Daily commute & life activities...what's the impact?

Do you walk or bike commute to work or other daily life activities?

Take a brisk walk with the dog/family/ a new baby for a few easy miles a day?

If you’re spending a lot of extra time on your feet- or in the seat- outside of your planned workouts, it’s worth logging it & counting it into your overall training as far as fueling and total time goes. Many athletes consider it “just” a walk, but those miles and that time on your feet start to add up! Sometimes when we dig into things like injury, fatigue, and struggling to move the needle on performance, these seemingly smaller “extras” get uncovered as a contributing factor.

There’s no perfect benchmark for any one person, but a few things are key to making sure these commutes & fitness walks support, and don’t hinder your training.

🚲 Make sure your commuting bike has a good fit. It doesn’t have to be as precise as a race bike, but mild discomfort for several hours a week adds up!

👟 Similarly, don’t just walk in your old running shoes. Worn out shoes that are clocking an extra 15-20 miles a week can start to creep up on you & cause injury.

⛽️ Fuel up! Remember that even at light intensity, these miles & minutes add up in the total picture of you as an athlete.

🍱 Layer in some extra calories to make sure you’re not dipping into a deficit, being especially mindful of this in periods of big volume.

Work with your coach on how to maintain these active commutes & fitness walks as a part of your life, in a way that best supports your goals!