Simple

Had a really great relaxing day today. It felt kind of like I imagine a Saturday is supposed to feel.

I did a bit of exercise, did some chores, even sat around for a couple of hours and read a book, can't remember the last time I did that.

I didn't see any athletes, I didn't write any programs, I didn't do any other form of work, simply relaxed. It was glorious.

In this modern life we are often pushed in lots of directions and the temptation is for us to fill our days with stuff. I know this feeling well because I am probably more guilty of it than most, never sitting still and always with something else to do, Being driven to do a lot of things is not necessarily a bad thing, but it can be very fatiguing long term. It can become even more fatiguing if you are also trying to train for an endurance sport.

When we take on athletes, particularly those who might be training for an Ironman we often advise them to have a look at their life and see if there is any way to simplify things for a while. As we start trying to do more volume, the importance of recovery increases and this becomes hard to do if ever spare moment is filled with the need to be out doing another thing. This constant time pressure means that recovery time and sleep time often are compromised and sometimes so is training time. Simplifying (even just for a while) gives the athlete a chance to focus on what they are doing and why, which usually helps improve the quality of their preparation.

Besides, as I found today, sometimes it is just nice to disconnect for a little while and simply relax.