At the height of his cycling career, Phil Anderson was as well-known for his professionalism as he was for his impressive palmares and distinctively flowing locks.
Ahead of his time in more ways than one, the powerfully built Australian's attention to detail included being one of the first riders to use clipless pedals and brake-mounted gear-changing systems (STI); he would even use a battery-powered floor pump to check his tyre-pressure before races just to save energy. Small things indeed but the sum of these parts was indicative of true marginal gains long before Team SKY popularised the now cliched term.
While the above examples do pertain specifically to equipment, Anderson was equally in touch with his body, taking care of it with as much dedication and innovation as his many steeds. Whether training at home or away racing, the prolific cyclist would sleep for two hours every afternoon. The reason: to enhance recovery and his immune system, reducing the variable of falling ill given the demands of his former profession. With this in mind, he would also drink at least one beer at dinner time every evening to help him relax and doze off around 10pm.
This attention to recovery extended to younger riders that Anderson mentored over the years. Jesper Skibby related how when they shared hotel rooms whilst on Team TVM, Anderson would make him lie down for two hours, even if he didn't sleep. I would just lie there whilst Phil snored, he recounted in a magazine interview many moons ago.
Good sleep is everything, especially for athletes. Like it or not, performing at any sporting level is largely dependent upon optimum health, with proper sleeping habits being at the forefront of this balance. Professional athletes, while only part of the spectrum of sport as a whole, do provide great examples in more respects than one. Unfortunately most of us only choose to see the training load and race results as the sole things to aspire to, ignoring the other critical factors in what makes them truly great. But what about the other things that make up the puzzle? The story about Phil Anderson is a great example of acknowledging the need for wellness via simply paying attention to one's sleeping habits. Not glamourous or flashy by any means - just good and simple advice.
I recently listened to a great podcast on this very topic among another group of high performers. Dr. Kirk Parsely is a US Navy SEAL and works closely with his fellow operatives in enhancing their sleeping patterns via melatonin supplementation. Valium and Ambien use is apparently quite prevalent among special forces soldiers, as it is in professional cycling and other sports. Trying to sleep during a three week Grand Tour is challenging, much like the nocturnal working habits of elite military personnel and is no wonder that various prescriptions are used, often leading to over-dependence and even addiction. Literally knocking oneself out does not necessarily result in restorative sleep by any means, lest the side effects, and I recommend giving this show a listen to find out more from the most interesting of medical practitioners.
Sleep, particularly afternoon napping, is often frowned upon in some quarters and on occasion viewed as a sign of weakness. We live in a macho world where rest is for the weak and getting by on as little shuteye as possible seems to be almost a badge of honour, for some at least. While the realities of real-life does mean early morning training for many, the repetitive nature of pre-dawn wake ups coupled with busy lifestyles often results in adequate - and proper -sleeping habits being relegated to the back burner.
As I write these words it is an overcast day here in Cape Town. Unseasonal rain fell early this morning meaning I went back to bed for a few hours, forgoing my usual Saturday morning ritual of a long run in the local forests, vineyards and grasslands. This is something I truly love to do and look forward to; exploring the area in the solitude of an early morning is indeed a privilege. But I didn't do it this morning and the truth is that I had already made that decision to have a lazy morning several days earlier. Life and the like has been busy of late and lack of proper sleep for the past week or so has seen a marked shift in my mood and energy levels. Forcing a tired body and mind through an activity however pure and invigorating is counterproductive and I know that I probably would not have enjoyed it. Staying in bed while the rain pelted outside just felt like the right thing to do and it was. I feel like a different person now; refreshed, sharp and revitalised.
Sacrificing daily "training" for extra sleep?
Who would have thought.
As Jesper Skibby recounted: "I learned so much from Phil (Anderson); how to train, how to race, how to win.
"And also how to sleep in the afternoons."
