Recovery is where training becomes adaptation.
Sleep and recovery are some of the most important signals I track, because they reflect how well my body is actually absorbing stress rather than just surviving it. Training creates the stimulus, but adaptation happens during recovery.
My sleep basics are simple, but I try to follow them consistently: 7–8 hours of sleep, sleep and wake times that usually stay within a 30–45 minute window, at least 10 minutes of morning light (or a daylight lamp; see Daily Protocol), no large meals in the final 3 hours before bed, and dimmed lights with reduced screen exposure during the last hour of the evening. If I do use a screen before bed, I usually wear blue-light-blocking glasses.
My data shows very clearly how recovery markers shift with training emphasis. During peak marathon preparation in 2025, my resting heart rate was extremely low — at one point, my monthly average dropped to 36 bpm — while heart rate variability was very high. When I later shifted toward a more strength-focused phase, those values gradually changed.
At first, that felt unsettling. But over time I learned that different forms of training create different recovery signatures. Endurance-heavy phases and strength-heavy phases do not stress the body in the same way, and the nervous system reflects that.
As you can see below, the trends make that shift quite visible. For how those phases were structured, see Exercise. For the broader physiological context, see Bloodwork.