It’s been several weeks since the whole of the Netherlands was captivated by the “Tourstart” in Utrecht. Even TV commercials were tailored to fit, and last week, I was reminded of a commercial from a specific mattress brand that was airing daily on TV. They used the quote from Joop Zoetemelk: “The Tour is won in bed.” A beautifully meaningful statement. When I participated in Alpe d’Huzes for the first time last year, I initially thought only about training, training, and more training. However, rest is just as important as exertion. No performance without rest. So, I had to get used to building “rest weeks” into my training schedule. It made me a bit restless, and I had thoughts like, “Oh, now I’m losing my fitness.” When the regular training week resumed, I suddenly noticed that my legs felt much stronger, and I could cycle faster. A beautiful confirmation of the importance of rest!
This principle doesn’t only apply to sports. Taking a breather and embracing rest are essential in daily life as well. Often, we keep running without pausing to consider what we are doing. We go on vacation stressed out, spending the first few days exhausted. By the time we get into the vacation flow, it’s time to return to work. How great would it be to experience this rest in workweeks too? And as soon as you go on vacation, you’re immediately back in the flow. Good night’s sleep would be a great start. It’s not just the Tour that you win in bed!