What is the Sunday Special?

The Sunday Special is a habit that originated from our pro athletes and quickly spread to the entire Purple Patch athlete community. This very basic habit translates to the overall success of all athletes and performance-driven individuals. It is stunningly simple but builds self-awareness, honest planning, and a sense of control. It will set you up to execute your week successfully and maximize your performance in training, work, and daily life.

CLICK HERE FOR A SUNDAY SPECIAL TEMPLATE - this can be useful if you are new to the habit!

How do I do a Sunday Special?

At the beginning of each week - Sunday, for many people - take 10-15 minutes to reflect a bit and prepare to successfully integrate sport and life in the week ahead. Some athletes benefit from using a digital calendar, while others like a journal, a spreadsheet, a whiteboard, or just their own imagination.

There are no rules, except for the ritual of pausing, coming up for perspective, and nailing the basic habits that help you perform - habits like the Sunday Special.

While there is no strict structure to this ritual, here are a few suggestions to get you started:

• Open your training calendar and look through the week's sessions. Adjust as needed based on your upcoming work and life schedule. This means leaning into the tools you have to customize your training, including:
  • Deciding whether you'll do the time-starved or time-rich versions of a session (and adjusting the workout duration if needed)
  • Moving sessions to different days
  • Deleting supporting/optional workouts that don't fit in your schedule
  • Adding sessions from the Optional Workout Library if desired (for example, a lower-body mobility session after a big run)
  • Placeholder for other sessions (for example, your regular Thursday yoga class or Masters swim, or a cross-country skiing trip happening with friends on the weekend)
• Make note of any important life events or situations during the week, and adapt your training accordingly - for example, an early-morning work meeting that interferes with your normal morning training schedule.
• Check in with your supporting and recovery habits. How is your nutrition, hydration, and sleep? Do you have what you need to fuel this week's sessions? Are you feeling overly mentally or physically fatigued? (Oh... and is that foam roller collecting dust, or are you actually using it?)
• Reconnect with your goals and your why. What is your reason, your purpose, for being active? What Big Hairy Audacious Goals are you chasing this year? What small goals or plans do you have this week or month?