Recovery Week

Posted by on Jul 5, 2012 in Recovery, Swimming, Triathlon | 4 Comments

I’ve been in training for the SheRox triathlon now for 3 weeks+ and this current week is supposed to be my recovery week. Good timing, too, because I feel that my body needs it.

To tell you a bit about me, I grew up a swimmer. I practiced many years about 7-8x per week, piling on the yardage. Over time, it got to be too much and I was left with so many shoulder and back injuries, it just became chronic. Recovery weeks/days didn’t exist, unless we were tapering for a big meet.

I started competing in triathlons, for fun, in 2005. And one thing I’ve learned since then is that unlike swimming, triathlon training requires (and implements) regular recovery WEEKS. Not just days, but weeks. I can’t stress the importance of this enough. It’s true because our bodies are built to break down if they’re overused. Pain and soreness and tired muscles send us signals and it’s up to us to either ignore them or make use of them to make better decisions.

It’s important to let yourself recover. To be forgiving.

Training smart is key.



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4 Comments

  1. Travis Owens
    July 5, 2012

    Thanks for the info. I am training for my first sprint tri and if I like it will go longer in the future. This is very different from training for ultra runs.

    Reply
  2. Nicholas L. Norfolk
    July 6, 2012

    Rachel, welcome to the ICEdot team! If you don’t make time for recovery, your body will do it for you and not in the way you would like for it to. Continue to train smart!

    Reply
  3. Kathy Pietras
    July 12, 2012

    I have been training since April 1st for triathlons in June, July, and August. I never even considered taking a week off. I only take the day before and after off. I do have a lighter week before. Do you think this has helped your performance?

    Reply
  4. Ashleigh
    July 24, 2012

    Resting is key! It is so easy to feel “guilt” for resting, thinking you need to be out there working hard everyday. In reality, rest days are just as important as active days. You can’t be your best without them! Welcome to the team!

    Reply

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