Race recovery
Following a busy race season, the team is preparing Medallia for a winter refit. The boat will be in Carrington’s in Hythe, where the foils will be swapped out for big foils.
During this time Pip will be focusing on her own recovery, working with her personal trainer and chiropractors ahead of getting back on the water next summer and learning to fly with big foils.
Here’s an insight into what she’ll be working on:
Shelley Davies and Linn Erixon-Sahlstom, Pip’s chiropractors at Davies Chiropractic share more on Pip’s recovery routine:
What does Pip's race recovery look like/how do you work with her following what's been a busy race season?
“Recovery has to start with where Pip is physically after such a demanding season. She will have developed some sub optimal movement patterns as a result of what she had to do on the boat therefore, we will start with a series of resisted tests to help figure out the puzzle. This will lead us to tailor her treatment and rehabilitation programme to work from the ground up.”
Are there any exercises or stretches Pip is focusing on?
“Pip injured her knee on the last trip so she is doing isometric exercises with that leg to help re-stabilise things before we start on the next phase of rehab.”
What's the focus leading up to the next race season in terms of physical rehabilitation and preparation?
“Pip has to increase her muscle mass again, much is lost during these long trips so her protein mass is sub optimal for an athlete of her level. It is our job to prepare her body for full on personal training by not only working on her manually, but also improving the intrinsic / micro biomechanic movement patterns. Without this phase she is very prone to early injury when she attempts to ramp up training, this is an integral foundation for her long term endurance.”
Do you have any advice/general tips for other athletes for post/pre race recovery?
“Listen to your body, taper before any big event for at least 1-2 weeks depending on the size of the event, no matter what the sport. Training up to the wire is detrimental to endurance. If you are unsure about any injury, ache or pain, never assume, do not use Dr Google and always take advice from someone trusted.”
Rob Stewart, Pip’s personal trainer shares more on Pip’s fitness routine:
What does Pip’s race recovery look like?
“Pip has a lot of objective and subjective information we can use to aid her recovery and re-entry into her training. I will be listening closely to what Pip can tell me about how she is feeling and what she has learned about her physiology during the RDR to make sure I tailor her recovery to meet her needs. We will set goals based on the initial assessment and early weeks of training but it is also important to factor in the things Pip likes doing outside of the gym, such as running.”
What will be the focus for Pip’s workouts during the start of 2023?
“We will have an initial mobility assessment using information from her chiropractor. Then we will re-visit the major lifts (Squats, Bench Press, Deadlift) at 60% of her max weight prior to the Route du Rhum to check her form and glean some subjective feedback from Pip. Because Pip will have lost muscle mass we will stay in a hypertrophic (muscle building) programme for a few weeks and then build up to new 1Rm max tests. We will then use that date to draw up a revised strength programme.”
Do you have any general advice for athletes recovering and preparing for endurance sport?
“Stand back and take stock, record as much as you can, and be consistent - sustainable change happens with regular inputs, not sporadic huge leaps. Make your steps manageable so they add up over time to be a foundation for your future success. And find ways to enjoy the process to make it easier for you to do.”