A little note on recovery

Today's post is going to be about how important it is for recovery when preparing for a run like we are doing.

I knew that Sunday was going to be the only chance during the weekend that I could get a good quality run in so I laced 'em up and took off. Dennis and I went 4 miles before he had to back off. He is kind of fighting an injury that he didn't want to aggrivate, which I really don't blame him. I had some gas left in the tank so I wanted to go a few more. After all was said and done I got in a good quality 9 miles. It was a mixture of hills and some speed stuff on the flat areas of town. I felt pretty good afterward and we headed off to more Easter celebrations. I felt pretty good for the rest of the day and I think the one thing that attributed to my comfort was my post-run "routine".

I have always read a lot about ways to better running performance and efficiency but I think the biggest benefit to be able to run well, and most importantly recover well, is the ice bath. I know that it doesn't sound too appealing, but hear me out. What you do is basically take a bath or shower (baths work better) in the coldest water you can. I am not talking about the coldest water that you can stand, I mean the coldest water you CAN. Some people will sit in a stream or even in tubs filled with ice water. I have found that just soaking in a tub with really cold water works fine. You put just enough water in the tub to go up to your hips when you sit down. You soak there for 10 minutes or so. Don't worry, you go numb after a while and you can't even feel your legs. Guys, this is going to suck the first few times you do it, but it does work.

When a tub of ice or tub of cold water isn't available, I turn the shower on the coldest it will go and just let the water run on my legs for about 5 minutes each. I am not a medical person, but I think that the coldness does something to your blood to wash out the lactic acid buildup that collects in your legs after a long or fast run.

After that, shower off or rinse off with warm water like normal and get something to eat. Protein is very important post-run and you need to eat some good protein and carbs within the first hour. New research has shown that a big glass of chocolate milk has great benefits when recovering from a run. I also like to have a peanut butter sandwich. Your recovery should start within the first hour of your run or bike.

The rest of my day I was pain free and have had no discomfort since. Coming up with a recovery routine is very important. Not only will it help you on the day that you do the run it will also help you stay comfortable days after.

Stay Strong, Run Long,
Brad