In training and in life, one of the most overlooked pieces of the puzzle is the deload. It’s that intentional pause—stepping back from high volume or intensity—to give your body and mind time to rest, reset, and absorb the work you’ve already done. Without deload weeks, training piles up, fatigue builds, and growth stalls.
The same principle applies to life, and especially to parenting.
Full Circle on the River
Twenty years ago, I was guiding families down rivers, watching kids discover the magic of moving water, campfires, and nights under the stars. Last week I came back to one of those rivers – the Lower Salmon—not as a guide this time, but as a parent with my own family in tow. We joined some amazing river friends, loaded boats, and set off for five days of paddling, laughing, and simply being together in nature.
While I had taken my kids down many rivers before this, this time they were of the ages of the kids that I used to guide down this same river. It was a full-circle “ah haaa” experience that left me deeply grateful. For me, rivers have always been that thread connecting my past and present, but this time it hit really close to my heart. Watching my kids squeal down the same rapids from 20 years ago and grow even more confident in the boats felt like seeing a new chapter of the story unfold. Now I was both the parent and their guide. Yes, I was “working” in the sense of feeding them, carrying gear, setting up the tent – but they were right there with me being present and unwinding along side us.
On the way home, Jason and I were talking about how good we felt after these deload weeks. For the past many years we had been doing them, but we never had put a label on them nor had we intentionally scheduled them in to coincide with our training like we had done this year. This year we had either built our training block around our deload trips or vise versa. Knowing that they were coming helped us train smarter and be even more excited for both the deload week and the training or race afterwards. I’m a huge planner and I love to check boxes on to do lists, so this was especially helpful for me because I could check the “relax” button and know that it was extremely beneficial for my over all training and well being.
Why Families Need “Deloads” Too
We all know the grind—work schedules, emails, endless to-do lists. If we never step away, it builds up the same way overtraining does. Our brains are always “ON” and stuck in the “check the boxes” mode. That’s why I think families need deloads just as much as athletes do. It takes at least a day to fully let go of that habit of constantly thinking about work, chores, training, etc and sometimes even less if you have no phone or internet service.
When we unplug, we reset. We trade deadlines and screens for stars, stories and thoughts. And while I’m still “on duty” as a parent—snacks, safety checks, and all—it’s different. I’m fully present, immersed in nature with my kids, and giving them the kind of attention that doesn’t compete with laundry piles or inboxes.
These breaks don’t have to be grand expeditions. It might be five days on a river, a long weekend backpacking, or even an over night car camping trip at a favorite trailhead. What matters is the intentional pause, the reset button that lets us come back to life with more patience, energy, and connection.
What If You Can’t Fully Unplug?
Not everyone can disappear for five days without Wi-Fi, and that’s okay. You can still build in mini-deloads at home to reset your body and mind. Here are a few simple of my favorite ways to step back from the constant “on” of daily life:
- Start your day offline – Leave your phone off in the morning. Instead, reset your morning ritual by taking a short walk outside and letting the sunlight hit your face right after you wake. I literally roll from my bed to my door every morning. That walk helps me wake up with movement and breath outside and gets me in tune with my body. Its a beautiful way to start your day!
- Move before screens – If you don’t want to walk first thing, getting up and stretching, breathing and/ or doing yoga can go a long way to get centered before drinking your coffee and diving right into the emails/to dos. I personally go from my walk right into a bit of movement. Either way- Let your body wake up first with out any screens.
- Coffee with the sky – Take your morning coffee (or tea) outside. Even 10 minutes on the porch can shift your whole mood.
- Micro-adventures – If you can’t get away for days, carve out half a day. Pack a picnic, go for a local hike, or take the kids to a river or lake close to home. Turn your phone to airplane mode if you use it for pictures or leave it at home all together.
- Evening wind-down – Swap scrolling for a short walk after dinner. Getting that evening light into your eyes can do wonders for you nervous system and sleep.
- Turn your phone off an hour before bed – This is harder for some, but it is so good for you. I make it a point to turn everything off at least an hour before bed which is easy for me as this time is also occupied with reading and snuggling with kids. However, if you must work before bed, look into some red light glasses and give yourself at least 15 minutes of reading and or journaling time.
These little resets might seem small, but over time they carry long lasting benefits for your overall health and well being that give your brain and body space to breathe and recover.
Our Family Adventure Kit
One of the things that makes deload trips easier is keeping our gear streamlined and versatile. As for some people, that packing is what stresses them out and even deters them from going on any adventures. Whether we’re on a river with packrafts or trekking into the backcountry, our family kit doesn’t change much and it’s always ready to go in a duffle. Here are some of our tried-and-true essentials:
- MSR Hubba Hubba 4-Person Tent
Spacious enough for all of us, but still light and packable. It’s our go-to home base whether we’re camped on a gravel bar or tucked into a mountain meadow. - Klymit Sleeping Pads
Durable, compact, and surprisingly comfortable. A good night’s sleep outdoors is everything, and these have been absolutely amazing at keeping both boys (who move a ton!) on their pads. They are a bit wider than their other pads, but they are super comfy and fit great inside our Hubba Hubba. - Sea to Summit Spark Sleeping Bag
We’ve been using these all summer long, and will continue to use them for our fall camping adventures as well. They are stuffed with dry down, which dries fast and keeps you warm even when wet. And even more important is that it’s warm and ultra light. We could not find any kids bags that were lightweight, so we went with these that they love and will continue to grow into. - Sea to Summit Aeros Down Ultralight Pillow
Tiny to pack, huge for comfort. A small luxury that makes us adults happy and sleep super well after long days outside. Our kids honestly don’t use pillows when we sleep outside, but I’m sure they will start asking for these at some point! - MSR Reactor Stove
This is the worlds fastest and easiest to use stove. Seriously. We’ve tested a ton, and we keep reaching for this one. It fires up in all conditions and boils water in a minute or less. - Hydrapak Breakaway Bottles and the Hydrapak 6 L Seeker
Staying hydrated is easier when you can refill on the go. A filter Hydrapaks breakaway bottles are easy to fill and use while the Seeker is great for in camp when you need to fill many bottles/pots in one go. - Headlamps for Everyone
Even the kids get their own—it makes camp chores and nighttime adventures a lot more fun (and safe). I love the Fenix Lighting HM 50R V2.0 light because it’s durable, waterproof and easy to adjust on to ALL sizes of heads. It’s also super easy to use which means that you can teach your kids how to NOT blind you and others right in the eye because the buttons are easy to press and to dim. - Chairs: Depending on the trip we will either bring two Crazy Creek Airloungers and two Helinox Chair Zero Highbacks and will often take two of each on our trips because we can’t decide and both are so light and comfortable!
- Helinox Table One Hard Top – we recently added this one to our kit because it is so useful and rad! It’s the lightest and easiest table to set up. For river trips and even some backpacking trips it’s super nice to have for cooking, playing cards on and to just get some stuff off the ground. It also works great with the Helinox Chair Zeros.
- Compact First Aid Kit
With kids, there will be scrapes, bumps, and bug bites. A small but well-stocked kit saves the day more often than you think. We make our own kit, but make sure you have all the necessary things like band aids, antibiotic ointment, syringe for cleaning, tweezers, after bite and what ever drugs you think you may need! - Snack Stash
Trail mix, bars, gummies—whatever keeps the crew moving. We always pack more than we think we’ll need and it’s always the perfect amount.
This kit works for us on both packrafting and backpacking trips, which makes planning less stressful and packing almost automatic. The less we fuss about what to bring, the more energy we have for actually being present together outside.
Closing Thoughts
Just like in training, the real magic often happens in the recovery phase. Deloads are where growth takes root, whether we’re talking about racing, parenting, or simply being human. Taking time away from the grind isn’t a luxury—it’s essential and so necessary.
For me, rivers are that reset. The constant flow and sound of the water forces me to slow down, to listen, and to show up fully. And every time I step back into my home flow, I’m reminded that deloading isn’t about losing progress—it’s about building the foundation for what comes next.