Why Consultants Need “Recovery Time” Like Athletes — Even If Our Marathons Look a Little Different

by Heather Miner

If athletes trained the way many consultants work, their coaches would confiscate their shoes and send them to bed with a stern lecture. Athletes push hard, recover, push hard, recover — because that’s literally how muscles get stronger.

Consultants? Push hard, push hard, then push a little harder while telling themselves, “I’ll take that vacation after this next milestone… or the next one… or maybe in Q4.”

But lately, I’ve been reminded that recovery isn’t indulgent — it’s strategic.

A Trail Move, A Reality Check

I recently moved to within a block of the Gateway Trail, and let me tell you: nothing makes you question your life choices quite like watching ultra-dedicated cyclists blur past you at 7 a.m. on a Saturday while
you’re just trying to convince your brain it’s awake. The trail is basically
a runway for Minnesota’s fittest, and I am… doing my best.

I’ve become more active since the move, but I’m certainly not in the
same league as the Logisolve athletes. These are people who casually run marathons like they’re warm-up laps, hit the gym more than contestants on “The Biggest Loser” and play pick up hockey with retired NHL players. Their energy alone wears me out — in an inspiring way.

And hearing about their habits has made one thing painfully (and hilariously) clear: none of them are “training like consultants”.

These athletes know when to rest. Intentionally. Without apologizing.

Which brings me to…

Our version of recovery — it counts, I promise

Micro-recovery: minutes to hours
A quick walk on the trail, a reset playlist, staring out the window pretending to “ideate.” Yes, these tiny acts are real recovery. Even the “I’m going to get water mostly to escape this spreadsheet” walk counts.

Mid-recovery: evenings and weekends
The time our brains desperately need to recalibrate. Personally, I’m baking lemon zucchini bread later today — partly because it’s delicious, and partly  because nothing pulls you out of “deliverable mode” like zesting a lemon with questionable confidence. This is my version of plugging myself into the  wall for a recharge.

 Macro-recovery: actual disconnect time
Not the fake kind where you “take PTO” but still check Teams. The real reset — the consultant equivalent of a long slow run where you come back  clearer, kinder, and approximately 37% less frazzled.

Why this matters (yes, even for us)
When we skip recovery, we don’t just get tired — we get weird. We misread emails. We rework things that were fine two hours ago. We forget simple words like “attachment.” We start treating every client question like a plot twist.

Recovery prevents that.
It makes us steadier, sharper, and just… more human. And from what I’ve seen on the Gateway Trail, even the most elite performers don’t get better by grinding nonstop. They get better by mixing effort with intentional restoration.

So no, I’m not training for a triathlon anytime soon — let’s be honest, I get winded thinking about transitions — but I can learn from the discipline of people who know how to rest well.

Because at the end of the day, the most sustainable consultants aren’t the ones who go the longest. They’re the ones who know when to pause, refill, and come back ready — lemon zucchini bread in hand 😊. Hope everyone has a restful and wonderful weekend.

Explore Career Opportunities with Logisolve!

Looking for your next opportunity? At Logisolve, we have a variety of contract and contract-to-hire roles available across all our capabilities. If you’re interested or know someone who is, please reach out to us at referrals@logisolve.com. We’d love to connect! Logisolve offers medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, paid sick leave, and retirement benefits to eligible employees.

Business Analyst

• • • 10+ years of related experience
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