From 220 Triathlon UK August 2011 issue.
- Sleep – Pretty self-explanatory.
- Day-to-day nutrition
Your daily nutrition, not your sports nutrition, is where your body gets most of its building blocks for repair, energy and nutrients. - Training and racing nutrition
A poor diet (see #2) can not be compensated with magic energy bars and gels on race day. With that said, what you eat during and after training/race has a significant impact on your performance and recovery. General rule on races 45-60 minutes is to take gels or sports drinks (energy bars if your stomach can handle it). Longer races should be a protein/carb mix. - Hydration
If you’re not optimally hydrated, blood plasma volume drops and the efficiency of the circulatory system is impeded. Hydrating is not just about drinking water, but also replacing what’s lost in sweat. - Periodization and planning
A proper training structure will include recovery days. One of the most common mistakes by age-groupers is over-training. Take a day off, your body will thank you. - Massage – no arguments here
- Cooling down and stretching
This is easily my biggest weakness. I’m trying to focus on this more this season. A proper cool down allows oxygen to reach muscles and waste products to be re-synthesized more efficiency. Stretching is more about releasing tension and identifying areas of soreness that made need further attention. - Relaxation
Take a break from all the stresses in life and relax. Easier said than done. - Cross training
Take a break from the S/B/R workouts. Seek alternatives like rowing machines, etc. For me it’s golf, although something tells me it’s not really cross training. - Avoiding germs after hard sessions and races. I already bath myself in hand sanitizer.
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