25 Apr Prevent Burnout: 5 Self-Care tips for Triathletes

By Rebeccah Wassner, Pro Triathlete and Mother of 3

Consistency is the key in building strength, fitness, and endurance in the sport of triathlon. The athletes who perform the best are the ones who can put in the hard work day in and day out. But how do these athletes manage to stick to the grind without burnout or injury? Recovery, otherwise known as triathlete’s self-care, is the key to resiliency in training and racing.

Here are 5 self-care tips for triathletes

1.  Remember your Post-Workout Nutrition: drink an XRCEL as soon as possible after a workout. The glucose in XRCEL replenishes your body’s depleted post-workout glycogen stores very quickly and can speed up recovery.
2.  Eat Fish Tacos (or the healthy meal of your choice) at the end of a day of training. Fuel your body with a good amount of nutritious calories to get ready for the next day. AthleteFood.com offers plenty of healthy meal options.
3.  Go to Physio. Physical Therapy is much more than a place to visit if you are injured. Regular treatments like ART (active release therapy) and massage will keep your body in check. Do some research and find a PT center that focuses on Sports Performance, like Fusion in New York City.
4.  Stretch. Steal away 5-10 minutes for some easy stretching or strength exercises. You can focus on a different area each time you do this. Try searching YouTube for videos to guide you through a mini ab routine or foam rolling session.
5.  Feet up. You don’t need any fancy equipment like Norma Tec boots (although they are pretty wonderful, even Brook Shields thinks so) for this tip. Lay down and elevate your feet as much as you can between workouts. But if lying down isn’t an option, just take the easy step to sit instead of stand whenever you can.