? I'll give you a week, maybe, ten days at a push before something breaks down. Not always physically, could be physiologically or psychologically.
Therefore, building a system that incorporates hard days, easy days, recovery days and many more. This type of system allows you to complete the hard days 'hard'. You go into those sessions feeling physically fresh, psychologically hungry, and physiologically at 100%. Why? Because you've allowed the time for your body to heal, repair and finely tune itself to go again at optimal levels. So when I have a client ask me, why am I down for a rest coach? It's puts a great smile on my face, as it gives me the opportunity to explore their mind on the concept of recovery. Your body is rebuilding to a higher, stronger, level. Your mind is refuelling with fresh hunger to attack the next block. I've always said I'd rather have a slightly under trained athlete who's desperately hungry to do well, than an overtrained athlete who is tired and struggling for motivation. Fatigue is a stimulus for growth. Broken is, well, just broken.
It's important to note that I'm not suggesting that you incorporate one, two or three rest days per week. But what I am suggesting is to listen to your body more closely. View your body like a formula 1 racing car, or a racing horse. You wouldn't push your formula 1 racing car to the very edge of its level, if you were fully aware about an issue it has. You wouldn't allow your horse to enter a race unless it was 100% ready physically. So why treat your body any differently? Yes, when the time is right and you feel good, push your body hard. Harder than you ever have, squeeze every ounce out of that workout. But once it's over, listen and make sure you recover hard. Correct nutrition. Correct stretching routine. Correct recovery paces. When we hear society to tell us to "grind hard" well I'm telling you now grind hard in your recovery. If you combine all those things, you enter a progressive state in lowering your personal best times, with a finely tuned and happy body. Train smart.
