As part of my awesome job, I was fortunate enough to spend a couple of days last week with the legendary Michellie Jones. Ironman World Champion, Olympic medalist (Sydney) and multiple time winner of many other races (including the Chicago Triathlon and Escape from Alcatraz), Michellie is now coaching and is a wealth of knowledge for any triathlete looking to maximize their participation in the sport. I could go on and on and on about all of the great tips I picked up from her, but there was one in particular that really stuck with me.....
INVEST IN YOURSELF
For those of us who are time-crunched age-group endurance athletes, it can be a struggle to
get the training in amidst work, families and everything else begging for our attention. So it's easy to "check-the-box" on the day's workout, log it in Training Peaks and call it good. No time for stretching, good nutrition, massage or any of those not-so-little details that can make all of the difference in endurance sports. But Michellie's point was, if you're going to invest (time and $$) into race entries, equipment (this sport is NOT cheap!) and training time, why not take that extra step to invest in yourself as well? After all, your body is what's going to carry you to the finish line!
There's no time like the present for me to take this to heart and start investing in myself. We are (mercifully!) in the midst of a recovery week, so I have a little extra time to figure out a plan and get started. My goals for the week:
- In bed by 9pm every night (investing in extra sleep is SO important!)
- Stretch/foam roll at least a little bit every day
- Schedule and go to a massage
- Schedule ART (I might not get there until next week, but at least it will be scheduled!)
Every year I get older, the recovery is more difficult and investing in myself becomes that much more important. Time to start making it a priority!
What are you going to do to invest in yourself this week?
- HER
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