I have a huge passion for technology in my athletic life. I have a smartwatch (COROS), heart-rate monitor (Polar Verity Sense), power meter (Quarq), bicycle head unit (Garmin), running pod (COROS), smart swim goggles (FORM), training platform (TrainingPeaks), virtual cycling platform (Zwift), and more. Admittedly, I haven’t gotten blood lactate, glucose, or sweat monitoring devices, but it’s probably just a matter of time. I value the information these technologies give me as tools to gain the most from my training efforts with the end goal of enhancing my race performances. Most serious athletes think the same way, using the technology to get physically stronger and to go faster and farther.

At the same time, given what I do for a living, my love of technology is greatest at its intersection with psychology. That is, I value this technology not only for the physical benefits that accrue from its use, but also for the psychological advantages I gain from it. You may have never thought of technology, which is designed to improve your physical readiness to achieve your athletic goals, would also improve your psychological readiness to train and race. But the impact of technology on what you think, the emotions you experience, and how you perform mentally may be as important as any of the physical benefits you gain from its use.

In a series of articles, I’m going to explore the power of technology to better prepare you psychologically for both your training and race efforts. Today, I’m going to share with you my latest technology acquisition: Firefly Recovery.

As you well know, the ability to recover from intense training efforts is essential for maintaining a conditioning program that will produce maximum gains in strength and stamina. Recovery is also essential if you are racing a series of races over several days (as I will be doing at the USAT Multisport Nationals in April in which I will be competing in three demanding events over four days). Certainly, sleep, nutrition, and rest are the primary drivers of overall recovery between workouts and after races. But if you’re trying to be the best you can be and compete against the best out there, you’re looking for every marginal gain that will give you a leg up on your competition. That’s where my discovery of Firefly Recovery has made a real difference in triathlon life.

First, some background on Firefly. I was introduced to Firefly by Brendan Duffy, a sleep expert who works with many collegiate and professional teams, as a helpful tool for jetlag as I was getting ready to fly to Abu Dhabi (a ~24-hour flight) to compete in the World Triathlon Championships last November. I ordered a set immediately and used them on my flights to and from Abu Dhabi (no swelling or “heavy legs” feeling”) and after my first race (my legs felt fresh 24 hours later for my second race of the trip).

Since my return and having begun to ramp up my training for my 2023 triathlon season, I use Firefly after every intense bike and run workout. My recoveries have never been quicker and training quality, even after a difficult workout the previous day, has never been higher.

Firefly is not a gimmick being touted just by testimonials from professional and Olympic athletes. It is a scientifically proven technology (it came from a medical device which received FDA approval, so it’s been tested and proven many times over). Firefly increases blood flow to your legs (and throughout your body) by as much as 400% following intense exertion, thereby increasing oxygen to the fatigued parts of your body, reducing soreness, and speeding recovery. Firefly works by sending small electrical pulses to stimulate the peroneal nerve just below the knees. It also helps to reduce jetlag and swelling during flights by keeping the blood flowing while seated for long periods.

So those are the physical benefits, now for the psychological benefits. As any serious athlete knows, we judge our physical readiness to train and compete based on how our body feels. Firefly has proven that it can accelerate recovery from intense physical effort. It also has demonstrated its value in easing the physical challenges of jetlag.

Now let me describe how it can have an equally powerful influence on the recovery of our minds from those extreme physical exertions and on our psychological readiness to perform in our next workout session or competition.

The judgment that we make about our physical readiness to re-engage in our sport also impacts our psychological and emotional readiness to perform. In fact, our assessment of our physical state influences the two most essential “mental muscles” that are necessary for maximum training efforts or “full gas” competitive performances.

First, our confidence will suffer if our body doesn’t feel good for the simple reason that if our body is off, we aren’t going to believe that it will perform at its highest level, either in training or competition. If you are striving to give your best effort in training or execute at your highest level in competition, you have to have complete confidence that your body can perform to that high level. Without the confidence that comes from a body that feels recovered, rested, and recharged, doubt, uncertainty, and worry will slow you down. The accelerated recovery that Firefly produces enables your body to feel its best and, as a result, ensures that your confidence muscle will be strong when you train or compete next.

I’ve also found that Firefly has a big impact on my motivation to train. As every athlete has experienced, it’s really difficult to get motivated for a workout when your legs are feeling heavy and dead from a previous workout or competition. Since I’ve been using Firefly, my legs feel more recovered from previous days’ efforts, so I’m motivated to hit it hard in my next workout or “go all in” in my next race.

Motivation and confidence are the foundation of everything that athletes do to pursue their goals. If you’re not motivated, you’re not going to do the work necessary to achieve those goals. And without confidence you won’t push your limits because you won’t believe that you can handle the physical demands when you enter what one of the pro triathletes I work calls the “dark place.” Firefly gives a little boost to both my motivation and confidence because if my body sends the message to my brain that it is recovered, rested, and recharged, then my brain says to my body, “it’s go time,” and all of me—body and mind— are totally committed to giving my best effort in training and races.

Disclaimer: I gain no financial benefit from your buying this product. I write about it because I bought it, use it, believe in it, and think that you may benefit from it as well.