By Hammer Nutrition
Oops, I did it again! Yeah, I know I sound like Britney Spears, but I broke my clavicle for the second time while racing in El Salvador last March. (I also suffered the same injury during the Mt. Hamilton Classic road race in May 2011.) Needless to say, that brought my racing/ training to a halt. During my recovery time, I relied heavily on my Compex to not lose too much fitness; I also use the same programs during my off-season training (Strength program on my legs with a different muscle group each day before getting on the trainer or riding, and Active Recovery program after my rides).
Using Compex while recovering from injury helped me maintain muscle tone and strength. When I was able to get back full-force into training, I continued to use the same Compex programs, reducing the Strength program to just 2-3 times a week but consistently using the Active Recovery program.
With very little training time, I went back to my trade team in Europe (UCI Colavita Forno DAsolo) into full race mode with the plate in my clavicle. I still had limitations, but I needed to race myself back into shape to prepare for the summer months when we have the biggest tours, including the Giro de Italia Donne. I started to feel much better due to the Compex Strength programs I used during my recovery period as well as during off-season. I also used the Pre-warmup program, especially during the long transfers from stage to stage. Sometimes we don't have enough time for all riders to get massages by the time we arrive at the next destination, so Compex is one of the biggest assets I have while I am on the road and traveling by plane. It is my best buddy!
I finished 12th overall after a rough start of the nine-day La Route de France femme, in which I crashed during the prologue due to some bent/broken rims that didn't allow the brakes to release while on a turn. It is never fun crashing, especially when you still have eight days of hard racing ahead of you. I finished well in several stages at La Route, but the highlight of my season was setting a new course record at the Mt. Diablo Challenge at the end of September.
I hope to serve as an example of how much Compex can aid recovery. Along with my Premium Insurance Caps and Recoverite, my whole body is well looked after. I also can't emphasize enough how important those tools are for the competitive athlete in the off-season to ensure your body is strong and ready for the upcoming season. Thank you Hammer Nutrition for helping me accomplish just that! HN
Flavia's off-season Compex training plan:
Monday
Recovery ride ¢ Strength program on glutes and quads ¢ Active Recovery program
Tuesday
Pre-warmup program on glutes ¢ Ride Strength program on hamstrings and adductors ¢ Active Recovery program
Wednesday
Pre-warmup program on hamstrings ¢ Ride Strength program on glutes and quads ¢ Active Recovery program
Thursday
Pre-warmup program on glutes ¢ Ride Strength program on hamstrings and adductors ¢ Active Recovery program
Friday
Easy ride ¢ Active Recovery program on hamstrings and quads
Saturday
Long ride ¢ Active Recovery program on glutes and quads
Sunday
Long ride ¢ Active Recovery program on hamstrings
