Recovery – Boston Marathon Training Week 9

Well, I only lost two weeks of training due to illness (This Sucks! Boston Marathon Training Weeks 6, 7, & 8). According to my coach my setback is really just one week of training. I’m grateful for his perspective because as I was sitting sick, I was also stressing about Boston. Would I recover in time to train?
Recovery. I’ve learned that recovery is just as important as running itself. There is also no one way to recover. Maybe recovery, in itself, is a discipline. Here are some of what I’ve learned about recovery.

1. Recovery is absolutely necessary for improvement. You will not improve as a runner (or with any other skill) without including recovery in your training plan.
2. Sleep is recovery. Sometimes we hear people brag that they can get by with little sleep. They’re deceiving themselves. The truth is that our bodies are working hard at repairing what needs repairing while we sleep. Think that hard workout made you faster? No, it just made you sore. The perfomance gains come from the body repairing itself while you sleep.
3. Good nutritious food aids recovery. We need proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals…and we need to receive them from wholesome food. Don’t let your diet derail your training by eating lots of processed and unhealthy food.
4. Sometimes recovery means movement. This one can be tricky. One remedy for tight sore muscles is a nice walk, some gentle stretching, and even an easy run (probably more like a jog). Why is it tricky? Because we could easily convince ourselves that constantly moving (instead of resting) is aiding our recovery. It’s not. But some movement is very helpful. Balance is key.
5. Roll out those muscles and get a massage if you can. I can still remember when I first bought a foam roller. Rolling out my legs was so painful that my husband walked into the room to find out what was happening. Now I roll out my legs and back almost daily (that’s my aim). I actually have a nightly routine of bridges, clamshells, rolling, and stretching. Once in a while I skip it and lay in bed wondering why I’m having trouble going to sleep! Sometimes I get up and give my body the relaxation it needs.
6. Warm baths. A warm bath with Epsom Salts is usually a Friday (day off work) treat for me. It’s so relaxing that I have to be careful not to doze off in the tub.
7. Rest.  If you’re battling an illness or injury let your body rest. You will miss days but probably fewer than if you get worse because your body wasn’t able to recover.

That’s my recovery list. What can you add?
Here’s my training diary for the last week:

Workouts: 2/11/2018 – 2/17/2018

Sunday, February 11, 2018

6:51 AM Run – Marathon Pace

Planned: 10 mi

2 Miles Easy; 6 Miles @ Goal Marathon Pace; 2 Miles Easy

Completed: 5 mi ~ 51:12 (10:14 min/mi)

Workout Comments: The actual workout was changed to a short easy run because it was my first run after being sick. I started out with the intention to run 4 miles but I felt so good that I ran 5. This felt normal and my HR was always where it should have been. Yes!

Monday, February 12, 2018

 Strength Training

Performance Prep (modified) – Dicharry

Warmup: roll back; banded arm circles; banded pull-apart; overhead carry; bear walk; squat w/dowel; single-leg deadlift w/dowel
Workout: kettlebell all squat (20);
3 sets of the following: deadlift w/kettlebell (20); squat w/band for form (20); kettlebell swing (20); push-up (10); jump rope (double & single leg
4 sets of suitcase carry with kettlebell; calf raises with weighted backpack
Cool down: foot screws; twisted warrior
Actual workout time: 47 minutes

Completed: 1:17:22

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

6:57 AM  5 Miles Easy

Completed: 5 mi ~ 50:58 (10:11 min/mi)

Workout Comments:

Run felt nice but my HR was all over the place

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

5:07 AM Strength & Mobility

Core & Strength Level 3

3 Sets of the following sequence with ~ 30-60 seconds rest between each exercise.
15 squats; 20 sec. plank; 10 push ups; 20 Crunches; 10 lunges on each leg; 20 sec. plank; 10 calf drops on each leg; 20 Sit-Ups

Completed: 48:42

Thursday, February 15, 2018

7:38 AM    6 Miles Easy

Completed: 6.5 mi ~ 1:06:14 (10:11 min/mi)

Run – Hills & Strides

Strides X 4

To Be Completed right after you finish your run.
* Strides are medium-hard to hard efforts roughly 20 seconds each or 100 meters long (a straightaway in a track) where you focus on quick turnover. They are a harder effort but not all out sprints.
Take roughly 45 seconds rest between each stride (rest can be walking around or a very light jog.)

Friday, February 16, 2018

8:57 AM Strength & Mobility

Core & Strength Level 3

3 Sets of the following sequence with ~ 30-60 seconds rest between each exercise.
15 squats; 20 sec. plank; 10 push ups; 20 Crunches; 10 lunges on each leg; 20 sec. plank; 10 calf drops on each leg; 20 Sit-Ups

Completed: 53:04

Workout Comments:

I included jump rope between sets…one-legged jump rope is hard!

Saturday, February 17, 2018

7:48 AM

12 Mile Long Run

Planned: 12 mi

Nice and Easy.

Completed: 12.14 mi ~ 2:04:25 (10:14 min/mi)

Workout Comments: I’d asked my coach if I could puch up to 14 miles. He said no. Thankfully he did because the last couple miles were very hard. I also ran harder than I should have. So that my legs were very tired on Sunday. I need to listen to my own advice on recovery.