Grit.

What's in Store

1. Quote of the Week

2. Workout of the Week

3. Something We Learned this Week

4. Recommendation of the Week

Quote of the Week

Workout of the Week

Instead of a workout this week we’re going cover recovery runs. What are they, why they’re important, and how to go about them.

Recovery runs are low-intensity runs designed to promote active recovery, enhance blood flow to muscles, and facilitate the removal of metabolic waste products. They help maintain mileage without adding significant stress to the body.

Key Features of Recovery Runs

Intensity. Your heart rate should be at 60-70% of your maximum heart rate and the RPE should be around 1-3. In fact you should be able comfortable hold a conversation and if your running alone you should be able to breath exclusively through your nose.

Distance. You should shoot for 3-6 miles depending on your fitness level and overall training plan.

Benefits of Recovery Runs

Promote Active Recovery: Gentle movement helps reduce muscle soreness and stiffness.

Maintain Consistency: Keeps you in the routine of running without overloading your system.

Increase Blood Flow: Enhances circulation, delivering oxygen and nutrients to muscles.

Something We Learned this Week

Sleep is arguably the most important lever we can pull to improve cognitive function, physical fitness, and overall health. In fact, getting quality sleep is probably the most crucial factor in maintaining our general health.

One of the best ways to optimize our sleep is to stay aligned with our circadian rhythms. Our Circadian rhythms are our bodies natural 24 hour hormonal clock. They affect hunger, sleep, and energy.

By going to sleep at the same time and waking up at the same time we can regulate our hormonal cycles to get quality sleep during at night and be sharp during the day. The recommendation is to aim for the same bedtime/risetime with ± 30 mins margin of error. Studies show it’s more crucial to wake up at the same time everyday than to sleep 8 hours a night. So even after a late night, getting up with the alarm is going to be best for energy levels the next day.

Recommendation of the Week

Marathon training season is coming up soon. Great book for all you need know about marathoning.

Pick it up.

“Good days are good. Bad days are good.”

Our friend Yousef has been preaching this message. A stoic perspective helps us stay even-keeled through adversity. A true professional is someone who has the resolve to stick with it, not just when they feel good, but also when they’re tired, when it’s sunny, and when it rains. Winners win and they don’t quit.

Throughout life, I’ve seen teammates and colleagues ride a hot streak where it seems everything they touch turns to gold. Then tragedy strikes. They hit a slump, a project goes up in flames, a loved one passes away. Regardless once the hit the first obstacle or failure all the swagger is gone. Zapped away in a blink of an eye. Never able to pick themselves back up off the floor.

On the other side I’ve seen the winners and pros. They’re know they’re in it for the long haul and don’t let their wins lead to hubris and they don’t let their loses lead to despair. They know there will be obstacles and they at the work as a dedicated practice.

Pros are resilient.

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This week’s password is “Grit.”