Olympic inspiration for resting!

[Bunchberry]

Interesting article in The Globe and Mail this week about Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh, who has won two medals (so far!) this week in Paris. The article describes her rest and restoration process in between races. It’s a wonderful reminder of the value of R&R and reminds me of the much-discussed advice on this forum to rest enough to do what we have to do (which for me includes exercise, even if not quite at Summer’s level. I find I need inspiration for both exercising and resting.).

You need to be a subscriber to read the article, so I will cut and paste the relevant bits here:

The Science of How Summer McIntosh Rests Between Races (by Grant Robertson, The Globe and Mail, 31 July 2024)

Summer McIntosh is a newly minted Olympic gold medalist. But with several high-stakes races still to come at the Paris Olympics, the 17-year-old swimmer has been perfecting other crucial skills away from the water.

“I’m a professional napper at this point,” McIntosh said Wednesday. “It kind of becomes a skill that you learn.”

Behind the scenes at the Olympics, McIntosh and her coach are engaged in an around-the-clock mission like no other.

With McIntosh contending for as many as five or six medals in Paris, every second of rest, relaxation and recuperation is crucial. Each race depends on it.

About a year ago, her coach, Brent Arckey, drew up the Olympic schedule on a piece of paper, and the two began plotting out how many races she could possibly swim in nine days, including heats, semi-finals and finals, and how they could maximize every minute in between.

From eating, to napping, to sleeping, to warm ups, cool downs and massages, no moment is wasted. Even the time she spends on her feet is watched closely.

It is part art, part science, and a logistical nightmare all wrapped into one.

But resting is as important as racing.

(Stuff deleted)

“I know once I dive in, I’m good, but it’s really important to recover as best as possible in between races.”

Asked recently what she does between one session and the next, McIntosh listed off a series of items in rapid succession, including but not limited to: dry off, eat as soon as possible, get a massage, take a nice long nap, eat again, then back to the pool, then more rest, more food, stay off your feet, drink lots of water, then more sleep.

Few people are as busy at resting as McIntosh these days.

Her mom, Jill, who swam for Canada at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, said swimming has become so sophisticated that races are won by the slimmest of margins, which are not always decided by what happens in between the lane markers.

“The Olympics is won as much outside the pool as inside the pool now, because everyone is spectacular inside the pool,” Jill McIntosh said.

“It’s how much you are willing to really take care of yourself outside the pool. It’s very, very strategic and methodical,” she said. “It’s fun competing, but you just have to be super, super disciplined.”

McIntosh’s races last between two and four minutes, depending on the event, but what happens around them is extensive. The problem, as Jill explains, is that every race is a session at the pool.

“What happens is you’re at the pool at least five or six hours per session,” Jill said. “So that’s what causes the exhaustion by Day 9.”

Plus there’s semi-finals and, in some events, morning heats as well.

All swimmers think about recovery, and many of them attack it with the same fervour they give their races.

(Stuff deleted)

“That’s not talked about enough to be honest,” McIntosh said. “The whole process in between that two- to four-minute race.”

[Kendrew]

We all know and have experienced that awful fatigue associated with both our condition & our medication.

We're constantly reminded that pacing ourselves at all times is one of the best ways to 'manage' this fatigue, and I for one have certainly found this to be true.

Engaging in 'activity' that's appropriate for our own individual capabilities is key to ensuring how we facilitate the best possible quality of life for ourselves, but rest, and learning to say "No" is also important.

This article is a good reminder of how valuable and necessary rest periods are, because they provide and enhance the restorative elements we require for our body to continue functioning at the optimum level possible.

[krillemy]

I will use this inspiration! I am terrible at resting and getting of my feet!! Maybe I should just see it as a form of exercise!! 😆

[Sophiestree]

Really interesting read, thank you for pasting.

I make myself rest and know it totally works, also napping, but only for 20 minutes so put an alarm on my watch. That power nap works for me, longer and I feel groggy and just want to eat constantly.

I've worked on many Olympics and some sports demand a lot more time than others. Swimming is one of the intense gruelling ones, often starting at 5.00 am every day, and if young then off to school. Huge commitment for everyone.

[MiniSpec in reply to Sophiestree]

Interesting! I worked in the TOC for the London Olympics in 2012. It was a very interesting job, and several of the people I worked with were Olympians themselves. I was even asked if I wanted to go to Rio when the London Olympics finished, but at the time I was 62 and had just paid off the mortgage, so chose to stay at home instead.

I was already on Pred for my PMR at that time, and was grateful for the rest after the full-on pace of work, so I can empathise with anyone who chooses to schedule their rest as much as they schedule their exercise regime.

[Gimme]

I lived with an international racing cyclist through my 20s and 30s, so none of this surprises me. I suppose that the experience I acquired from that are how I managed to do the high altitude treks that I did in my 40s. It's a good one to highlight, as it is very relevant to us now, especially on the days when getting up, washed and dressed feel more like running a marathon. I've always said that you should never feel guilty about doing nothing, becasue if you are resting and recovering, then you aren't doing nothing.

[123-go in reply to Gimme]

What a brilliant way to look at things!