How to Rest

For me, Saturday is a rest day. Like many CrossFitters, I find it difficult to 'rest' on my rest day. Why? Because I know my weaknesses and I want to get better...I want to improve upon my weaknesses. I feel an undying need to continuously get better. But sometimes I get caught up in what 'I need to do' and I completely disregard what I 'do not need to do'--in other words, I need to rest and recover. Resting and letting your body adapt to the stress that you have put upon it, is possibly one of the greatest challenges of an athlete. But it is also one of the greatest things that an athlete can do to improve their performance.

I am not making this stuff up; this comes from first-hand experience. This comes from my own experience in training for the 2009 CrossFit Games. So, how do you rest? Well, you find what works for you and your body. If you are doing 'everything right' in your training and still are finding that your WOD performance is suffering, then you need to take a deeper look at your training. Are you getting sufficient sleep--at least seven to eight hours per night? If not, make it a priority. Are you taking care of your body...physically and mentally? If not, you need to readjust your training philosophy.

On a more focused note, if you have qualified at your respective 2010 CrossFit Games Sectional Competition and are worried about what you need to be doing in preparation for your regional competition, here is my best advice: Do the CrossFit Main Site WOD and do it HARD! Hack away at the 'chinks in your armor' but take your REST! Listen to your body! Good luck CrossFitters!