Recovery...

Every once in a while I get to the point where I just can't take it anymore and I have to use this blog to vent or muse a little.  Today's topic... Recovery!  I'm not talking the time you take after a race to relax for a day or two, I'm talking about a large chunk of time to rest and allow the body to recover from the abuses of the previous season.  There are hundred's, if not thousands of articles and papers written about this very fact, yet, every year, especially this time of year I hear about people killing their bodies for races they are targeting in August, September or even further into November and December!  GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK!!!!  What I am about to say next does not reflect any scientific data at all, but is instead based on experience and watching dozens of athletes over the last 10 years of racing...   

If you have an injury that didn't go away last season during training, training harder this year will not make it go away!

There, I said it!  I feel a little better now... probably better than anyone reading this editorial that just realized they didn't let their injuries from last season fully heal!  As someone who spent the majority of last spring on crutches, and then a large chunk of the summer being dropped on rides while I rehabbed to finally racing a full 'cross season at the back of the pack with no delusions of grandeur that I was going to win, but to make sure I was good to go for 2012, I would ask each and everyone of you... Please, please, please, give your body a rest and...

1) Seek out the medical help necessary to fix the issue whether it's RICE or as dramatic as surgery
2) Seek out the help of a qualified bike/shoe fitter
3) Seek out the help of a qualified coach that not only understands you, but understands the rigors of your life that might involve kids, work, travel, etc, etc, etc... We are not all Pro athletes!
4) Plan your season with peaks and recovery... You can't win every race.
5) Be realistic... Is a crushing interval workout in January going to make the difference in your training for an August race?  Better yet, is missing an interval workout in January going to make a difference if your knee/shoulder/ankle/hip swells up like a balloon because you haven't let it recover from last season?
6)  Surround yourself with positive people!  Surround yourself with people that understand that injuries and recovery are part of racing.  Those are the people that will be there to drop back and pick you up in a group ride, or will go out with the slower running group just to keep you company.  Seek them out!

I feel a little better now and hopefully, if there is one person out there that gains something from these words, I have done my job.  If not, then so be it.

And finally, thanks to all my teammates and family that stood by my side from the first time I got back on my feet after my surgery and kept telling me... "Recover right and you will be stronger than before..."  Thanks everyone!  I'm back!

Train Smart.  Race Hard. Have Fun

Captain Elmo