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  • Recovering after the 'Big One'

  • In this feature, Cyclist No.1 features editor and adventure racer Fi Spotswood finds out what recovering after a big race really means.

Words by Fi Spotswood - posted 16/10/2011

Recovering after the 'Big One'

In this feature, Cyclist No.1 features editor and adventure racer Fi Spotswood finds out what recovering after a big race really means. Fi returned from a 7 day expedition adventure race in Patagonia in February and despite five weeks recovery, was left with chronic fatigue symptoms for three months and still cannot put in the hours of training she was doing last year. This traumatic experience lead her to seek the advice of endurance athlete and osteopath Alex Prince, for some advice and a few home truths.

In Patagonia I raced hard and slept little. It was tough and I dug deeper into my physical and emotional reserves than I ever thought possible. I returned elated but drained, after the race but also after the 9 months of 20-hour training weeks leading up to the race. It was like my soul was exhausted.

Five weeks of rest and I tried to get back on the bike for a relaxed ‘Audax’ with friends. There were cake stops and the riding was nothing compared with my previous capacity. I finish, tired, but pleased I’d been able to crack 70 miles after 5 weeks of sitting around with my feet up. But the next day I was staggering around work and the day after I was struggling to keep my head lifted in the library. I was walking along the corridors of the university clutching at the walls to keep me up, and on the bus my core was shaking and I let my torso slump forward, unable to keep it pinned to the seat back.

The diagnosis was simple; overtraining, overracing and underresting. I had gone from being at the top of my game to someone unable to cycle the 5 miles to work. Even walking from the bus stop was a challenge. I lost 6kgs in weight in 3 weeks and my evenings were spent horizontal in front of the TV, good to no one.

I started becoming increasingly interested in what was going on inside my body. I became obsessed with the nutritional value of food, and with the help of Cyclist No.1's favorite nutritionist Jamie Richards, changed my diet to maximise the energy I could get from everything I ate. I cut out all starchy carbs and still live on fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts and lean proteins. Gradually my health returned and although I am still ‘fighting something’ (according to my test results and the fact that I have to eat every 2 hours), I can ride, run and kayak again. I will never do the volume I was doing before.

Alex Prince is an Osteopath with decades of experience treating athletes for their injuries and physical inconsistencies. He is an endurance athlete himself and what makes him different is his perspective of the body and mind as being a ‘whole’ which should not be reduced to separate organs, limbs or injuries. He sees the whole person, and along with my nutritionist was a key player in getting me back on track.

My recovery story is extreme. Most people do not do 7 day nonstop expedition races, nor train excessively as I was doing with so little rest and recovery. That said, a big event like a 24 hour race, an ironman, mtb stage race or even mountain biking holiday where you ride hard every day, will deplete your energy more than you realise. In general, Alex told me, cyclists do not realise how much effort it takes to recover from ‘the big one’. He gave me his top tips. If only I’d known...

Alex Prince’s Top Recovery Tips:

1. Normalise body temperature. Immediately after a race getting or staying warm can be an issue. Body physiology/homeostasis will only return when body temperature is optimum. Whether in a cold/wet environment or not, after you have pushed your body hard and for a long time, the body's thermo-regulatory system can behave in an unexpected way. Athletes often feel very cold even if the environment is quite benign. (The exception to this would be in extreme heat where you may need to cool the body in a controlled way, cold drinks and finding shade from the sun.) Make sure you get comfortable straight after your event.

2. Rehydrate. After long, intense exercise the body is likely to be depleted of water and electrolytes. At a cellular level (muscle cells, nerve cells etc.), restoring the osmotic water/electrolyte balance is essential for normal function and also for flushing out the toxins that build up through intense use. Immediate and longer term recovery depends on good hydration and electrolyte replacement, and the sooner the better.

3. Nutrition. After a big event your body will also be depleted of important nutritional components essential for restoring a healthy balance to the body, and for tissue repair and recovery. Carbohydrates might be the obvious ones, but more important is protein. Muscle and tissue damage caused be intense and after long activity they need repairing. The body needs protein for this. Immediately after finishing, recovery drink can be a good source of carbs and protein, then good protein rich meals following the event are important. The body will also be depleted of certain minerals and vitamins; important for muscle, bone and other tissue and cell function. Eating healthily post event is important to restore these elements. Vegetables, fruit and/or supplements are really important - over the several days after a race, or after really big events weeks or even months. Although you want to celebrate, try and stay off the booze for a week or so to give your body a chance to repair.

4. Massage. Immediately after an event a gentle rub to loosen the muscles and help drain the toxins that build up from exercise. It enhances blood and fluid flow though the body, which not only helps flush out the toxins but helps perfuse the tissues with fresh, oxygenated, nutrition rich blood essential for repair. I would suggest you get another massage a few days later, and possibly even again a week or so later. These treatments will accelerate the recovery process.

5. Rest. Many injuries I see before, during and after events can be put down (at least in part) to insufficient rest and recovery. Immediately after an event, once fed, watered and hopefully massaged, getting rest is really important. Over the following days after a big event you may feel tired so don't push yourself. Take it easy. However, many people (including myself) after big event have felt quite euphoric, full of energy, on a real high due to endorphine release. This can often mask the real fatigue. Don't be fooled, your body needs the rest. Recovery can take days, weeks or months, depending on the event and also your body's capability to rebuild and regenerate. This will depend on many factors (like nutrition, hydration, rest, stress, age, travel/jetlag, health/illness etc.) The moral of the story is take it slowly. Give yourself time.

6. Exercise. Over the following days/weeks after a big event some people might feel the urge to train or exercise. After a big event you certainly need a good few days of total rest and recovery. A week is good but it may be more for a bigger event. After this stage and for the next few weeks some gentle exercise may be beneficial both mentally and physically. Try some kind of cross training, perhaps swimming if you have been running or cycling in your event. Keep the intensity and the impact low. It may take some months before your body is ready for a full training load again. Over a year some people may undertake a series of big or long races or events. So long as the training program includes enough rest then this should be ok, but bear in mind that the body may well need even more recovery time after the season finishes. Rest is the most important part of the training plan!

7. Address injuries or niggles. Over the course of training and completing a big event, it is rare that people will suffer no injury problems or niggles. I take the view that prevention is better than cure so regular treatment should be part of a training and recovery program. Hopefully most injuries or niggles can be managed well through this period. After the big event, however, when your body is repairing and recovering, it is a great opportunity to try and sort any injuries that may have been bugging you. I believe general maintenance treatments are important throughout a period of training, but certainly after a ‘big one’ you should be checked over, treated and have any issues sorted.

8. Enjoy. Enjoy the moment of your achievement. Take some time after a big race to really absorb the experience. Recovery time is deserved and necessary, so enjoy the change and the break from a hard routine.

9. Keep stress low. As well as physical rest, mental rest is also important. Try to keep stress levels low. Spend time relaxing. A big event can be as big a mental strain as a physical one. Your brain will also need to recover.

Alex Prince is a Bristol based Osteopath. He has 15 years experience treating sports men and woman from various backgrounds, and from the social athlete to the elite professional.

In part because of his own passion and participation in endurance sports, Alex has worked with and continues to treat triathletes, cyclists, adventure racers, as well as athletes from many other disciplines. His mission is to take a holistic approach to each athlete, look at their biomechanic fingerprint, and then enable them to rehabilitate from injury and improve their performance. Alex is also a great believer in preventative treatment, aiming to keep his athletes fit and healthy, and avoid unnecessary injury. If you think he might be able to help you, he runs clinics from Moti. www.mymoti.com or call 07951942262 for an appointment.

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