Sleeeeeeeeeep… I was robbing myself of so many benefits by not sleeping enough.
Then, my son Trevor started racing.
I hooked him up with my coach, and he actually listened to what she said. He was a dry sponge soaking up every word, where I was a soggy old dog.
He was living like a monk. Sleeping and resting tons. … and flying on the bike.
So, I started to listen to his advice… “Dad, you gotta sleep more.”
Here’s what I noticed, and for old dogs this matters: I recovered a lot better and quicker, and I lost weight.
Yes… that’s exactly what my coach told me would happen, but…
I’m bringing this up today because I learned something you probably don’t know. When we sleep our brain cells shrink and spinal fluid comes in to that new space and clears out excess proteins. When your dad has Parkinson’s (mine does) that gets your attention, because proteins play a roll.
There are all kinds of articles you could read regarding cycling and sleep, like this one.
The thing that has helped me get a lot more sleep is a sleep app. It follows the old rule, you get what you measure. Measuring sleep, like measuring hours and miles, will have an effect on how much you get.
Sweet dreams.
PS I can only handle about 6 weeks of structure at a time so my coach cringes when I call every year or so with I have major goal… she’d much prefer I see her a couple of times a month.