Obstacle Mud Runner - issue 12

obstaclemudrunner.co.uk ForEliteAtheletes toFunRunners 14 Sleep, to live your dream! Poor sleep when you need it most for rest & recovery is at best unpleasant and at worst hampers effective recovery time. We spend about a third of our life asleep. Far from being unproductive or a waste of time as it’s sometimes unfairly viewed, it has a vital role to play in our daily functioning, let alone health and wellbeing. It’s role is so much more than just not feeling a bit groggy in the morning. Exercise is good for sleep, it was previously thought that exercising too close to bedtime would reduce sleepiness but it’s now thought to be beneficial any time of day. However, OCR is perhaps a more extreme type of exercise. I’ve noticed that lots of OCR participants work in stressful jobs. Sleep and post-exercise recovery can be looked at as three points to consider. 1 Sleep length – this includes any naps during the day, which should be limited to 20-30 minutes. Ideally we should aim for 8 hours sleep a night. 2 Sleep quality – sleep/bedtime routine and establish a comfortable environment, i.e., dark, cool & quiet. 3 Sleep phase – look at our body’s natural sleep/ wake (circadian) rhythm. We are cyclical rhythmic beings and work best when we identify that and work within it. Post event Use an aromastick with calming oils immediately post event (citrus smells are good and available from my website) and then use the same oils as soon as you can in a post-event bath. The Muscle Gel contains Eucalyptus citriodora, which works as an anti- inflammatory but also gives it the distinctive lemony smell. As well as the muscular benefits it might be useful to help build a strong smell memory with feeling relaxed post event. The lemon aroma works by being uplifting initially, but then when the lemon molecules (aldehydes) are absorbed into the blood stream they work as a sedative hours later. Lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia) is a good and well-known oil to induce sleep. Pop a couple of drops on a tissue and place it between your pillow case and pillow. Think about how you feel in the morning; are you ready to get going with the day? Feeling physically tired or emotionally and mentally weary? Essential oils can play a part at various times during the day to help in the different phases of sleep. Different oils may be useful depending on your specific sleep pattern and we have several sleep solutions to help you. Start off by completing the free sleep survey which I will email you upon request, I’ll personally look at your answers and email you some suggestions to improve your sleep. If you prefer a more structured approach, consider joining the sleep pod, a FB membership group where I keep you accountable, share all things sleep and relaxation from my 24 years in practice, including discounts on new blends of oils. I’d be really interested to hear how you get on if you introduce any of these tips into your sleep routines. The first 10 OMR Magazine readers to complete the Sleep Survey (email me and I’ll send you a link, I’ll pop it on the Muscle Gel FB page too) will have the chance to join the Sleep Pod (FB group) for free! (normally £27 a month). Good luck Ideally we should aim for 8 hours sleep a night HEALTH : SLEEP are you getting quality sleep? You train hard, compete at events but ignore your need to sleep at your peril! Shelley Baker BSc, mIFPA Shelley Baker BSc, mIFPA [email protected] • 07968 710853 / 01722 672072