Aahhhh.
On Wednesday, we recorded a podcast about rest, and as we were talking about peanut M&M’s, beer, and everything else that doesn’t really relate to rest, I was reminded of this great quiz I stumbled across while researching a story about overtraining for a major women’s magazine. The story never ran–you can read the whole thing here–but I love this quiz because it takes into account everything–stress, nutrition, sleep–that influences our performance and injury risk. Might be worth bookmarking, especially when you’re in the thick of a training plan and feeling wasted.
Total Quality Recovery
This quiz, designed by Goran Kentta, Ph.D., a sports psychologist at the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, determines how primed your body is for a workout. Answer the questions based on the previous 24 hours and add up the corresponding points. Then use the chart, which indicates how well you have recovered, to know how hard you can push during your next workout.
Nutrition
Over the previous 24 hours, I ate…
Breakfast: 1 point
Lunch: 2 points
Dinner: 2 points
Snacks between meals: 1 point
Carbs and protein after exercise: 2 points
I replaced my fluids…
Throughout the day: 1 point
During and after my workout: 1 point
Sleep
I got in…
7-8 hours: 3 points
A 20-60 minute nap: 1 point
I felt…
Totally relaxed, both psychologically and physically, after my workout: 2 points
Relaxed during the entire day: 1 point
I made sure to…
Do a proper cool-down after my workout: 2 points
Stretched the muscles I worked: 1 point
Score yourself:
| If your score is… | Your recovery is… | And your next exercise effort can be…. |
| 6 | No recovery | No exertion |
| 7-8 | Extremely poor | Extremely light |
| 9-10 | Very poor | Very light |
| 11-12 | Poor | Light |
| 13-14 | Reasonable | Slightly hard |
| 15-16 | Good | Hard |
| 17-18 | Very good | Very hard |
| 19-20 | Extremely good | Maximum |
Personally, I like P90X more than any other weight loss product because it’s convenient. I can use it at my leisure and it’s probably one of the only programs that I’ve actually seen work. I know people who are currently on the system and have lost tons of weight. Their bodies are more defined as well.
For those of you who may be interested in getting in shape, you can get P90X for $65 at http://www.squidoo.com/where-can-i-buy-p90x also read the comments in the guestbook section to see that this place is legit.
Oh, this is good. No wonder I’m wiped most of the time.
This is so useful! Thank you for showing the break out. (And I have to agree with Will – for cross training, P90X is faaabulous.)
*yawn* I am still in recovery mode from my missions trip to the Philippines (where I rocked hills one day…and that was all…I’m not running on the roads over there!). Hoping to have an easy two today, an easy two tomorrow, and a 2 hour half marathon on Sunday!!!
This is great! Also helped me see where I am falling short (refueling after workout and replacing fluids). Off to get a Nuun…I have a 13 mile run tomorrow morning!
I love this! What a great checklist! I love it and will have to share it :)
This was very helpful. Now I know why I’m tired.
It ought to have a point grade for less than seven to eight hours of sleep. I have always had insomniac tendencies, more so now that I’m perimenopausal. And I am totally unable to fall asleep during the day unless I am sick. Man, there is nothing like a poor night’s sleep to make a run – and my entire day – just suck. I can overcome the other obstacles, but not a lack of sleep.
What? I think I’d always be at “extremely poor” to “very poor”. Grrrrrr!
I think it means well, but I have to redefine “relaxed” in order to ever get a decent score. I usually feel good after I run, but there’s always a time crunch, usually involving changing clothes, eating lunch and pottying a toddler–which somehow manages to eat up a full hour, packing up whatever’s needed that afternoon, rushing off to pick up my oldest from school, and often, going straight to work from there. And relaxed during the entire day? Insert the sound of hysterical laughter. (Ditto for 7-8 hours of sleep, though I’m hopeful that will be a reality by the time my youngest is 4 or 5.)
This is so helpful!
I am a newbie. I listened to this podcast. Yesterday i ran a long run over 20 miles. Have my: pre run hydration, good fuel on the way and post run ice habits down well. Today I feel great,19 on your scale. I took today off and will hit it tomorrow with 5 days of training (TLAM so helpful). On the podcast I heard, after a marathon no running for a week. What if you have a 19 score?