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Showing posts from December 3, 2023

Off-Season Reset

The period between the end of the previous season (training/racing) and the start of the next season is called the "off season." For northern hemisphere athletes, this usually occurs in the winter, between November and January.  The off-season is a very important time for athletes who train and race consistently throughout the year. Never giving your body and mind an intentional break from training stress will increase the risk of burnout, overuse injuries, fatigue, early season fitness plateau and sickness. A planned break provides the ideal stimulus to rejuvinate and repair the body and brain. Another way to view the off-season is to think of it as a reset.  For several months, you've placed a lot of stress on your body. Your immune system was compromised, your muscles, tendons and joints were stressed, you were regularly sleep deprived (or never fully rested), you never let your body fully recover, you were constantly rushed, often your body was underfueled or dehydrat

An easy tip for deciding what to eat

Yesterday we drove 2.5 hours (one-way) to watch my favorite comedian, @natebargatze, perform in Evans, GA. We laughed for 2 hours. If you don't know who Nate is, check out his two Netflix specials, his Amazon prime special and his Washington's Dream skit on SNL. We left early for the 7pm show so that we could have dinner in Evans. We love different cuisines and I was excited to find an Indian restaurant called Namaste Indian Street food. Prior to ordering, I asked myself "What do I want and what do I need?" 🍴I needed a satiating meal that would leave me satisfied for the next 4.5 hours (show + drive home). 🍴I needed a meal that would allow me to focus on the show and not feel hungry or lethargic. 🍴I needed a meal that would leave me feeling comfortable during 4.5 hours of sitting. 🍴I wanted a meal that felt nutritious. I've done very little intentional exercise this week (30 minutes of swimming yesterday) to let my body fully recover from a massive season of

2023 Clash Daytona Race Recap

In late September, we registered for Clash Daytona half distance on December 3rd. It seemed like a great idea when the weather was warm and we were on a high from XTRI ICON and IM Chattanooga. However, come November, we started to feel the effects of racing every month since January (14 races for me and 14+ for Karel). However, we looked forward to escaping the colder weather and spending a few days in Florida with our athletes.  Karel has the disc wheels inside the car to put on when we arrive. We traveled to Daytona on Thursday. We left around 7:30am and made the 7+ hour trip to Daytona. Karel drove most of the way. I drove ~2 hours through Jacksonville (where we used to live for 6 years). We had Honza (our athlete from Czech) visiting us and sharing the car ride with us. Our friends/athlete Alvi and Yannick left an hour after us. Yannick recently had surgery to fix his collarbone after a bike crash so we invited him to stay with us to enjoy a change of scenery and warmer weather.  W