After a strong weekend of training, I looked forward to my recovery day on Monday. I take my recovery days really seriously so if I am not up to purposeful movement, I don't. But on this past Monday, I felt like an EZ swim would be good to loosen out so after a good night of sleep, I went for a 40-minute, ~2400 meter swim. The meal picture posted above is the delicious dinner that I had at the end of my recovery day. A meatless burger topped with cheddar cheese and guac, roasted salty potatoes, salad w/ yogurt ranch dressing and chips.
On Tuesday, I was excited and recharged. I met my good friend Kristen at the aquatic center for a swim workout. She was able to join me for half of the workout before she left for work. I finished with 5000 meters and the main set was 3 x (7 x 100's on 1:45 tempo, holding 1:28-1:29 followed by a 300 smooth pull). It was one of those swim workouts where I never ran out of energy and just kept wanting to swim. I finally made myself get out at 5000 meters because it was time for a treadmill run at home.
I choose the treadmill instead of outside just to lighten the load after a big weekend of training. The main set was 10 x 2 min up-tempo at 8mph w/ 1 min EZ between (65 minute total workout).
Wednesday was my "long" ride since we are traveling this week (more on that soon) and I had a beautiful day to enjoy a ride up Caesar's Head (42 minutes to get up the 6.32 mile climb) and rewarded myself with an incredible view at the top before descending back down. It was a windy day but I felt strong. I finished the workout with a ~4.3 mile run off the bike around our hilly hood.
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Your 'athlete' diet includes what you eat on training days and on easy/off/active recovery days.
If you are like most athletes, what to eat on a rest/off day can be tricky. It's not uncommon for athletes to dramatically restrict calories, skip meals or avoid carbohydrates for fear of gaining weight when energy expenditure is low. And sometimes the opposite occurs - a rest day is a "cheat day." In other words, a rest day is treated as the only day to eat foods that are normally "off-limit."
Recovery is crucial because it gives the body time to adapt to the stressors of training and to rest the mind. Recovery also allows the body to replenish energy stores, rehydrate and repair damaged tissues. Improper recovery nutrition may hinder progress and set you up for a physical setback.
Simply said, what you eat on an off-day from exercise should be somewhat similar to what you normally eat on a training day. Because your workouts require you to strategically consume more energy from carbohydrates, the major change to your rest day dietary intake is the removal of foods that normally support your training sessions – the before, during and after workout foods and sport nutrition products.
If you struggle to eat enough on a day off from training for fear of weight gain, remind yourself that a rest day may be your only opportunity during the week to strategically consume the right types and amounts of foods to maximize recovery between two training sessions. The training sessions that typically precede a rest day will often induce excessive inflammation, deplete liver and muscle glycogen stores, damage tissues and exhaust the mind and body.
Consider a day off from exercise as a great opportunity to get the body back into a state of optimal health status.
Knowing what and when to eat on a day with reduced energy expenditure starts with smart planning.
The basis of a training-supportive diet starts with a healthy foundation of eating. Simply said, what you eat on an off-day from exercise should slightly mirror what you normally eat on a training day. Your meals and snacks outside of training sessions should be nutrient dense and composed primarily of real food. Because your workouts require you to strategically consume slightly more energy from carbohydrates , the major change to your rest day diet is the removal or reduction of foods that normally support your training sessions – before, during and after workout foods and drinks. There’s no need to eliminate carbs or drastically cut back on calories. Use your rest day as an opportunity to increase your fruit, vegetable, whole grain, and healthy fat consumption. Go ahead and spend a little extra time in the kitchen preparing meals. Be mindful about grazing and mindlessly eating with your extra time.
