BASE Performance - The Art of Recovery BASE Performance - The Art of Recovery

The Art of Recovery

It’s that time of year again. Spring is happening everywhere. And with spring comes better weather and the itch to get outside to ride or run long miles. It’s also race season. Time to plan your race and race your plan. A lot of people think going hard and training 7 days a week is a sure fire way to success. But that really isn’t the case. What is the least thought of aspect of training? You might be surprised (or not) to find that it is recovery.

Recovery is a cornerstone to any good training plan. Without it, athletes would just run their bodies to the ground. Injuries would be rampant. Focus would be lost. Motivation would be lacking. It might seem counterproductive to the beginner athlete, but proper recovery will actually improve your race times and get you to that goal. Let’s break down what recovery means and what happens during that time.


To begin with, recovery is not the same for every athlete. Someone training for a 5K will have a shorter recovery times than someone training for an Ironman. Every training session an athlete has results in the breaking down of muscle fibers. It is during recovery that these small muscle tears repair themselves and grow bigger and stronger. In addition, there are various types of recovery. Active
recovery could be a 15-20 minute walk in the afternoon after your long run on Sunday morning. Long term recovery is built into your workout plan. For example, you might do a build for 4 weeks during
Ironman training but then do a recovery week where your training load is significantly less. Passive recovery are days where you literally do nothing except maybe take a nap on the couch while golf is playing in the background.


Keep in mind that recovery is not just about sleeping. An example: you go for a tempo run for about 3-4 miles. You feel good, had a great workout. At the end of the workout, you should take some time to
stretch and ease your body into the “rest and digest” mode or your parasympathetic systems. Doing some long, easy stretches and
possibly lying in shivasana (or corpse pose, literally the best yoga pose ever) for 5 minutes will give your body the cues it needs to start to calm down.

An often overlooked aspect of recovery are your nutritional needs. Keep in mind that when you increase your training load, your nutritional needs also increase. Consuming the right foods after workouts helps speed the recovery process. Downing a dozen cookies and a glass of milk might seem like a good idea if you feel you are crashing after a long run or ride, but there are better options. Maybe step away from the Chips Ahoy and try some greek yogurt with granola and berries or
throw on some chocolate chips for that cookie fix. Or use some BASE greens and make yourself a smoothie!


It is also imperative that you listen to your body. Not the “oh I don’t feel like running today” voice in your head that will derail you from your goals. Watch for signs of over training and needing an actual rest day. Some of the those sign are: feelings of fatigue beyond normal tiredness, lack of motivation or desire for your chosen sport, decrease in performance, elevated heart rate during the night, general aches and pains. When these symptoms hit, it’s time to take a rest day.


Remember that rest makes you stronger. It will help you maximize your fitness and athletic goals. It rejuvenates your cardiovascular and muscular systems to take on more load. It also prevents burnout. So take that nap. Try implementing a yin yoga class into your training weeks. Or maybe even take a leisurely bike ride with your kids or spouse. Your body, and your training, will thank you.





BASE SUMMER KITS

It's that time of year again, and for the third season in a row we have designed and release our annual BASE Summer Kit. This year, we knocked it out of the park.

Let me first share a little bit of my inspiration for these bright colors.

I grew up in the 80's. I loved the 80's. I rocked my first Triathlon in a speedo in 1988 when I was 12 years old. I did all of my runs in Fluorescent Pink or Fluorescent Yellow Tri - All - 3 Running shorts which barely covered more than a speedo. I was just like those guys who I saw on TV racing in Hawaii. Those guys were my heroes.

While other kids were playing soccer, studying, or going to parties. I was riding my pink and yellow Nishiki Prestige all over town. We would swim from 6:30 - 8:30 every morning in the summer. Come home, hop on the bike for 30-40 miles. One bottle of water. No food. No helmet. Then come home. Nap. And head back to the pool for a 30 minute run and another 2 hour swim. 6 days a week. Every week of summer. It was amazing.

Fast forward to 2001 and Triathlete Magazine asked me to take part in their swimsuit issue. The picture below was me in the years top of the line Triathlon Racing Kit. Alas if only I still had that much hair on my head.

Over the past 30 years I have continued to watch the sport of triathlon ebb and flow. Companies come and go. Styles come and go. Races come and go. But something always stuck with me which was that I wanted to always be part of it. I always wanted to share my knowledge, express my creativity, have lots of fun in the process.

At the end of 2016 I decided to start a kit manufacturing company. Initially we did it for the purpose of outfitting our own BASE Team, but it soon took a life of its own. My motto is to provide extremely high quality kits at a price that won't break your bank account. Now that I know the costs of these items, there is zero reason to have these 600% markups on kits. So, since 2016, we have developed 14 different kits for BASE Team members while quietly creating custom team kits for 150 teams throughout the US and Canada. It's been an adventure for sure.

Although I was happy with our 2018 Summer kit which was all white with some black in it, it just didn't have the pop that I was looking for. That sizzle and flair.

But my most proud kit so far is this most recent Summer kit. I love it. I love the brightness. I love the colors. I love that we brought back my childhood passion. That we brought back my memories of riding my bike all day long in my bright colored shorts and t shirt.

In the summer of 2018 Boca Tri in Boca Raton Florida let us make a summer kit for them which was very bright Yellow and Blue. This is what initially captured my attention.

And then Andrew Starykowicz had me create a kit for him and his F.A.S.T. Camp. Again, bright yellow in the essence of Safety in order to be seen when out on the road. If you do not know of the horrific accident of truck vs. Starky, you can READ ABOUT IT HERE.

 

 

My last little bit of inspiration came from the YTT Coaching Crew here in Colorado. They went bold this year with their team kits in the bright blue and yellow. I knew I just had to go bright. Be bold. Be seen.

In closing. I hope you appreciate the designs as much as I do. For those of you in my age range, you may remember those times with the bright colors. If you want the kit for the sheer purpose of being seen by drivers while riding, this is perfect for you. If you are interested in learning more about these summer kits and how to order one, CLICK HERE. We are placing a new order on Sunday with the factory, so these are pre order as we already ran out of pieces. They will arrive in about 4-5 weeks. Extremely comfortable.

If you would like more information on BASE making you a custom kit, please email rachel@baseperformance.com and she can set you up.

Here are some additional pictures of our athletes wearing our kits. They look amazing.

 


1 comment


  • fabiola pepe

    Do you guys have any of these kits? Saw some amazing ones at challenge Miami


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