Rest for results!

Ok so its been a few days since my last blog- but its because I have been very busy... resting.
Many times in my life I have been the victim of over-training. Pushing my body physically too far and not respecting it's needs to rest recovery and re-build stronger. I have learnt the hard way that more, harder or longer workouts don't always bring about the changes you search for.

So after my sportive on Sunday and a Time-trial on the Tuesday I have taken some time to re-charge my batteries and let my body adjust to the training I have done lately. The idea of resting is difficult as I want to get faster and get stronger, fitter, so resting seems like the last thing that I should be doing.

One notion which helped me to get my head around resting and recovery was the idea that the training sessions are simply the stimulus for your body to change and it is only in the recovery phase when your body makes changes that you get stronger and fitter. You can also think about it through weight training- when you rep out a heavy weight you are actually damaging and tearing the muscle- making it weaker, but the body then repairs that muscle and makes it larger and stronger! Clever body ei!?

So I guess the take home message would be to respect your body and that resting and nutrition after your sessions is just as important as the workout itself. Not to rest and get in the recovery shakes, meals and sleep is like self-sabotage and undoing the hard effort you have put it!

Happy Training..... and Resting!!