Time to Take Recovery Seriously
My Training Journey Hit a Wall – Here's What I'm Changing
For the last few years, I've been pushing my daily training more and more. It started simple, just 10-15 minutes of yoga in the morning. Then I added cycling in the summer, brought it indoors for winter, and last year I started running and doing some bodyweight exercises now and then.
I've definitely gotten fitter and stronger through all this. But I think I'm also hitting a limit. Lately, there have been times I felt I was stronger before, and I wasn't always sure if my body was fully recovered.
So, it's time for a change. I need to start taking recovery a lot more seriously. From today, I'm making a commitment to have at least one full recovery day every week.
Today was my first official recovery day. After running the Andechs Expert Trail Run yesterday, my body definitely needed it. All I did was a relaxed walk to the bakery, followed by some light yoga focused on stretching. Since I was near a beautiful lake and sauna after driving to Austria for work, I spent three hours at the sauna. It felt great!
Looking back, I might have been doing too much over the past weeks and months. Even though I switched between cycling and running most days, adding in the strength work as part of my morning routine on top of that might have been overload.
So, my promise to myself is clear: at least one dedicated recovery day per week. On these days, there's no cycling, no running, and no longer strength sessions. What is allowed is walking or hiking, sauna time, and light, gentle yoga.
I'll keep you updated on how this new approach feels and if it makes a difference. My hope is to find a better balance, recover properly, and maybe even keep improving my fitness.
How do you approach recovery in your own training or active lifestyle? Share your thoughts in the comments!