Rest and Recovery during Marathon Swim Training

My last few postings on my blog have been about my swim training for July 2015 solo attempt of the North Channel between Ireland and Scotland.  As I previously mentioned, my training includes endurance swims, cold acclimation, and cross training ( weight lifting, rowing machine, speed walks, etc).  Today, I would like to focus on the importance of rest. In my early years of training, I would train 6 days a week and felt guilty when I took one day off.  But after 18 years of being an open water swimmer, I have come to realize that rest days are necessary for recovery from the necessary long and hard training days.  Sometimes I may take three days off in a row to let my body get "energized".  My best advice for an athlete is to listen to their body. A swimmer will not gain anything if they arrive at the start of a solo swim feeling exhausted and sore from over training. So, enjoy taking a few days off from training and you may find that you will feel stronger and more energized.   Enjoy your days off!