Sports Psychology for Ultra Endurance Athletes - Downtime: Recovery for Your Mind and Body

As we head into autumn in the Northern Hemisphere this can traditionally be time for a down period after a summer of racing. My experience is that many endurance athletes struggle with this time; we love to be out training and doing events so we don't support time off very well.

Time off and down time is really important however; it helps us rest and recover from a hard season of events and training and means we can enter the next phase of training fresh and ready to start with enthusiasm.

Here are some tips to help you optimise your down time so you can come back fresher and stronger physically and psychologically.

Down Time Allows for Full Recovery

Even if you have been well-disciplined in taking regular recovery days and blocks, after a 4-6 month period of training your body will have accumulated some fatigue.

If you have done more than one ultra event in 6 months you may not have been fully recovered from one before you did the next. You may be nursing niggles and tightness. A month off will give you time to sort out the niggles and give your body and muscles time to fully reset.

Taking Time Out Enables Reflection

It's very difficult to find objectivity when we are immersed in training and racing. Taking time out gives us a bit more objectivity and with objectivity we can reflect back on our season and think about how to build on the successes and learning points so our next one can be even better.

Good Recovery Paves the Way for the Future

If you recover well at the end of the season you are far more likely to be able to race again the next year and for many years to come. Poor recovery conversely means you risk getting injured, over-trained and fatigued to the extent that you compromise your future in racing ultra distance events.

Whilst you are taking some time out you can be planning your next adventure, knowing that in a few weeks time you will be ready for the training required to complete it.

Use Your Free Time to Practise Psychological Skills

In the month or so when you are not training you can focus on psychological skills to help you get mentally stronger. You can check out my blogs on

Go on a Retreat

A retreat can be a great way to wind down and to learn a bit more about yourself so you can build mental strength for the season ahead. There are all kinds of retreats out there for all types of minds and interests, or you can design your own retreat if you wish; a time to get away from it all and spend some quality time either alone or with other like minded people.

If you are interested in a retreat you could join Karen Darke and me on a retreat in Mallorca from the 19th to 24th October 2024; a mixture of light, fun exercise and exercises designed to help you reflect and learn more about your inner self.