Sometimes the best workout you can possibly do isn't a workout at all. It's a work-IN, it's the anti-work, it's whatever you want it to be. The only rule is that it can't be exercise!
As I have discussed, having limited time to workout doesn't mean you are at a disadvantage - in fact, 9 times out of 10 you are way better off than your competition. Limited time means that there is a method to your madness, a structure to your system. But you can go one step further - instead of beating your buddies because you do less, you can beat them because you make your less count more. Here's what I mean.
If you go and lift weights, for example, the next day you are sore. Beat up. That sensation is your body's way of saying "I need rest." More than rest, your muscles can use protein to repair themselves, perhaps some light stretching, etc. Triathlon training is no different than weightlifting. The very nature of our sport rarely puts us into a place where we feel like we do after a killer weights session, however the net is the same: our body needs to recover. Nail the recovery and you'll be well on your way to getting fitter!
Recovery One: After long, endurance effort. Have a nice tall drink ready for you upon your return. Get the drink, head to a quiet space / the living room and lay down on the floor. Put your feet up and sip on your drink as you watch TV, chill out, etc. Ideally you will keep your feet up 1 min for every 15 mins of exercise (so one hour run = 4 mins with feet up).
Recovery Two: After short, hard effort, recovery is key. Make sure you have a nice drink on hand, but you will also want some protein to promote muscular recovery. This can be in the form of a shake or a small snack. Whether you choose homemade or store-bought, make sure to get in 20-30g of protein...you will notice the difference! Also be sure to do some light stretching.
Recovery Three: Plain old workout effort. Even if your workout wasn't super hard, you still need to take care of your body. I recommend some light stretching and a few mins to reflect on the workout as it related to your goals, maybe even make a note in your workout log.
Good luck with your training and recovery!
Coach P
About Patrick
Patrick McCrann is 100% responsible for creating 10Hours A Week and various other websites related to endurance training and racing.
Patrick completed his first sprint triathlon in the summer of 1999 while on break from the Peace Corps. With no wetsuit, riding his brother's bike and wearing little more than a very obscene Speedo, Patrick simultaneously offended hundreds of spectators and discovered a new sporting passion. As returning to Central Asia put a kink in his triathlon training plans, Patrick had to wait until 2002 and graduate school to complete his first Ironman. Patrick has since transformed his interest in triathlon from a part-time endeavor into a full-fledged coaching enterprise known as Performance Training Systems (PTS).
Patrick lives and trains in Boston where:
~ He has coached over 100 athletes to the Ironman finishline, including the World Champs in Hawaii.
~ He has competed in nine Ironman races, from Klagenfurt to Kona, from a low of 11:44 to his personal best of 10:01.
~ He has been known to pull the occasional practical joke on training partner or two (or three or four).
Patrick currently coaches and consults from a dark corner of Boston. You can hire him to do amazing things for you.
By Patrick McCrann
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