Marathon number 10. I missed my goal by A LOT! But I also surprisingly placed 3rd (of 20) in my age group, thus earning this beautiful plaque
I am continually impressed by the way our bodies are capable of healing themselves. We overwork them to the point of pain, such as in running a marathon. Immediately after the race the pain starts…or weakness as your legs feel more like jello than anything else.
The negative effects will go away. When you make recovery a priority, they go away faster allowing you to begin working towards that next goal.
Last week was my recovery week for the Ventura Marathon. It was also a week to attend a conference. Because I was out of my normal routine I was able to be more intentional and I had a fun way to gauge recovery…the stairs. Here is recovery by day.
Day 1 (Sunday – Race Day)
Immediately after the race. Eat well. Rest. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you didn’t meet your goals. I had to remind myself o this because I didn’t do as well as I’d planned. Immediately after the race a friend gave me a quick massage. I recommend this for everyone! After lunch activities included a shower, compression tights, and a nap.
Day 2 (Monday)Eat well and rest! This a the day to travel to my conference, meaning a 3-1/2 hour drive out to the desert. Sitting that long was not fun! Thankfully we always have the option to stop the car and walk. Before the long drive, I decided to visit my chiropractor for some active release and adjustments. I also borrowed a set of Elevated Legs from my coach. Both good decisions.
When I arrived at the hotel I learned that my room was on the third floor. Carrying all my luggage, of course I took the elevator. Once at my room I noticed a set of stairs almost directly in front of my room. It would be very hard not to use them. This was an outside stairwell at a resort. Thankfully they weren’t too wide because my first time down the stairs I had to hold the rails. Rather than walking I was using my arms to support those oh so sore quads with each step. Walking back up was painful but doable. I ended the day with 30 minutes of Elevate Legs.
Not the easiest to navigate post-marathon but it’s very hard to justify an elevator when you’re only on the third floor.
Day 3 (Tuesday)
The most painful post-race day! Up and down the stairs…ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch. I can say I got in some good upper body work as my arms bore most of my weight. Elevated Legs first thing in the morning and right before bed – this time with the little ice packs (thankfully my room had a small refrigerator/freezer).
Day 4 (Wednesday)
Started the day with a slow and easy 1 mile run. I walked down the stairs with noticeably less pain and thought that I could maybe go a bit farther than the assigned 1 mile. Once I started running I immediately thought, “no, I’ll stick to a mile.” Elevated Legs post run. With some free time in the afternoon, I visited the pool. It felt nice to walk around in the water. I had planned to swim some laps but left my goggles at home and didn’t want to buy another pair. I finished the day with Elevated Legs and a glass of wine.
Day 5 (Thursday)
No pain on the stairs! Our bodies are so amazing in their ability to heal.
Day 6 (Friday)
Another 1 mile easy run that felt much better than Wednesday. One last use of the Elevated Legs post-run. Not only were the stairs not painful I was able to move rapidly up and down! I ended the day with the long drive home.
Day 7 (Saturday)
My husband and I did an easy 5 mile trail run. I was amazed at how fresh my legs felt. Then when I was done, my legs told me they were still a bit tire. At this point it’s easy to think that recovery is done. It’s not! Recovery efforts will continue into the next week as I continue with a reverse taper (increasing mileage and strength training).
Thankfully this has all gone well because I have less than 5 weeks before my second 50k. This trail race will be an “easy” effort.
