Doing the Little Things Right

Ever since I was about ten years old I have always been told by my swim coaches to "do the little things right." This saying always drove me crazy but lately it has been my personal mantra. I have been super swamped with schoolwork this week and haven't had much to do anything other then sleep, eat, train, and study. Normally when I am this busy my nutrition suffers along with all of the other things that enable my body to train the way it should. Since my first triathlon is a week and a half away I am being extra careful to take care of my body though.

Eating clean.
I have a tendency to just grab whatever is the quickest and easiest, which in turn is often not the healthiest. This past week though I have been making an effort to eat lots of fruits and veggies and monitor my intake of macronutrients. I have also been making sure I am not eating too many calories. In just this past week I have lost 2-3 pounds and I feel much better. I just feel healthier.

Drinking lots of water.
I rarely drink as much water as I should be. Due to a medical condition I have I am often cold and do not want to drink anything that will make me even colder. And because I am infrequently hot I am infrequently thirsty. I have been drinking a large glass of water before every meal and often have another glass with my meal in order to ensure that I am properly hydrated.

Compression.
With coming home from college and packing all of my stuff up I forgot that I had a pair of compression sleeves. I busted them out after Tuesday's run and could feel a huge difference after I took them off. I recently read a great article about recovery methods and when to use them. The article said compression gear is best worn immediately after a hard workout so that is what I did.

Ice.
After a hard track workout on Wednesday I took the plunge (pun intended) and suffered through my first ice bath. I only submerged my calves and shins so it was a wimpy ice bath but it still did the trick. There was a serious reduction of swelling and my legs felt invigorated afterwards.

Sleep.
I am not one of those people who can survive on only a few hours of sleep. I rarely get less than eight hours a night and most nights I am getting 9-10 hours. This may not work for everyone but lots of sleep has helped keep me rested both physically and mentally. And naps are an even better way to recover between two-a-days.

Yoga.
I started going to yoga last week and already I have seen a huge improvement in my flexibility. The looming tightness in my legs after running is no longer there and my IT bands feel better than ever. My legs feel lighter too. I'm not sure how this relates but every time after I leave yoga the heavy feeling in my legs is gone.