Laird Superfood : Ian Boswell and the Importance of Rest & Recovery

Ian Boswellis a former professional road cyclist living in northeastern Vermont and competing in gravel cycling events while also working for Wahoo Fitness. He grew up in Bend and lived in Nice, France while he raced professionally for seven years. He raced in the Tour de Francein 2018 and won the well-known gravel event, Unbound, in 2021. Had a great sleep last night after the Renew.

As a lifelong athlete, I know well the importance of sleep and recovery. Not just for performance, but for general health and well-being there is little better medicine than good rest. In my early and mid-twenties, I had the luxury of getting a solid night's rest, followed by an intense morning training ride which was always capped off with a recovery meal and afternoon nap. I became so accustomed to these recovery naps that if I missed them, I would oftentimes have a poor night of sleep.

Over the course of life, things change…and what could change your life and sleeping pattern more than having a baby? At the end of 2021, my wife and I welcomed our first child into the world, and I quickly gained a newfound appreciation for that solid night's sleep I took for granted. Slowly my wife and I are establishing a new routine for rest and recovery including eliminating screen time in the bedroom, setting an earlier bedtime, and not setting an alarm in the morning if possible. While I miss the days when I had ample time to nap and sleep, the change has made me more aware of the sleep I am able to get. The volume of sleep we get is obviously important, yet more important is the quality.

Finding ways to increase my quality of sleep has been vital to allow me to continue to maximize my productivity and training while not having the time to rest that I once had. Establishing healthy, consistent sleep habits such as minimizing screen time support in ensuring I can get quality sleep. Even before the birth of our child, my wife and I had a routine of always having a warm cup of herb tea before heading to bed. More recently, I have been looking for a little extra natural aid using Renew Rest and Recover. Thirty or forty minutes before bed, I prepare my Renew in a teacup with hot water from the woodstove, and sip on it as I prepare for bed. By implementing these self-care habits, I can ensure that when our baby finally closes her eyes for the night, I am quickly behind her to starfish out across the bed!