Working with the Trisutto team of coaches over the years there is always one message our coaches seem to struggle to get across to all levels of athlete is the importance of recovery and rest. It is also something that needs to be built into the program on a daily basis.
It’s not just my group that has been totally brainwashed that I must work hard every day. To the astonishment of all who visit my Camps, they see the best in the world doing 800m swim sessions. They see 20-minute runs implemented regularly. They are often gobsmacked when they are told 45 minutes ride. As they watch the best do that, they also see my dismay with athletes arguing and debating for more work. They see the strong discussions I have with the best athletes in the world, who after they have had brilliant success, are still opposing my advice nearly every day, about what has made them great!
Our coaches see it, and they say, 'that’s our biggest problem too'. Athletes just can’t believe they don't have to go longer, faster, harder every day to be better. Being in this group environment of overachievers just escalates the obvious misunderstanding of how performance is achieved. Not only built but maintained for a full season. Just as the misunderstanding of breaks from training. How different they are, and why some athletes get them, and some don’t! One of our long-time supporters wrote in with a very respectful e-mail about what is a real break. He asked, 'When we read your blogs, they can mean so many different things, but giving Daniela Ryf a 3-month break has me totally confused.'
So, to add to those things, many including the coaches find it difficult to understand. I preach that doubt is the poison of performance and that as coaches they must work with athletes that buy-in 100% to what we are trying to achieve and why. Without finding the harmony between coach and athlete success is nearly impossible to find. When the athlete mind is turned by other coaching thoughts or doesn’t believe what they are doing is right for them, then the coaches need to understand that their best outcome is for the athletes to find another coach that espouses the philosophy that the athlete believes in.
I am going to write a blog as a 2-part series. So, everyone understands that I believe one of the stupidest clichés that doesn’t work in our sport is - 'No pain. No gain'. This is firmly etched in my mind every time I set a task. Just as one of the most important clichés that works great for Triathlon - 'If you don’t use it, you will lose it!'.
With those two thoughts I hope ringing in your mind, here are the headings for our 2-part series to be published over the next month -
The importance of recovery
Breaks from training, and why you must have them