What If Recovery Is the Key?

With a packed season of regattas, time trials, and training for The Gorge Champs, The IVF World Distance Champs, MolokaBRA, and Hawaii’s distance season, my OC6 and OC1 training load has been high.

Every weekend, we race half-mile OC6 sprints, train sprints at practice, and do OC1 time trials every other week—about an hour each. It’s a lot of intensity, and honestly, there are times I’ve felt like I’m not getting stronger.

It’s easy to assume I need to work harder, do more, or train longer.

I still catch myself falling into that trap—thinking pushing harder will accelerate progress or that if I did a bit more I would get stronger more quickly.

But when I step back, I remember: if everything feels hard, something’s not right.

What That “Something” Usually Is

For me, it usually comes down to not recovering enough—or not getting enough low-intensity work to allow my body to absorb the training.

The signs are familiar: rubbing the front of my shoulder, needing to rest my back, waking up feeling depleted. That’s when I know I’m not recovering—and training won’t stick if nothing feels manageable.

Being tired all the time doesn’t mean I’m getting fitter—it usually means my body isn’t recovering well enough to adapt. And without adaptation, I’m not actually getting stronger—I’m just accumulating fatigue. Without recovery, training is just stress.

Here’s how I’m handling that:

Fueling 🍌

I eat a snack before training and get a few bites right after. I aim to stay consistent with eating before and after every session. It’s simple but goes a long way in hitting high intensities during practice and bouncing back faster 💥.

Active Recovery 🚶‍♀️

After a tough session, I take an easy 30 minute to one hour-long walk—no pushing, no hills, heart rate under 110 bpm. It’s just enough movement to promote recovery without adding stress 🧘.

Maintaining Strength 🏋️‍♀️

I lift twice a week—one heavy session, one maintenance. I try to leave at least two days between a heavy lift and a sprint session. If I’m not rested or recovery time is short, I still lift—but focus on technique and movement quality to avoid heavy weights or piling on fatigue.

Lifting is the best way for women to maintain strength, and strength makes us fast, so for me it’s non negotiable that I keep lifting 💪.

Endurance Training 🛶

I’m doing less of it, and I wait until the timing feels right. Sometimes it’s a second Saturday paddle, sometimes the day after a hard session, or the morning before a race, or I’ll skip it for two weeks.

I tend to keep it short (60–90 mins) and am diligent about keeping my heart rate around 65% of max, this helps me recover and maintain endurance.

If I feel off mid-session, I cut it short ✂️ . If I’m tired the next day, that’s a cue I did too much—and I adjust next time with better food, more sleep, or extra rest 💤.

Technique as Recovery 🧘‍♀️

Doing a technique sessions is my favorite way to recovery from hard training. I’ll also do technique work during endurance paddles. My form breaks down when I’m tired, so inserting drills from Precision Paddling helps reinforce good posture, alignment, and engagement—without adding load. I feel restored and the soreness goes away after doing a technique session 🌊.

Self-Care 🌿

Cupping, rolling, stretching, pressure point balls, monthly massages, and long epsom salt baths all help me recover and repair worked muscles. And I’ve learned that eating enough, staying hydrated, and sleeping well are the cornerstones of feeling fantastic instead of faded ✨.

Final Thoughts 💭

Intensity is important to getting fitter and stronger. I don’t expect to feel great all the time while training hard. But I do want to recover from what I’m doing. Determining when to go easy is challenging for me, but it’s a lesson I keep returning to.

If I feel flat for more than a day or two, that’s a red flag that I’m not getting enough recovery to adapt to the training 🚩.

When I start feeling stronger instead of sore, then I know I’m getting the balance right.

So if you’re not seeing the results you expect, consider polarizing your training—make your easy days truly easy, and your hard days count 🔁.

Stress + Rest = Adaptation ⚖️

Often, backing off is exactly what allows the body to move forward.