In today’s technology era full of gadgets, we have an endless supply of metrics you can measure.
I am talking about wearable technology. Technology that can measure speed, distance covered, how many times an individual stops and starts (including what direction)
We also have wearable technology such as sleep monitors and heart rate variability.
We even have devices that can measure your heart rate, body fat, and weight.
But the best way to measure and monitor performance changes is free..
Yes, free.
Here are 3 questions you can ask yourself, or ask your athletes to self-evaluate.
How do you Feel?
How did you feel in the morning? Sluggish?
Aches and pain anywhere? Any soft tissue soreness that goes away during the day? If you suffer with Achilles problems like I do, the walk to the bathroom or toilet is difficult first thing in the morning?
How much did you sleep last night? How was the quality of sleep? Did you fall asleep right away? When the alarm went off, could you sleep another hour or 90 minutes?
How do you feel when you show up at the track? Did your body feel better a few hours later than when you first woke up?
What did you Drink All Day?
What did you drink all day? Did you have any water outside of the workout?
Is it plain water (tap or bottled) or was it an electrolyte solution?
If you suffer from cramping, you may want to review your water and electrolyte intake.
Read Tips on Preventing Leg Cramps while Racing (or Training)
And if you are dehydrated, there is the Lesser Known Disgusting Tasting Cure.
If you live in a warm climate, especially the summer months, your fluid intake is something that needs to be monitored.
What are you Eating?
I tell this to my athletes all the time. Counting calories is not enough – what kinds of food are you eating?
How much food do you eat came from a package? Do you eat “home made food” made from ingredients that has a bar code on it?
You really should aim for wholesome food made from scratch, something your Grandmother would be proud of.
I am firm believer in you can’t out-train a poor diet.
And then there are the little extras.
Stuff like massage and yoga? Or how about easy stretching in front of TV? (or doing your core exercises)
We all can get caught up on technology, but sometimes going back to basics is a good starting point on setting your personal bests.
That’s why you need to address these 3 questions on a daily basis.
Jimson Lee
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