Q: What’s your recovery routine?
A: Recovery is such an important part of our training process as athletes. I try to take a nap 2 or 3 times per week. The key here is to allow your body to go into a restful state, but not for so long that you mess up your sleep later than night. My naps are generally 45 minutes to 90 minutes in duration.
I also use my Marc Pro on a regular basis. The Marc Pro is like an electric stimulation machine. Electric waves that create small muscle contractions at a rapid rate, allowing your body to flush the waste from your system. It is like going for a recovery run, or a recovery ride, but from the comforts of your couch!
Two other critical things for me: getting enough sleep and hydration. For me, with my training load, I need 8-9 hours of sleep per night. When I start regularly falling below that, my body doesn’t recover properly, I start to wear down, and my training suffers. Getting to bed at a consistent and regular time is key. As is hydration. I notice a huge difference in my training and recovery between when I am hydrated versus not. I try to drink 4 liters of water per day! It’s a lot, but your body will thank you!
Q: Who are your heroes (athletic or otherwise)?
A: There are a lot of wonderful athletes and public figures out there who are incredibly inspiring. But the people who inspire me the most are those who are faced with seemingly insurmountable odds, yet somehow take on life with a can-do attitude—instead of a can-not. I am continually awed by challenged athletes who have had limbs amputated, but are competing in marathons, Ironmans, playing basketball—thriving and enjoying life in the same way fully able-bodied people do. They are not sitting around feeling sorry for themselves, but taking their disability, accepting it, and then finding a way to do what they want and what makes them happy. I am in awe of these people and find strength and courage from them regularly.
Inspired yet? Read on…
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