Why Rest Days Make You Faster: The Science of Recovery with Andrea Devorak

We get it—rest days don’t feel great. They can leave you twitchy, tired, and wondering if you're losing fitness by the minute. But in 25+ years of coaching, I can tell you: the athletes who plan their rest—and respect it—go further, faster, and stay in the game longer.

In this episode, I sit down with coach and endurance athlete Andrea Deak to talk about how rest works, why it matters, and what happens when we finally give our bodies a chance to rebuild. From swimming 15+ hours a week for 2-minute races, to riding through Unbound XL, Andrea’s experience proves that sometimes doing less is the key to unlocking more.

We cover everything from tapering and burnout to unplanned life chaos—and how to shift your mindset around recovery so you can actually get better.

If you’re training hard and wondering why it’s not clicking, this one’s for you.