Helen Davies
WORLD 50K SILVER MEDALIST & TEAM GOLD MEDALIST
"I have most certainly learned the hard way on the recovery front. What you can get away with when you are younger is vastly different in your 40’s and as a busy athlete Mummy. Thinking I am able to keep going and going, only to getting a massive bite in the behind. The overtraining thing, I have discovered, creeps up on you, as does not taking your recovery seriously, it results in burnout, and that really is no joke!
I come at the subject of recovery through 3 lenses, one as an athlete, one as Mummy, and now as both!
It has taken me till now in my life, at the age of 41 to realise how wrong I have got my recovery over the years. I used to think if I am not running, I am therefore recovering! Not so. The daily stresses of life prevent us from recovering, even if we are sitting still, we are not really 'switching off'. In my case, over the last year and the situation caused by the pandemic, more than ever my recovery was being shoved to one side. cramming in my training around homeschooling the boys, and then once homeschooling was over, it was all the mummy duties, household chores, and my own training, work and education, grabbing cups of tea and coffee on the go....a situation which I am sure many can relate to!
By the time Christmas was over and the second lockdown was upon us, I felt the burn out was really serious, my mind was exhausted and as a result my body had said enough!
So where does chocolate fit into all this, well first and foremost, dark chocolate has always been my go to when I feel my energy or mood is low, it never fails to just make me feel better. I was having a chat with my osteopath/breathwork coach and S&C coach about how I was feeling, and how I was going to be able to improve it in the difficult circumstances. He said to me, right, tell me one small thing you enjoy, what makes you feel good? I said a cup of good hot chocolate (preferably snuggled under a blanket, by a campfire, under the stars - but we have to be practical!). So, the plan was, no matter what, I give myself 30mins to go and sit quietly and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate, read, breath, listen to some music - but most importantly switch off from ALL the stress. So I started doing this for a while, then I thought, if I am going to do this I need to fully embrace it, maximise the benefits and do it well! As Socrates Quote says "better to do a little well, than a great deal badly" That is where 80NU comes in, I had seen so many great reviews and posts popping up about this product and when I did more research into the product and Carole's motivation behind it , I realised this was the hot chocolate I needed in my life!
So it has now been part of my daily routine, and I have not looked back, the precious time out, and giving myself a reason to stop, permission to stop, and enjoy a beautiful cup of comforting 80NU, has been the biggest step on the road to burnout recovery, couple that with all the amazing health benefits of 80NU, I feel my mood boosted, peace and balance restored. Committing to a few minutes, be it 5 or 30, in your day will not be a game changer, but it is a start to solid foundations and a good relationship with recovery, it's better to start with small manageable changes that are realistic to stick to and work up from there.
I enjoy my cup of 80NU made with frothy milk! and if I'm in need of an extra big hit, I enjoy a few extra beads on the side. I never leave the house without an emergency mini bar of 80NU in my bag!"