What to do after a BIG GOAL race. Part Two.

YOUR WORKOUT IS Recovery -

As a coach, I recommend taking at least 1-2 weeks off completely after a marathon- of course it depends on the person and his/her main goal. Maybe you think your legs don’t need a break, but your mind needs a reset.

Some runners I coach have a hard time taking one day off a week- well, this is a forced time that will help your runner- type A perfectionist, all or nothing personality (which I love by the way! Ha!) to COME DOWN. Relearn what it's like to sleep in, go for a gentle hike with the family, go on a vacation, and “skip” working out. You will not lose fitness- WE GAIN FITNESS WITH CORRECTLY INSERTED breaks. In actuality, your metabolism, your family, your life, your running goals will soar from this forced break and come back to reality. You will return to running rejuvenated and refreshed- ready to tackle your next goal. Wash, Rinse, Repeat.

The trouble occurs when you keep climbing the mountain and don’t come back down out of FEAR that you will lose it all or perhaps you are so SCARED that you will not move again! That’s why having a coach is so important. The magic happens with this formula.

Build Volume with slower miles, add speed work, train for your most important race whether its 3 months away or 10 years away, eat to run not run to eat, RECOVER as hard as you train, and be consistent. (Reminder- consistency does not mean running 10 miles everyday, it means showing up to the intention of each run each week over a LONG period of time.) I once coached a runner whose former coach said 10 mies was her bread and butter to running a fast marathon- she basically got good at going one pace every morning over and over and over- every once in awhile doing a workout but being so tired for that workout that she was unable to actually get good adaptation from that speed work. This is a common mistake that even myself got caught in at one point in my career and I can share with you that it only leads to burnout, injury, low energy availability and honestly it takes a toll on your health, relationships, and wellness. I will never let this happen to me again! Loss and learn right!

A common rule is that it takes 1 day of recovery for each mile RACED- obviously this is a simplistic formula, but its a good start:

5k - 3 days

10k- 6 days

Half marathon- 13 days

Marathon- 26 days

*********For the marathon and beyond distances, whether you race, walk, run/walk, the sheer volume of this run’s breakdown of tissue will require a longer recovery period. I always felt that when going beyond 16 miles, I would require much more time to recover and had to curtail training in the days, weeks after this run. There are certain times when a run of high volume and/or intensity are necessary to reap adaptation to fully prepare you to meet the demands of you goal, BUT you must also schedule in extra recovery after these sessions. And, while you might think you are getting away with little recovery, understand that the negative consequences of ignoring this rule will eventually rear their ugly heads - showing up as hormonal dysfunction, fatigue, disturbed sleep, crankiness, bad workouts, burn out, or worse, injury.

In Conclusion since I'm the wordiest human in the world and no one wants to read all that-lol!

REST IS HOW YOU REPAIR AND GROW STRONGER-Take at least 1-2 weeks after your BIG GOAL race to restore your mind, muscles, and learn to be a normal human again- lol.
Rest does not mean stay still! Please insert a little walking throughout your day - eventually adding mobility, stretching, and balance work- but nothing to tear down tissue. Speed work is not recommended as it breaks down tissues so it just delays recovery. THE PURPOSE OF THIS TIME IS TO GET AS RECOVERED AS POSSIBLE, so if this means to put your runner obsessiveness to the side - DO IT!!!!
Hot tub and warm bath good for relaxation, mood, and blood flow
Debrief your training and race experience by logging as many details from your race experience- weather, race plan, logistics, travel, motivation for the race, training leading up so you can learn from your experience. Then, share with your coach.
Soreness is a poor indicator of muscle damage and repair - every system in the body is taxed- lungs, muscle, kd\idneys, and even the immune system stressed - the body won’t tell you so you have to trust the recovery process.
Reverse tape - except effort even way easier than in the taper - avoids speed completely since it is designed to break you down- RESPECT the recovery process.
No strength training for 10 days after.
Mentally and challenging emotionally- whether race was rough or a PR or just ready to take months off.
Use this time to reflect- run training requires a lot of your time and focus - so take this three weeks to fill yourself up mentally and spiritually
If you don’t do this - you risk just get good at being just an ok runner who will most likely have a lot of problems along the way- burnout, plata, relationships suffer, priorities get wacko!

To be a really good runner we do have to be unbalanced - but you have to force yourself to step back to reconnect with other things in your life that give it such rich meaning. Then, you are ready to start building again.

Stop constantly training and view your training in cycles with patience, big picture, and fun!