Shutting Off Over Christmas: A Guide for Athletes

BY DESTINY OGALI

The Importance Of Rest & Recovery 

So the end of the year is upon us. Depending on how your season went, you may be feeling either fantastic or somewhat disappointed...

Both of these feelings can be relevant depending on the goals that you will have set before the outdoor season.

Many athletes will take a short break at the end of the summer season to rest, recuperate, plan & most importantly recover. The importance of recovery is often expressed from parents, coaches & physios alike but to us, as athletes, we can sometimes wrestle with the concept of not training for some time. I understand that being in a set routine can be very helpful in having structure for your week, but rest is crucial.

I’m also aware that by now, most athletes and training groups will have resumed their training and preparations for the upcoming season. But with that in mind, I saw fit to discuss something that's been very helpful for me...

Mind & Body relaxation for athletes

I have always struggled with overtraining and not effectively taking care of my body.

I don’t know if you can relate but in my mind, I always thought “I need to be doing more”. With this mindset, I've found myself spending less time competing and more time injured over the last few seasons.

It’s never fun to look on from the sidelines as you see your fellow competitors racing regularly. I only had myself to blame as such. I didn’t want to listen.

My perspective was I could keep going and everything would sort itself out in due time. Although this is partly true, I had failed to recognise that rest would need to take place for the natural healing process to run its course. Even then, I still didn’t fully understand my body and what it needed. My former coach relentlessly told me to “listen to my body” but I didn’t fully understand what this meant.

As a result of my lack of knowledge & understanding, my body continued to break down gradually.

Questioning the process in athletics

After a series of setbacks and injuries, I finally began to question my recovery & training methods as I wasn’t getting the results I truly desired on the track.

It can be frustrating to not deliver on what you feel you can & should on race day. For this reason, I would massively encourage all athletes to listen to their bodies and maintain an active line of communication with their coaches and wider team.

I would also strongly suggest looking at what you are doing and why you are doing it.

Why is this important?

I was doing certain things that probably weren't helpful for me. On the other hand, it’s important to know that you have your own style.

Your approach to training may be completely different to others and that is okay! It’s important for you to know what works for you and to stick with it. Individual differences play a part in training and recovery. Your body takes longer to recover between sessions compared to that of your training partners and that is perfectly okay! It’s just important to recognise this and plan accordingly to avoid burnout. 

A prime example of burning out

I had the privilege of attending a warm-weather training camp in January of 2023. The camp was held in Cyprus and was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had in Track & Field.

I met some amazing people, formed some great relationships and trained with some of the best athletes in the UK. However, I worked myself to the ground and missed the entire indoor season simply because I overtrained.

I vividly remember my coach instructing me to ”go with however my body was feeling” about the program I had been given. In my excitement, I completely overlooked what my coach had said and trained essentially every day, twice a day.

I think because I was feeling so good, the weather was great and it was my first time going abroad to train, I got over-excited. It's as simple as that. I just wanted to jump at any and every opportunity being presented to me while I was there. The knock-on effect of this was the injury I sustained on the penultimate day of the training camp.

It was one of those sessions that I didn’t need to do whatsoever but since some of the other athletes were doing it, I decided to join them.

On the final run of the session, I felt my hamstring go in the last 20-30 meters of the rep. It was a sharp shooting pain that only worsened as time went on. I immediately stopped and hobbled across the line.

The immediate diagnosis was that it wasn’t going to be anything serious and that I should be able to race. The physio told me plain and simple that I “needed to rest”.

I somewhat ignored his advice and continued to try and train once I arrived back home. Looking back now, I guess I somewhat downplayed the severity of the situation. Weeks went on and the injury was not healing as quickly as me and my coach were expecting. The decision was then made to scrap the entire indoor season and focus on the outdoor season.

However, the injury had a knock-on effect on my outdoor season as well, seeing as we were unable to train and prepare in the way that we usually would, simply because my body wasn’t fully healthy. This was of course very frustrating for me.

Self-reflect & take time out

One simple decision ended up costing me an entire season. I have had to learn the importance of rest, not overdoing it & listening to my body. As Christmas time approaches, it provides ample opportunity to reflect & rest.

For us as athletes, it is so important to have these times of extended rest where we can be present with our friends and family to shut off mentally. The physical side of training is apparent, however mental fatigue is another aspect that often isn’t considered when we refer to training and sport in general.

The importance of programmes for athletes

Lots of planning and organising is done when putting together a programme. The coaching team has to work out how to formalise the programme so that the athlete can be ready for their training & competitions. This requires constant evaluation and communication, both of which take time and effort which equally has to be put into and monitored by the athlete to a certain extent.

Considering all of these factors, it can leave you as an athlete feeling burnt out after a prolonged period without rest.

Why compete indoors as an athlete?

Quite often, athletes will choose to compete indoors to break up their training.

It can be difficult to train consistently for over 7+ months without any form of extended break. Competing indoors in the winter months gives a slight pause in the programming for the sake of allowing yourself to try new things.

This can be quite beneficial for the athletes who truly enjoy competing indoors. The distances and race tactics can differ from those of the outdoors, adding to the overall anticipation of an upcoming event. Knowing that you as the athlete are competing in the new year, the Christmas break can provide you with a great time to shut down and relax before going again in the new year.

Of course, I say all of this assuming that you as the athlete reading this will be having some sort of break. There very well may be some athletes and training groups that continue as normal through Christmas and the New Year. Each set-up has its own system and way of doing things.

Finding your style as an athlete

What’s important is knowing what works best for YOU as an athlete. If the Christmas rest period has always proven to be beneficial for you, then don’t feel the need to change that. 

I have had to learn to allow myself to switch off during the Christmas break. We can sometimes have that athlete's guilt where we feel we need to “earn” the right to rest or to eat that bit of chocolate. Adopting this mindset can be detrimental to ourselves as individuals.

We all need rest, regardless of if you are an athlete or not. As I recap on last year’s Christmas for example, I am reminded of the great joy that came from not having to think about training, competing or sport in general. And that’s perfectly fine. You don’t have to be switched on all the time.

Having periods where you are simply enjoying the moment and not thinking about the future can be hugely beneficial to us as individuals. We are more than just athletes. Our sport doesn’t define us. Enjoy your time off! Being well-rested and fully recovered will only have positive effects on you as an individual when you return to your normal routine.

Enjoy your Christmas!

To conclude, I hope you all have a lovely and restful Christmas this year. Taking short periods of rest will only help your performance. I can understand the desire to want to improve and get better, but please don’t allow that desire to ultimately be the reason for you burning yourself out.

We all need rest and recovery. The Christmas break period is the perfect opportunity to put this into practice.

About Destiny Ogali

Destiny is a sprinting athlete who competes for Harrow AC, and he is incredibly passionate about helping other sprinters and athletes go further in their athletic journeys!

He already has experience in discussing athletics topics with others through The Visions Podcast, where he has sat down and spoken with some great athletes, including Desiree Henry and Aidan Syers! 

You can find Destiny's sprint performances on his Power of 10 profile.

Instagram: @destinyogali & @thevisionspod