Running Recovery

How do you know if you’re running too much?

January 14, 2022 by Lisa Kenyon Leave a Comment

Running, like life, is full of complicated questions. One I’ve been asking myself lately is “am I running too much?” How do you know if you’re running too much? Well, there’s no straightforward answer. In my view, if you are struggling to answer this question then chances are good you probably ARE running too much but here are some other clues.

You keep getting injured

One of the more obvious signs you’re running too much is you keep ending up hurt. This doesn’t have to mean major injuries either. Something I’ve recently learned, is that even minor nagging pains are a sign that your body wants you to ease off.

Having sore muscles is often just part of a runner’s life but sore muscles that never go away is something else altogether. If you find yourself never able to recover from the soreness you’re probably overdoing it, either in mileage or intensity.

You’re struggling to stay motivated

We all have days where we’d just rather hide under the covers. However if you find yourself facing that daily or for the majority of your runs, you might be overtraining and need to take a step back.

I recently realized that I’ve been having some decent runs but I didn’t want to do any of them. If I decided to sleep in or even go for a walk instead I was so happy! As much as I want to deny it, I’ve been pushing myself too hard and my body wants me to take it easy.

All of your workouts feel hard

If you’re struggling through even your easy days, that’s a sign your body is working too hard. A lot of people think being tired all the time is a good thing, no pain no gain right? That’s not always true and the more in tune you are with your body the more you’ll learn when it’s time to rest.

So, if you think you’re overdoing it what can you do about it?

Keep a running journal

You may have heard of people logging their food when trying to figure out an allergy. In that same fashion, logging your miles and how you’re feeling afterwards can help you identify trends. Do certain workouts trigger pain? When you cut back do you feel better? It can also help to see your miles added up over time. Having the data in black and white can be very eye opening.

Take a break

I’ve written a lot about the importance of rest, and how taking a break can help with your training more than hurt. Check out my tips for what to do when your training goes off the rails if you’re nervous about missing some scheduled runs. In my experience being under trained is better than over trained. You’ve only got one body so take care of it.

Adjust your schedule

Along the same lines of taking a break, it might help to adjust your schedule. Maybe running back to back days isn’t for you. Maybe you do well with a short run on Friday followed by a long run on Saturday, maybe you need a rest day before a long run. The running journal can help you figure out when you’re at peak performance versus when you may need a break. Remember that training plans are just a guide and only you know what works for you.

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5 Post Marathon Recovery Tips

July 30, 2021 by Lisa Kenyon Leave a Comment

Yesssss! You did it! You finished a marathon! It’s an amazing accomplishment and you should be immensely proud. Now, you deserve to rest and recover, and of course celebrate! These post marathon recovery tips will help you feel better faster.

Cool Down and Stretch

When you cross the finish line you might be tempted to find a patch of grass and plop down. Resist that urge. Walk around for a bit to lower your heart rate and cool down. Often times you won’t have much choice, as there will be a long “finish corral” where they will want you to keep moving to let other runners come through.

After you’ve cooled down try to find somewhere to do some stretching. Stretch out any areas that seem tight (likely everything). Take your time and don’t rush off to any post run celebrating just yet. Once you arrive home or to your hotel do some foam rolling, massage, and even more stretching.

Replenish

Most races will have light snacks available at the finish. Fruit, peanut butter, crackers, bagels, etc. You may not feel like eating but try to take advantage of the offerings and get something down within 30 minutes of the finish. Make sure to drink water and if you can, take in electrolytes as well. I like to stash my recovery drink in my checked bag or with a trusted spectator.

Soak

You’ve probably heard many runners talk of the dreaded/anticipated ice bath. It’s a great idea after a marathon to calm inflammation and ease sore legs. If you can manage it definitely give it a try.

However, I prefer a warm epsom salt soak. There are a couple of reasons, the first being I am a big baby and don’t want to be cold. More practically, I find that it’s difficult to lug ice around to your hotel room and have it ready when you want it. You can pick up epsom salts at just about any grocery or drug store and have them waiting for you.

However it is you prefer, a nice soak in the tub can be very soothing.

Compression

Compression socks are your friend after a marathon. They can help to increase the blood flow to speed up recovery. I also like to lather up in some muscle rub before putting them on. If you’re able to bring them with you to the race, awesome! If you have to wait until you’re home or back to the hotel that’s fine too just wear them for a few hours while recovering to help ease soreness.

Rest

Perhaps most important after an endurance race is rest. Take a nap, spend the day lounging, whatever feels good. Don’t underestimate the fatigue that can set in for a few days following and be kind to yourself. Take some time off from running. Two weeks is pretty standard but some runners take as much as a month off. While you’re taking time off from running, don’t just sit on the couch though. Take some walks, do yoga, maybe some light cycling. Moving around will help to keep things loose for faster recovery.

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6 Long Distance Running Tips

July 2, 2021 by Lisa Kenyon Leave a Comment

No matter if you’re training for a race or just looking to log more miles on your feet, the long run is a key component. These long distance running tips will help you have a more enjoyable long run. 🙂

Don’t overthink it

When you first start running longer distances, it’s easy to let panic set in. Even experienced runners suffer from anxiety when the miles start to climb. Leading up to a recent 20 mile training run, I was plagued with self doubt and anxiety about completing the distance. Long runs don’t have to be 20 miles, it’s all relative to the distance you’re used to and comfortable with.

If your longest distance is 3 miles, you might be nervous about 5 or 6. It’s completely normal but the key is to take things one mile at a time. Try not to focus on the distance and instead focus on the next mile, and the next. You might also find it helpful to break up the run into segments. 6 miles becomes two segments of 3 miles each, or three segments of 2 miles. Remember running is as much a mental sport as a physical one.

Don’t focus too much on pace

If you have a pace goal for an upcoming race, you have to train at that pace, right? WRONG! Most of your miles should be EASY. As contrary as it might seem, many runners have trouble running slow, easy miles. Mentally, we think that we have to run fast to improve and meet our goals, but that’s just not the case.

Yes, in order to improve your pace you will have to do speed work and practice some distance at your goal pace, but running too long and too often at that pace can lead to burnout and injury. When preparing for your long runs, focus on keeping a nice conversational pace that you can keep up for the duration of the run. Once you gain comfort and experience, you can begin to add short periods of speed work into your long runs, but keep things easy to start.

Hydrate

woman pouring water into mouth from bottle

Gearing up for a long run, it’s crucial to keep yourself hydrated. It might be easy to think about drinking water during your runs, when you’re thirsty, but it’s equally as important to make sure you’re hydrated in the days leading up to your run. Keeping up with your water intake as well as electrolytes will set you up for success.

Following a long run, make sure to replenish what you’ve lost. Especially during the summer months, we lose more than we think getting our sweat on.

Warm up

Particularly for ahem…aging runners like myself, warming up for any run is hugely important. Warm ups can include dynamic stretches, foam rolling, or even a brisk walk. Doing these things can help to prevent injury as well as make for a more enjoyable long run.

Stretch

Following your long run, you might be inclined to crash on the couch and revel in your accomplishment. As well you should, you earned it! However, you’ll be better served to do some good stretching, foam rolling, self massage, whatever you can do to cool down and work out any sore areas first. The days following will be much smoother and you’ll be looking forward to your next run, if you take the time to properly recover.

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5 Common Runner’s Training Mistakes

June 18, 2021 by Lisa Kenyon 1 Comment

There are honestly countless mistakes to be made as a runner, and it can be overwhelming trying make sure you’re doing everything right. Understanding some common runner’s training mistakes that aren’t always focused on can help get you off on the right foot.

Not running most of your miles easy

A lot of runners make this mistake, myself included. I used to think that every time I went out for a run, I had to try to run the best pace I could, that was how I’d get better. Not true!

Easy runs are key to running success. In fact, 70-80% of your running should be at an easy, conversational pace. It might seem counterintuitive, but when you push hard the rest of your workouts, your body needs time to repair and as the muscles repair, they gain strength.

Easy runs mean keeping your heart rate in the lower zones, being able to comfortably carry on a conversation, and feeling almost effortless. If you find yourself panting or gasping for breath after an “easy” run, you’re running too fast!

Comparing yourself to others

Often, runners find easy running difficult because they have a preconceived idea of what a “good” pace is, or they’re afraid of being judged. Raise your hand if you find yourself running faster when other people are around…yeah me too.

The thing is though, everyone is on their own schedule and their bodies are going through different things. Once I stopped caring as much about who was judging my pace (because if they are they DON’T MATTER) I felt much more relaxed and could really focus on ME.

This does not mean you shouldn’t have goals, or other athletes you look up to. It just means that you shouldn’t base your successes on theirs. Remember, your easy pace is someone else’s goal pace.

Not resting enough

Rest is an important and often overlooked part of any workout routine. When it comes to exercise, proper rest is as important as the workouts. There are different types of rest: active recovery and complete rest. Both are important, especially for runners.

Active recovery means not running, but doing something like an easy walk or yoga. Complete rest is not doing any workout at all. How many of each is needed will depend on your activity level, fitness, and overall health. Generally I recommend at least 2 days of rest with a minimum of one complete rest day every week.

Overtraining

Not resting enough can lead to overtraining very quickly. Training for a race, or any intense exercise will make you more tired than normal some days and is to be expected. However, if you find yourself tired all the time, in pain, or your performance is starting to decline, you’re likely over doing things.

Making sure you’re paying attention to how your body feels and taking a week every couple of weeks with decreased mileage and intensity can help keep you at your best.

Not eating enough

It can be a slippery slope and how much to eat is obviously different for everyone, but when I first started running I found I needed to eat more than I was used to. This can mean eating something small before a run and making sure to eat soon after.

It’s a common trap to fall into, especially if you’re trying to lose weight because you think less is more when it comes to calories. However, not having adequate calories to support the increase in activity level can leave you tired, injury prone and can even have the opposite effect on weight loss, retaining body fat and losing muscle. Making sure to eat plenty of quality whole foods and avoiding junk food is a good way to start. Doing research on your specific nutrient needs such as protein intake, will help even further.

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Running in your 40’s

May 21, 2021 by Lisa Kenyon 7 Comments

I turned 40 last week and it got me thinking about how running starts to change as we age. Over the last few years I’ve definitely noticed changes, and they’re not all negative! However, running in your 40’s looks different than running in your 20’s and 30’s.

The not so great part of aging, is that our bodies tend to naturally slow down. We lose muscle, bone density, and even flexibility. All of these things can slow us down and lead to greater chance of injury.

BUT it doesn’t have to be all bad! Training right can help minimize the effects of aging and prolong your running longevity. There are also some cool bonuses like new age groups and new attitudes. Hello masters (more on this in a minute)!

Mistakes are magnified

In your 20’s and even into your early 30’s, you can afford to make running mistakes, and get right back up again. Running in your 40’s and beyond, the body becomes less forgiving. Bad form, poor diet, and lack of proper recovery are no longer things we can get away with. Gone are the days when I can “sweat out a hangover” or run without a warmup.

It will get frustrating, but be kind to your body.

Stretch!

I can’t emphasize this point enough. I’ve noticed that I need to stretch and cool down much more than I ever did when I started running years ago. When I’ve skimped on stretches and the foam roller, my legs let me know on my next run. Fortunately, taking even 10-15 minutes post run to properly stretch and recover helps significantly. Focus extra attention on any problem areas. As my coach wisely told me “You wouldn’t skip the last mile, so why skip the cool down?” Both are equally important.

Trigger point Grid roller for workout recovery — My favorite foam roller

Check out my tips on the basics of a run recovery routine.

Injuries take more time to heal

Wonky knee? Shin pain? A day or two off and some ibuprofen may have been all that was needed back in the day, but the older we get the more time it takes to heal. All the more reason to take the proper steps like stretching, good nutrition and lots of sleep!

Set new goals

Sure, runners begin to naturally slow down as we age, but that doesn’t mean giving up on your PR or race goals. It’s time to set new ones! I’ve actually seen more improvements in my running this past year than I ever have. I even hit my one mile PR at 7:29! Maybe figure out a new race distance, or training goal and take the time to really train for it. The better we are at training and recovery, the more we keep that natural slow down at bay. 🙂

Bonus: aging means new age groups! It also means your entry into the “Masters” running category, which is runners over age 40 and there are typically awards and cheers specific to masters. It’s a badge of honor, wear it proudly.

While race planning, consider modifying your schedule a bit. Make sure you have adequate recovery time. Running 2-3 marathons a year at 25 might mean running 1-2 a year at 40. Everyone is different. I know for me, 1 marathon per year is the max I can handle safely.

Focus on strength and speed

So often, runners pay too much attention to you know, running. We forget that our legs can’t run the show alone and we need to work all of our muscles to maintain good health.

Strength training is important at any age, but especially so as we age. Having a regular strength training routine keeps muscle tone from deteriorating and also supports those aging joints. Making sure you’re getting proper calcium and vitamin D is also a must for the joints.

Relax

Now’s the time to have fun with running! Relax into it and become the best version of yourself. Running in your 40’s can be an amazing time for personal growth. Stop comparing yourself to anyone else and get after it.

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