Running: Recovery
Recovery is just as important as training.
Why is this fundamental concept so difficult for many athletes to grasp? After hard training sessions, a day of rest should sound welcoming. After a season of races or competitions, a short break should be easy. As a wise woman once pointed out to me, there are no "should"'s in life.
Once you feel a runner's high, when the gym becomes your favorite place to be, when you just can't wait to execute your next planned workout, sometimes you don't want to stop! A day of rest becomes a day of thinking about working out. Everything falls into place when you get on your endorphin high, and a day off is full of withdrawal symptoms.
Rest at least one day a week.
Recovery after hard races or difficult workouts is important for your body to repair itself (and actually get stronger). In a workout, you break your body down. In recovery, you build your body up. You can pick a day and stick to that day every week, or you can go by feel and move your rest day around. Here are some examples.
In school, this is easier to do. After your sport season ends, take 1-2 weeks off, relax, get your mind and body prepared for the next season. After college, this can be a little more difficult. Some athletes run into overuse injuries or fatigue if they don't get serious rest often. There are races all year long, and it can be easy to just keep racing.
I suggest to plan out your race season, with 1-2 races as your major race, and to take two weeks off after the major races before starting your next training season. For example, run a marathon in April, take two weeks off, start training again, complete a triathlon in September, take another break.
Sometimes it's easier to plan rest weeks when you know your life will be hectic (major work plans or knowing you want to spend more time with your family during the holidays). This can mean either complete rest or just lighter/shorter workouts.
Embrace the taper.
If you're in the taper before your major race, trust your training and trust the taper. Your body will not lose fitness. You will not get fat. Think of it as fueling up all your muscles with glycogen, ready to be put to use in a hard effort. The taper is a time to get eager to race/compete. I like to think of my taper as an inner wild-eyed, strong tiger, being held back, just to have the gate open on race day so I can come charging out like a beast.
Rest & Recovery Sanity Suggestions
- Plan out a recovery day. Sometimes schedules help keep athletes sane.
- Plan an active rest day. As long as you can hold back from making it into a workout, try a relaxing activity (hiking, a gentle yoga class, beach trip, yard work, walk the dog or go to the dog park, or just walking around the city/town doing errands).
- Coffee shop. Bookstore.
- Spa or salon day. Massages, manicures/pedicures, or haircuts can be relaxing.
- Learn something new day.
- Home Depot can inspire some fun house projects.
- Paint.
- Buy a kid's experiment kit and do some home experiments.
- Plan your next race season.
- If you're on injury recovery, do your physical therapy or REST! Seriously.
- Watch a movie.
- Write. Read.
- Go shopping.
- Brew beer.
- Sleep in.
- Do something for that person you have a crush on/date/like/are married to.
- Complete something on your bucket list.
The reason I wrote this is because I'm dealing with a weird sensation in my left foot (two smallest toes) and in the inner part of my left knee. I'm assuming just overuse "tweaks" for now. I realized I haven't taken more than a few days off running in a long time, so I'm doing my best to rest, relax, stretch, and hope I haven't injured myself.
Why is this fundamental concept so difficult for many athletes to grasp? After hard training sessions, a day of rest should sound welcoming. After a season of races or competitions, a short break should be easy. As a wise woman once pointed out to me, there are no "should"'s in life.
Once you feel a runner's high, when the gym becomes your favorite place to be, when you just can't wait to execute your next planned workout, sometimes you don't want to stop! A day of rest becomes a day of thinking about working out. Everything falls into place when you get on your endorphin high, and a day off is full of withdrawal symptoms.
Rest at least one day a week.
Recovery after hard races or difficult workouts is important for your body to repair itself (and actually get stronger). In a workout, you break your body down. In recovery, you build your body up. You can pick a day and stick to that day every week, or you can go by feel and move your rest day around. Here are some examples.
- Rest every Sunday (or chosen day)
- Workout every other day, take the days between as rest days
- Workout three days, take a day off, repeat
In school, this is easier to do. After your sport season ends, take 1-2 weeks off, relax, get your mind and body prepared for the next season. After college, this can be a little more difficult. Some athletes run into overuse injuries or fatigue if they don't get serious rest often. There are races all year long, and it can be easy to just keep racing.
I suggest to plan out your race season, with 1-2 races as your major race, and to take two weeks off after the major races before starting your next training season. For example, run a marathon in April, take two weeks off, start training again, complete a triathlon in September, take another break.
Sometimes it's easier to plan rest weeks when you know your life will be hectic (major work plans or knowing you want to spend more time with your family during the holidays). This can mean either complete rest or just lighter/shorter workouts.
Embrace the taper.
If you're in the taper before your major race, trust your training and trust the taper. Your body will not lose fitness. You will not get fat. Think of it as fueling up all your muscles with glycogen, ready to be put to use in a hard effort. The taper is a time to get eager to race/compete. I like to think of my taper as an inner wild-eyed, strong tiger, being held back, just to have the gate open on race day so I can come charging out like a beast.
Rest & Recovery Sanity Suggestions
- Plan out a recovery day. Sometimes schedules help keep athletes sane.
- Plan an active rest day. As long as you can hold back from making it into a workout, try a relaxing activity (hiking, a gentle yoga class, beach trip, yard work, walk the dog or go to the dog park, or just walking around the city/town doing errands).
- Coffee shop. Bookstore.
- Spa or salon day. Massages, manicures/pedicures, or haircuts can be relaxing.
- Learn something new day.
- Home Depot can inspire some fun house projects.
- Paint.
- Buy a kid's experiment kit and do some home experiments.
- Plan your next race season.
- If you're on injury recovery, do your physical therapy or REST! Seriously.
- Watch a movie.
- Write. Read.
- Go shopping.
- Brew beer.
- Sleep in.
- Do something for that person you have a crush on/date/like/are married to.
- Complete something on your bucket list.
The reason I wrote this is because I'm dealing with a weird sensation in my left foot (two smallest toes) and in the inner part of my left knee. I'm assuming just overuse "tweaks" for now. I realized I haven't taken more than a few days off running in a long time, so I'm doing my best to rest, relax, stretch, and hope I haven't injured myself.
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