Programming. Sleep. Nutrition.
You can’t hack your way to proper recovery.
“Recovery is key to expressing your fitness,” explains XTERRA Coach and 5x World Champion Melanie McQuaid of MelRad Coaching.
“If you train your heart out but go into a race tired and under-recovered you won’t race your best. Similarly, if you don’t train enough you also won’t race at your best. This balancing act is key to finding your best performance.”
According to McQuaid, there are three “big rocks” to address when it comes to recovery.
“The foundation of recovery is programming, sleep, and nutrition,” she says. “These basics are essential to have in place and no additional modality will make up for not getting any of these three correct. So, nail the basics and you are going to be much further ahead.”
To learn more about recovery contact Melanie on her website, MelRad Multisport, on her social media channels @melradcoaching, or at https://www.xterraplanet.com/coaches/melanie-mcquaid.
And for more from Mel, be sure to check out her mountain bike skills series here:
Mel’s Rad Skills Series Part I – Neutral and Ready Positions
Mel’s Rad Skills Series Part II – Standing Front Wheel Lift
Mel’s Rad Skills Series Part III – Standing Rear Wheel Lift
Mel’s Rad Skills Series Part IV – Pedaling Front Wheel Lift
Mel’s Rad Skills Series Part V – Terrain Awareness