\nI hate rest days just as much as the next obsessive-compulsive triathlete. So instead of taking full recovery periods, I practice \u201cintensive recovering\u201d, a skill that I highly recommend cultivating. If you are disciplined enough to follow this regime, you can cram many days worth of recovery into a few hours. It\u2019s totally equivalent.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nBesides the obvious eating and sleeping, absolute non-productivity is a key element of intensive recovery. That means no work, no socializing (as if!), no errands, and absolutely no walks\/yoga\/square dancing\/housework or anything else that your grandmother would find physically strenuous.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nIn fact, when you aren\u2019t eating or sleeping, it\u2019s best to remain horizontal in a dark room and avoid mentally-taxing thoughts. If this becomes unbearable, then light internet browsing is permissible, as long as you stay away from sports sites. Cooking is also allowed, provided you consume whatever you\u2019re making before it cools. The idea is to take a staycation from all sports-related stimuli.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nAll week I dithered about racing the Fergus Highland Games 10k, my hometown race, on Sunday. After the Niagara Triathlon, I was feeling quite exhausted. Not surprisingly, I kept training fairly hard. Sometimes it pays to ignore your body\u2019s signals and just HTFU<\/a>. Sometimes it doesn\u2019t. Recognizing the distinction is perhaps the biggest challenge for developing athletes, especially for those who are self-coached.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nOn Saturday morning, I decided that a serious bout of intensive recovery was needed. Three naps, three mega-meals and three litres of tea later, I began to feel more like myself and less like a cantankerous octogenarian. I registered for the race and bla bla bla ***insert tedious race report***. It was fine and I ran 33:13 (Results<\/a>). I felt pretty special having Austin Trapp<\/a> as a personal pace bunny.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
![](\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/_QGOdN5HmO5s\/SJr34iCggaI\/AAAAAAAAAgk\/26sObdKy3e4\/s400\/HTFU1.JPG\")
<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n