Posted: June 29, 2005

Multisport: 10 Tips For Your Recovery Day

From: Paul Regensburg and Lance Watson, LifeSport.ca coaching

Every good training program will have at least one or two rest days per week to allow you to recover. Many triathletes are overachievers with very active personalities and are often chronic multi-taskers. This can often lead to a feeling of guilt when not training or being active. This is further complicated by the sheer time that is required to train for multi-sport, which places a squeeze on time for other activities like work, family, housework, and so forth.

When we see a triathlete that never takes a day off, it is usually not too long until the athlete becomes over-trained, injured, sick or just plain burned out. Once you have decided to take the recovery day or two, what to do? Maybe you should play soccer or go hiking. No! A recovery day is for the body to rest, not to cross train. Take it easy, relax and remember - your body only gets faster and stronger when you recover.

Here are some suggestions for your recovery day:

1. Sit on the couch with your feet elevated; the couch is a good thing. Watch movies or play video games. Elevation assists the lymphatic system to drain inflammation.
2. Spend some time with your loved ones. When you are training, they can often be left out.
3. Sleep in and/or take a nap. Sleep greatly aids recovery.
4. There is a lot of value in taking a day completely off. Alternately, recovery sessions can facilitate recovery, as well, in a highly trained athlete. Delivering oxygen and nutrients with blood flow to healing muscles can help accelerate recovery. Consider a 30-minute bike ride, or 1000 meters of swimming with drills. Do not let your heart rate rise much at all.
5. Don't use this day for a deep massage. Deep tissue massage can inhibit muscle tissue regeneration from training. The evening before your recovery day is a better time.
6. Soak your legs in contrasting hot and cold water, or take an Epson salt bath. Three minutes hot and 1:30 cold, repeat 3-4 times. Always finish with cold.
7. If you are not training at all, go for a short walk.
8. Stretch lightly and stay relaxed. Do yoga (relaxation and flexibility oriented).
9. Don't overeat, but enjoy your meals. Make sure you eat some protein, as it rebuilds muscle.
10. Mental recovery is important. Try not to have any scheduled appointments or tasks. A hectic day of errands can leave you feeling tired.

The less active you can be on your rest day, the better. It is important to remember that this also includes activities that are non-training related. You may feel a bit lethargic, but your body will thank you for it down the road as you feel better and get faster and stronger.

Over the past 17 years LifeSport president Lance Watson has coached a number of Ironman, Olympic and age-group champions. He enjoys coaching athletes of all abilities who are passionate about sport and personal excellence. For more on Watson, or to check out his coaching packages, visit LifeSport.ca.

Posted with permission from WatsonLifeSport.com.

© Copyright 2005 Lance Watson Professional Coaching Inc.