Summertime reminders

We've had a lot great racing going on this spring! A few reminders as we head into the busy summer race season:

Stay on top of your daily hydration. It's easy to get behind on fluids and a small amount of dehydration can equal a lot of performance degradation and fatigue. Chronic dehydration has a host of issues, one of which is muscular weakness. Weak muscles in high performing athletes can lead to soft tissue injuries as your body attempts to compensate for the stress of hard workouts. Re: Be sure to keep some fluids with you throughout the day, and do your best to rehydrate both during and after workouts.

Plan in your recovery days and weeks. Maybe you took it easy in the spring and are trying to make up for lost time, or maybe you're just gung-ho and want to win big! Whatever your motivation, your body does need time to recover from hard training blocks and hard individual sessions. At least every 4th week should include a few easy days, and every week should have at least one day that is light or off. Light day examples are yoga, an easy swim, or a light spin.

Remember to have fun. It's ok to be super competitive and want to win, but unless you're a professional athlete, participant sports are a recreational activity. Take a moment here and there to enjoy your fitness, enjoy your training partners, and enjoy your particular training sessions.

Marty Gaal, CSCS, is a USA Triathlon coach who lives in the Triangle area of North Carolina. Marty has been coaching endurance athletes since 2002. You can read more about OSB coaching services at www.osbmultisport.com.