Pro Triathlete Sarah Piampiano Discusses Muscle Recovery & Training With Marc Pro
Marc Pro Athlete Spotlight: Sarah Piampiano
When you’re the top finisher at the 2012 Ochsner Ironman 70.3 New Orleans in your first year of pro competition, you might think there’s nowhere to go but down. But not for triathlete Sarah Piampiano. She finished out that year with a Third at the Ironman 70.3 Texas and a Second Place at the Ironman US Championships. Fast forward to 2013, when Sarah took three Thirds in Ironman events and a Second at the Ironman 70.3 Austin. In 2015, she’s back at the top again, taking a First at the same event where she started her career: the Ochsner Ironman 70.3 New Orleans.
Not bad for someone who spent a lot of her childhood on skis instead of in the water or on a bike. Sarah started skiing at age two and later honed her skills at the Stratton Mountain School in Vermont. A collision with a tree early in her skiing career sidelined her for a year. After enduring intense physical therapy and three surgeries following the accident, Sarah is well aware of how important it is for athletes to engage in proper recovery. Post-workout is the best time to stimulate blood flow to bring oxygen into the muscles and eliminate waste products. Doing it right has helped Sarah avoid injuries and alleviate sore muscles. We wanted to hear more about her post-workout recovery routine.
Shooting the Breeze with Sarah Piampiano
1. What are your techniques for muscle recovery?
For me, rest is number 1… As a pro athlete, our jobs are straining, so rest and recovery is a key part of our performance and training regime. Between sessions the goal is to have my feet up, allow my body to go into a relaxed/rested state, and to have my Marc Pro on as much as possible to help with recovery.
2. Any shortcuts or little-known tips you can share?
The more you wear your Marc Pro, the better – truly! At times I like to use a higher intensity, but I also will frequently use my Marc Pro when I am napping. When I do this, I turn the intensity down and just zone out.
3. What types of stress does your body endure?
My body endures the same stress as everyone else – just at differing levels. We have physical stress from training and being active all day, but also emotional stress that can create physical side effects on our bodies. For me, as a triathlete, I swim, bike, run and do strength 5-7 hours a day, 7 days a week. Couple that with the emotional effort and intensity and focus that [go] into every session, [and] it makes the recovery time that much more critical.
I became hooked after I started using the Marc Pro – partially because of the benefits I felt in terms of relieving soreness and promoting faster recovery, but also because to me, I liked the idea of what the Marc Pro does – which is create a small frequency that forces a light muscle contraction to flush out all of the waste from your body.
4. What do you like best about it?
Honestly, one of my favorite things about the device is how small it is, making it extremely easy to travel with (vs. some other recovery devices). I just throw it in my backpack as my carry-on and use it on the plane all the time. I love the versatility and just how quick and easy it is to put the device on and take it off.
Sarah’s workout doesn’t end after the last rep, lap or mile: She knows that proper muscle recovery is essential for avoiding injuries and sore muscles, so she’s able to hit the gym – or the slopes – hard the next day.
Connect with Sarah on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.