This month, given that the spring marathons have finished and training for fall races have yet to begin, I planned to write about rest and recovery. It’s important, I know. We should talk about it. For some reason, though, I have had a really difficult time figuring out what to say, and I think I know why.
I am really (really) bad at rest and recovery. Not physically. Physically I know to listen to my body and do my foam rolling and give myself easy days. It’s the mental rest and recovery that I wanted to talk about, and what I myself neglect. So, let’s explore this together.
I always say we should train our brains just like we train our bodies. So, it makes sense we should rest our brains the same as we rest our bodies. You’ve probably heard by now that rest is when your body actually grows stronger, and that sleep is when your brain consolidates memories and learning. But does mental rest help our sport performance? A study by David Eccles et al. published in the Journal of Sport Psychology in Action suggests it does. “Mental rest appears critical to sustained high performance in sports and other human performance contexts.” (Eccles, et al., 2021) Besides sleep, which is a main tool of physical and mental recovery, Eccles includes six “wakeful resting” strategies.
They are:
Getting a break from thinking about your sport.
Getting a break from any kind of effortful thinking.
Getting a break from feeling life is controlled by sport.
Getting a break from the monotony of daily routine.
Being able to catch up on important work tasks.
Being able to have a personal life outside of sport.
For the amateur runner, that could look like spending time with friends or family, or practicing a non-sport hobby. Focusing on work or crossing something off a to-do list can even be restful in that it takes you away from running and helps you feel accomplished and productive. You can watch a movie or catch up on a show (just don’t get caught up and binge like I do). If possible, sign up for a class, or even take a vacation. Even if you don’t go anywhere, maybe you have some PTO you could take to just stay home and rest. Get out in nature! Getting off my phone and into nature always helps me feel rejuvenated. Reading a book can be relaxing as well. The point seems to be, we need to take breaks. Giving ourselves these mental breaks will prevent burnout and allow us to perform at a higher level in sport and in life.
And now, if you excuse me, I must go practice what I preach.