This One Sleep Habit Helped Me Run Faster

Gday mate!

Back in 2006, at the Torino Winter Olympics, U.S. snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis had a huge lead in the final of the women’s snowboard cross event. She was just moments away from winning Olympic gold. But on the second-to-last jump, she decided to add a little flair, attempting a showboating grab mid-air. She lost control, fell, and got passed just before the finish line. Instead of winning gold, she had to settle for silver.

She had done everything right—the training, the execution, the race itself—but one small mistake at the very end cost her the win. Whilst we are not racing for a gold medal every day, we often put in all the hard work leading right up until bedtime, only to have it undone by poor actions. I was a perfect example of this—but something changed.

In this weeks Newsletter (5 min read)

📕 The small change I made that’s improved my sleep

🛌 Why deep sleep is so important for your recovery

👟 How to win a prize from ON to celebrate the new partnership!

Also if you feel my newsletter Legendary adds a lot of value to some of your friends and family, share this link with them HERE for them to sign up (you can win some epic prizes)

My Problem: An Overactive Mind Before Bed

If you’re anything like me, your mind doesn’t just switch off when it’s time for bed. I used to read non-fiction at night, but it always left me feeling more wired than relaxed. My brain would start firing off new ideas, and instead of unwinding, I’d be wide awake thinking about all the things I wanted to do. So, I tried something else—watching YouTube. Specifically, NFL highlights. For some reason, watching Tom Brady’s legendary 28-3 comeback always put me at ease.

But here’s the thing—while I felt like it was helping me sleep, my WHOOP data told a different story. My deep sleep was suffering. Deep sleep is where the real recovery happens. It’s when your muscles repair, hormones regulate, and your body preps for the next day. But because of the blue light from my screen, my body wasn’t producing enough melatonin to reach deep sleep. My eyes were closed, but my body wasn’t getting the full benefits of rest.

The change I made that helped my Deep Sleep

Then, something clicked. A mate of mine, who’s currently on a sabbatical, told me about an epic fiction series he was reading—Red Rising. It reminded me of something I hadn’t done since I was a teenager: reading just for fun. Unlike non-fiction, fiction lets my mind relax without overstimulating it. Plus, no screens = no blue light messing with my sleep. Since making this change, my deep sleep has improved significantly. But the best part? I actually look forward to going to bed now. I’ve started structuring my evening routine around it—adjusting my dinner time, my evening walk with Maverick, and when I put on my blue-light-blocking glasses—all so I can optimize my reading time and, in turn, my sleep.

The Impact on My Performance

Using my WHOOP to track the quantifiable adjustments, I’ve seen a clear improvement in my deep sleep scores. Increasing from 90 mins to 120mins + 

But more than that, I can feel the difference in my training. For example, my Zone 2 capacity has improved a lot. A few weeks ago, my steady-state pace was 5:20 min/km. Now, I’m cruising at 4:52 min/km. That’s a 28-second improvement per kilometer—which, over a marathon, would mean finishing almost 20 minutes faster. Insane, right? Of course, sleep isn’t the only factor—training, nutrition, and recovery all play a role. But sleep is the foundation that allows everything else to work at its best.

What we have in common with the GOATS

I’ve really shaped my entire evening around the excitement of reading this fiction series, Red Rising—great read, by the way, if you’re looking for one! I’m now on the third book in the trilogy, and I can feel the benefits.

Find ways to relax your mind without overstimulation. Pick up a fiction book, or whatever helps you unwind without disrupting deep sleep. It pays dividends—after all, LeBron James, Roger Federer, and Simone Biles swear by quality sleep, and it’s worked out pretty well for them. 🙂

To understand if you are getting an improvement in Deep Sleep and track other areas of your recovery you can also grab a WHOOP subscription HERE. I personally find tracking habits and relating them to my recovery as a really successful way (like the book) to support my overall health

Quick Notes:

🏃🏻‍♂️To celebrate my new partnership with On we want to give one of you the chance to win an On package from us. The first person to let m know the fasters 400m I did at the track on the weekend (it is in the latest episode on YT) will be the winner! Hit me up on insta DMs!

🎥 So if you did not see the YouTube vid, check it out HERE (you could be the first to win the On Prize!!!!! want to say thank you, as I don’t get to do these cool meaningful events without you

🥗 if you missed last weeks newsletter on How i manage Gut Health & Jet Lag click HERE

Cheers,

DC

#EatGoodFeelGood