Run Recovery

Marathon Training: The Long Run

March 26, 2021 by Lisa Kenyon 1 Comment

Alright, if you’ve gone through Marathon Training: How to Get Started of the marathon training series then you have a plan! You’ve probably got a couple of weeks of running under your belt and are wondering what’s next and hopefully feeling good about things so lets get right to it.

Varying your workouts

You can absolutely train adequately for a marathon by just…running. You can do all of your runs at the same pace, and simply work on spending time on your feet. That’s how I trained for my first one. However, what I’ve learned since is that doing different types of runs, and keeping easy days REALLY EASY, is super beneficial to your training. Check out my post on the types of running everyone should know here.

Making sure your plan includes some speed work and intervals will greatly help you prepare for race day. One of the most important things I’ve learned lately is that when I’m scheduled for an “easy run”, it means easy. Easy means you should feel conversational and like you are holding back. It helps your body recover and prepare for that speedwork and ultimately racing. It may also drive you crazy. 😉

How long to run – is 20 plenty?

Y’all. I have VERY mixed feelings on this one. Most beginner marathon training series or programs tells you that 20 miles is the max distance you should run before the actual race. The preparation you put in during training gets your body ready and it will adapt to the last six miles. You also reduce the risk of getting injured or burnt out by running too long before the race. So, 20 miles is the widely used measure.

I ran 20 before my first marathon just like everyone said, and I’m still here to tell the tale. I didn’t get injured. What no one prepared me for, was the extreme mental toughness those last 6 miles would require. If you think of it as oh, I’ve gone 20 miles, what’s another 6 then sure it’s ok. However, what I did was start thinking OMG, I am exhausted, stiffening, and ready to quit and I have AN HOUR left to go! Every mile seemed like three, and I had to dig DEEP. I’ve always said I wish I had done maybe 21-22 miles first. Would that have been beneficial? We’ll never know.

Now, having multiple marathons under my belt, I would absolutely agree that 20 is all I need to train for, but it’s because I know what to expect for those last miles. What should you do? I honestly don’t know, but experts all seem to agree on less is more. 🙂

Fueling during long runs

The age old question: what do I eat DURING my long runs? Unfortunately there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Generally speaking you need sugars and carbs. Around 60 ish grams of carbs per hour of endurance activity. However, how you intake those carbs varies for everyone, and really depends on how your body (and stomach) tolerates them. You’ll want to try out a few things until you get the right formula for you.

My formula: I use Tailwind Nutrition both for run fuel and recovery (more on recovery in part 3). I love it because I can put it in my hydration pack and forget it. It’s technically all the fuel I need. For a half marathon, that’s all I do. When it comes to a full marathon, though, something happens to me mentally and I. Need. To. Chew. Something. I don’t know what it is, but I need to feel like I’m eating not just drinking my carbs. So I’ll add some energy chews maybe half way and toward the end. Honey Stingers, Skratch Labs, Cliff…they all make great options.

There will almost always be fuel on the course as a backup if you start to hit the dreaded wall, but remember you should try and bring your own, so that you’re using what you’ve trained with. If you really don’t want to carry then try to find out what will be available on the course and train with that.

Hydration

Oh man, hydration is CRITICAL to marathon performance. Don’t wait until you’re parched, drink early and drink small sips often. I’ve written the Ultimate Hydration Guide already so go check that out.

Recovery

Recovery and rest are so important to marathon success. Make sure your plan incorporates a couple of rest days each week. To me, a rest day means no running and little to no cross training. Some yoga or a nice walk might do the trick if you just can’t sit still, but avoid any intense workouts on your rest days to really let your body recover.

Make sure you are also getting adequate sleep. Running on an empty tank takes it’s toll. I try for at least 7 hours a night, 8-9 if I can pull it off. I know this might seem impossible for some, especially with kids and life obligations. Again, we’re all different, so do the best you can just know that 4 hours of sleep consistently isn’t likely to do you any favors.

Stay tuned for part three of the marathon training series where we’ll talk food and what to do if your training plan starts to go off course.

The basics of a run recovery routine

January 29, 2021 by Lisa Kenyon Leave a Comment

I recently failed hard at taking my own advice. I’ve told y’all the importance of a proper run recovery routine, meanwhile I’m over here skimping like a college kid. Well…

For a couple of weeks my shins had been nagging at me a little. After my runs, I’d do some half-assed stretching and slap on some muscle rub, hoping for the best. Honestly, I’d gotten lazy with my routine, and the cold weather had me sleeping in longer than normal, leaving me crunched for time.

Then a couple of days before a scheduled 10 miler I realized that nagging had turned into outright pain. Even walking my dog, I felt pain. Ugh. I scheduled a massage, hoping for a quick fix but to no avail (the massage DID help and I’m a big proponent of massage, but one massage does not erase weeks of neglect). So, as much as I hated it I skipped my weekend long run. Whomp whomp.

Thankfully a few days rest and ramping up my run recovery routine was all I needed to get back in action. Here’s what I did and what I SHOULD have been doing all along.

Warm up routine

Perhaps more overlooked than the cool down is the warm up. I’m 100% guilty of skipping it often. I’ve got some ideas here, but the key is dynamic stretching. These are different movements than you’ll do post run, because you’re warming up the muscles, not really stretching them out. Keeping things loosey goosey at the start will benefit your recovery later on.

Cool down and recovery routine

Especially as we age, our bodies just need more TLC to recover. So often, we’re guilty of getting the miles in but not cooling down properly. My run coach put it to me best when she told me to think of the cool down as part of the run. I wouldn’t skip the last mile so why should I skip the cool down? It’s a totally valid point.

Instead of just a quick stretch, I’ve been doing a yoga stretch sequence (sometimes only 6 minutes!) to cool down and stretch everything out. Yoga with Adriene has been my favorite way to finish out my runs. I mix it up and add a longer cool down when I have the time, but make sure to get at least 6-7 minutes of real, slow stretching.

Self care routine in between runs

We often forget that what we do in between runs is just as important as what we do during or immediately after a run. Epsom salt soaks, yoga, stretching, massage. Ahh yeah.

Epsom salt, or magnesium sulfate, is said to help with inflammation to speed recovery and overall relaxation which can help to promote better sleep. My bedtime routine lately has been a quick yoga sequence followed by an epsom salt soak. It’s a nice calming way to indulge in some self care, especially during the winter.

As I’ve said, I’m a big believer in massage as part of my health and wellness routine, particularly during marathon training. After each run, I’ll use my massage gun for a quick treatment and also schedule semi-regular (depending on the shape of my budget) professional massages. I recommend a sports massage vs your typical “spa experience” but it’s really up to you. I find sports massage to be more targeted to athletes and better for recovery.

Focusing on these three areas (warm up, cool down, interim care) will greatly reduce your chance of injury friends. Take it from someone who should have taken her own advice. 🙂

Rest. A Love-Hate Thing.

March 28, 2020 by Lisa Kenyon 5 Comments

What a crazy world we are living in with the outbreak of COVID-19. I don’t know about you but I go back and forth between being relatively calm and completely terrified. I’m finding myself incredibly grateful these days for the countless blessings in my life, not the least of which is my ability and desire to run.

Running has been an outlet for me, a chance to change scenery and breathe in fresh (albeit pollen heavy) air. It also helps me burn off the pent up stress and anxiety, releasing it into the atmosphere and coming home with a lighter soul. Whew, ok that was a lot.

Resisting a rest

Let’s talk about the “R” word. Rest. Specifically rest days and run recovery. A funny thing happens when you start a regular exercise routine of any kind, but I particularly hear it from runners. Endorphins maybe? I don’t know, but suddenly we become addicted to the idea of working hard, sweating, and that feeling of accomplishment. We don’t enjoy rest days and feel like we are being lazy when we take one. Whether that sounds familiar or you think I’m nuts, you’re probably right.

Not running is as important as running. Running is good for you, but it also takes a toll on your body. This is mostly good, it helps to build stamina and strength. However, you can’t drive your car continuously without fuel and letting it cool down once in a while. Ok I don’t know that much about cars, so maybe that isn’t the best example. What I mean is you can’t push your body without letting it rest and recover.

What does rest really mean?

Rest is incredibly important and I looove a good rest day. I look forward to sleeping in, taking it easy, and letting my body recover. The ideal number of rest days per week will be different for everyone based on activity level. Personally I prefer to take two. When I say rest, I don’t just mean a non-running day, where I do cross training or other workouts (I do cross training on my shorter run days). A rest day to me is where I don’t do much of anything, maybe a nice walk with the dog. By keeping my rest days super easy I let my body recover to be at it’s best for my workouts.

Stretching

Full disclosure: I’m a real undisciplined stretcher. So in this case, do as I say, not as I do. Stretching is a super important part of recovery. Not only after a run, but on your rest days (where I struggle). There are the standard stretches that most runners do, you know the ones. Everyone has seen runners out there holding their legs behind them up to the booty stretching out the quads, right?

Those stretches are great, but don’t forget the rest of the body. Google is your friend here, but a good start could be something like this list. I also like (ok I don’t LIKE it) to do these on non running days too, to keep limber.

Foam rolling

In the beginning I had real problems with my shins that would sideline me for days to weeks at a time. Then I learned that the cause of painful shins is often tight calf muscles. That’s when foam rolling came into my life and I’ve never looked back, or had shin problems since.

There are many different rollers out there, but I like the Trigger Point Grids Actually I just upgraded to the Grid X…but if you haven’t used one before I recommend you start with the basic Grid version because woweeeee when they say firm do they mean it! They have some nice how-to videos to get started and you can find tons of videos online to really get into it. I roll out everything, all sides of my legs, and even my back and shoulders. Hurts so good.

Hydrating

Drink water y’all. Every day. All day. Everyone’s needs are different but I aim for 100 ounces per day. Some days that’s easy, and some days it’s really hard. However you need to get yourself to drink more water, do it. Whether it’s a gallon jug you carry around, a reminder on your phone, or…an app like me. I use a cute little app called Plant Nanny. Every drink of water helps my little plant grow, and my competitive nature makes me not want to let it droop. Anyway, keeping yourself hydrated is important to help your body recover properly. Bonus, it’s good for skin, digestion, and many other things too.

Compression

Compression socks or sleeves may not be for everyone, and not for every day. Personally, I only really use them when I’m training for a distance run, like a half or full marathon. They can be a great way to keep the blood flowing in the legs and recover from the soreness faster. However, they can also come with some risks (never sleep in them), and you may prefer to wear them during or post runs. There’s a lot of research to be done here to suit your individual needs.

Ice it or soak it?

This is another area that really depends on preference and frankly where and why it hurts. For instance, I recently injured my foot and was icing it constantly to no avail. When I finally saw the doctor he said no no no, you must use heat for this type of injury. Ugh so confusing.

My go to recovery when I’m not injured is never ice. I just don’t like to be cold and I prefer to soak myself in a warm tub of epsom salts. Some of my friends swear by ice baths. So, sorry but you’ll have to experiment with this one for yourself to see what works for you.

If you haven’t gotten the hint yet, rest is important. If you don’t take the time to rest and recover regularly, I promise you will be forced to take it later. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow…but someday and it will suck.