When
we have crazy, busy lives (when is that not the case?!), the tendency is to
focus on just getting in the swim, bike, and run training. Unfortunately, that means we often sideline
some really important things. I am just
as guilty as the rest of this shortcoming.
I am always running on a tight schedule in order to fit everything into mine
and Baya’s schedule. Working at the YMCA
has the awesome perk of free drop-in childcare for those with family
memberships. They are only open certain
hours, however, and there is a time limit of 2 hours when just working out as
well. We go in every weekday morning and
take advantage of it as much as we can.
They are only open 8-11:30am. If
I have a lifeguard shift, it is typically from 9-11am, which means I have from
8-9, and 11-11:30 to squeeze in as much as I can for my training (usually a
swim beforehand and a short run after).
If I am working in the Wellness Center though, I work 8-11am, and then
have only a half hour to run. It’s definitely
all about time management.
There
are some occasions when I have a little “spare” time here and there, where I
take the time for some of the big, little things. They have foam rollers, and my goodness, do I
LOVE foam rollers. We also have one at
home, which I’ll sometimes use right away after getting home if there’s time,
but definitely at least after a weekend run or ride. I think the foam roller really does wonders
for me. Though if I have to choose
between running another half mile or rolling, running still typically wins,
especially when I’m already really cramped on time. Another one of those things would be
stretching, and doing core work.
I
am also a very strong believer in weight training. Early on in my pregnancy I had stuck with it,
but after the bike accident I wasn’t able to do as much because of my sprained
shoulder, and then I never fully got back into it again until this last
fall. I’ve only been lifting twice per
week, but even with that, I still feel that it makes me a much better athlete,
and hopefully it will also help with injury prevention as well. As I’ve been increasing my training load
though, it’s become tougher to fit it in every week. We recently got our own weight set out of
storage, and I’m looking forward to having the option of lifting more at home
again. The more flexibility I have with
getting stuff done, the better.
Other
important things? Let’s talk about
recovery. In order to keep hammering out
workout after workout (and multiple times a day), it’s important to recover as much as possible between sessions. There
are things we can do to aid in recovery.
I already mentioned foam rolling and stretching, which aid in
recovery. Sleep is critical as
well. Our body is able to do marvelous
repair work while we sleep, and it prepares us for the next day as well. The more that the training load increases,
the more sleep our body requires.
Nutrition also plays a vital role in recovery. It is important to eat within 30 minutes of
completing each workout. It should be a
combination of carbs and protein (a ratio of 3-4 parts carbs to 1 part
protein). You also need to replace the
fluids that you lost. What’s the easiest
way to do all this? Chocolate milk. It does all of the above, and then some,
giving you electrolytes (sodium, potassium, and magnesium), which were lost
through sweat. It also gives you
calcium, Vitamin D, and B Vitamins, which simply makes it a healthy choice as
well.
Finally,
it’s also extremely beneficial to hydrate with water throughout the day, not
just during or after a workout. So
here’s to keeping up with the oh-so-important little things, which will make
you a healthier, stronger, and better athlete.
Sometimes, it’s all in the details.
No comments:
Post a Comment