Re-grouping and Recovering

Out of our Ragnar Ultra team, I had the shortest total mileage. It still did a number on me, though. Although it was spread over two days, I felt exactly like I'd run a really hard marathon. Unfortunately, due to some more upcoming, exciting races, (more on those, soon!!) I wasn't really able to allow myself to just "take the week off"...or whatever it is smart runners do.

"she has the smallest biceps. Lets give her the baby miles!"

However, this never means I skip recovery altogether. I've learned the stupid hard way, that diligent and patient post-workout routines are key to maintaining the healthy, running lifestyle I've grown attached to.

The folks at this gorgeous-looking spa totally agreed with me. They contacted me in regards to providing me and my readers with some recovery tips. Simple, intelligent and useful...unlike my normal posts. (psst: that's how you'll know when my words end and the article begins!)

Thank you, Jerry, for providing this timely post!

 

How to Improve Your Recovery Time

Marathon training is not any easy task. It’s not just about the running. You must also

care for your body to ensure you’re prepared to run. This means a healthy diet and

injury prevention. Of course, you need a high-energy healthy diet, and you also

need to engage in copious stretching and massage. Here are a few examples based

on similar techniques used at leading spas including Áhsi’ Spa in upstate New York

and some suggestions for do-it-yourself (DIY) massage:

What Can I Gain From Pre-Marathon and Post-Marathon Massage?

Before you start training for a marathon, consider a massage to help the blood

circulate into the tissues. This warms your body and helps to prevent injury that

may occur during a marathon run. If the muscles are tight before a run, it is more

than likely to lead to a sprain or strain. Pre-marathon massages help to prepare the

runner.

The post-marathon massage can help to remove lactic acid from the muscles. With

lactic acids removed, you can heal faster, and the pain will dissipate. Every runner

needs to eliminate pain, and sports massage has been proven effective.

The muscles will also develop in a balanced manner with this use of sports

massage. Balanced muscles will eliminate injury and sprain. Scar tissue can also

be eliminated with the help of massage, and recovery time can be accelerated.

Massage has numerous benefits that are essential not only in marathon training, but

for runner’s at any skill level.

Try a DIY Massage With Self-Massage Tools Made From Household Goods

 

•Massage with Canned Goods. Canned goods can help to alleviate pain in

the feet. Simply remove the label and place the canned good on the floor.

With your weight, press down on the can. As you press and roll the can back

and forth with your foot, the pressure will knead the tight muscles in your feet.

Canned goods are inexpensive and are commonly found in every household.

•Massage with a Foam Roller or PVC Pipe. A PVC pipe can be used in

place of a foam roller if you cannot find one. If you roll your side over the PVC

pipe, the pain in the side will be eliminated. Consider how you can massage

with a foam roller or PVC to release tension and make healing easier.

•Massage with a Tennis Ball. Tennis balls can also be used to knead the

muscles in the feet and in the legs. Consider buying tennis balls to eliminate

any pain in the feet.

Massage is the Key to Healing After a Big Run

After a marathon or any race massage accelerates healing times. There are not

many other methods as effective as massage. Consider incorporating massage into

your training regimen.

What's your tried & true recovery routine?

Do you spring for a massage on a regular basis?

A Runner's Christmas Eve

Twas the day before Christmas, in this runner's place

Morning run out of the way. I tried hard not to race!

Driving home, I saw folks neatly dressed up in red

I'm in shorts and all sweaty, jaunty antlers on head

 

What to do first? Wrap more gifts? Do some baking?

Nah. The Foam Roller's Calling and my tendons are aching!

Stretching's all done, I should don my red hat

But, first, I'm starving! Need to re-fuel, stat!

 

A shower's not happening. This is now sadly clear

This year, for Christmas, folks get stinky cheer

I'll just break out the wet wipes and dry shampoo

Don't judge. I know some of you have been there, too

 

Still on Mom duty, it's breakfast for the boys

Dressed with teeth brushed, playing loudly with toys

Time to get moving. Need to make cookie dough

First, let me just get those miles logged, though

 

Ok. I'll check out this last running site...

Losing track of time, getting closer to night

I'd like that coffee, while it's still warm

Just need to mail this race registration form

 

Time to tackle that laundry, presents and food

Got my mind off running and in Holiday mood

Tape and scissors in hand, all those gifts in big piles

I know! I should go out for a few more miles!

 

So the boys on their bikes and I in my Brooks

Completely ignore the neighbors' strange looks

We get nice and sweaty and have tons of fun

Merry Christmas to all and to all a happy run!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 21, The Final Chapter

Only 3 more days of Adventrageous. My gift to all of you will be No More Daily Posting.
You're welcome.

Chapter Four: The Aftermath

 

I drank some cold water and got quick recaps on how the half and full had gone for my peeps who'd already finished.

 

If you're reading this and know the people who were there, you already know everyone's results. If you're a reader who doesn't know those people, you probably don't care. Thus, we'll move on with wrapping up my story.

 

I felt awful for finishing in such a crappy, lethargic mood. The Husband, my sister and her in-laws had all been waiting to cheer me on. I did my best to smile and not look like a total jerk. It's unlikely that I was successful with that, but I did make an effort.

my attempt at "chipper"

 

The Husband walked with me over to the medical tent to get some bandaids. They had me stand very still while they sprayed the biggest scrapes with some antiseptic junk. One medic asked if I wanted a banana and a few seconds later I had one, in hand. While they were trying to clean dirt and road bits out of me I was apologizing over and over for how disgusting I was and thanking them repeatedly.

 

Suddenly I couldn't figure out if my eyes were open or closed. As I was trying to decipher this new development, I managed to wheeze "dizzzzzy"...or something like that. I was plopped in a chair and ice bags were strategically placed. Turns out it's not healthy to run for hours then stand, completely still, in the sunshine.

 

So, that was pretty cool, too.

 

My sister wheeled her stroller, complete with my lovely niece, into the public restroom with me when I was all bandaged and could stand again. She was unlucky enough to get to hear me ramble on, completely without filter, about the race. Here's how the restroom scene broke down :

 

Good news: I'd packed an entire change of clothes and one of these magical delights! I can still vividly recall the relief I felt after peeling off my dirty stuff and replacing it all with clean, dry, non-matching items.

 

Bad news: I experienced another, new (to me) marathon treat! My foot cramped and deformed itself, so badly, that I almost screamed and couldn't figure out how to fix it. Holding onto bathroom stall walls, staring at your newly redesigned, throbbing, foot is every bit as fun as it sounds.

 

Good news: My sissy reached under the door to save the day. She massaged that dirty old thing 'til it looked human, again, and I could manage to get a sock on it. (thank you, again, sissy!)

 

We re-joined our group, in the middle of the field, to cheer on the other finishers. Everyone got to share their tales while we stretched and wished it wasn't getting so darned hot. Then, right after the 5-hour mark, the guy with the microphone announced that they'd run out of medals.

 

This racing company has a good and long-standing reputation, and I hope it stays that way. For real, though. How do you run out of medals? Their excuse was that they'd thought more people would drop out, due to the heat...

 

This meant the poor people who'd been running the longest AND in the most heat, were going to be sent home bling-less. Realizing we had three first-timers in our group, the decision was made to meet them at the finish line and give them our medals. Only after I'd happily passed mine on to my running friend, did I realize it was pretty blood-splattered. (sorry, Mike!)

 

When everyone was done, we went out to try to refuel, together. I had zero appetite, but enjoyed the company immensely.

beers and waters, all around

 

managed a few loaded fries

 

Went home.

Crashed.

Hobbled around the next day.

blah, blah, blah.

 

I'm still not in a real "zen" place regarding this race, so I'll keep my current thoughts to myself, for now.

 

Thank you, anyone who was there to support me, that day.

 

Thank you to anyone else who thought of me, that day, and/or read this whole saga. I am grateful for an outlet to recap all that mess and especially thankful that anyone took the time to re-live it, with me.

 



 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



S&SS - "Recipe" Edition

Have you been having too many good-feeling or rewarding runs, lately?

Want to mix things up and toss in miles horrendous enough to make you wish a sinkhole would open up and swallow you so you don't have to run another step?

I have the formula to produce what you're looking for! The process takes a couple of days, so be sure to set aside enough time and follow the instructions, carefully.

Ingredients :

• 1 hilly 10k race, run hard
• 3 hours of soccer games
• 1 annoyed afternoon with no soreness, leading you to believe you hadn't raced at maximum effort, after all
• 1 ill-timed core workout, due to the lack of pain from race
• 4-6 friends
• 2 (many) adult beverages
• 0 allergy medications
• 12 additional, hilly miles
• 75 degrees (normally this temperature could be combined with shade and/or clouds. You won't need either for this recipe)

Instructions:

• Run the hard and fast race, on a challenging course. Optional : wear racing flats you haven't used in months!
• Sneak in some half-hearted stretching while watching your kids run around, outdoors.
• Spend the rest of the day deciding if you're happy or sad that you're not experiencing any aches or pains from the morning's race.
• Go ahead and try a new Abs Workout routine
• Invite over friends and family to hang out and watch an outdoor movie. Make sure you stay up with them well past your bedtime. For best results, eat and/or drink more than necessary, as well.
• Forget to take your allergy pill
• Wake up the following morning, stuffy and congested, with the worst case of DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) you have ever had. (Pain from your ribcage to your toes, preferrably)
• Decide to go ahead and run your 12, scheduled miles, anyway.
• Idiotically forget the fact that gorgeous, cooler weather that graced your fine city, last week is gone. Realize this when you're 4 miles into the blazing hot run, check your phone and see that the current temperature is not appealing to any normal people...runners or otherwise.
• Don't forget to complain to your internet friends about a situation you had total control over and simply made poor choices. Repeatedly.
• Enjoy!

Do you have a favorite recipe to share?

Keeping Things Interesting

New runs and inappropriate, uncomfortable stretching right before your first marathon : Check!

No?

Okay. Don't worry. It was all actually very benign.

Also, in non-running related news : The Littlest broke my heart, just a little, yesterday. I have grown scarily very attached to his crazy, blondie, softy curls.

the blue mustache and beard? notsomuch

 

So, yesterday, when he told me he just wanted his hair to be "straight and sleek" I had to oblige. 

 

boo! :(

 

Luckily, he's still pretty darned cute. (and, once his curls grow back, we'll just avoid mirrors as long as possible!)

straight and sleek, indeed

 

I also read a new and timely (for me) Runner's World article about The Perfect Taper. One of the workouts described fit perfectly into my plans to run a 6 (or so) mile run, in the evening. It involves marathon-specific speed maintenance. The key is to keep the mileage and pace within an reasonable realm.

 

Before I left the house, I set up my Garmin to do a custom workout for this run. One mile warmup, followed by one mile with a pace approximately 30 seconds faster than my mgp (marathon goal pace). The next mile was to be 30 seconds slower than mgp. I repeated that set and then planned to finish off the run at an easy pace.

 

It's not often that I'm able to run in the evening. That, combined with being able to meet up with my running group and a new route made me just plain giddy. Unfortunately, my giddiness translated to erratic button-pushing on my watch, at the start. I have no idea what happened to the custom workout I painstakingly set up AND it didn't even beep at the mile splits. I was still able to see what mile I was at, but had no idea what my pace was.

 

The first mile was a bit faster than what I'd normally consider a "warmup". (see giddy factors, above) I was able to reel it in, though, and happened to catch on to the Garmin Glitch right at about 1.01. So, I sped up for my first, faster mile. It felt way too fast for a reason. I was able to check the splits, after I got home and saw it was almost 30 seconds faster than I'd planned. Oops.

 

The rest of the miles actually ended up being right on target. (go me!) However, my lovely, easy-paced cooldown was not really that, at all. I hadn't planned ahead for all this willy-nilly, in the dark running. No flashlight, no visible running buddies ahead or behind me and lots of cars with glaring headlights forced my pace to quicken. I finally stumbled on a (smart) runner with a headlamp and kept pace and conversation with him 'til we got back to the parking lot.

 

I liked the new workout and the course, but my legs were uncomfortably sore after the hilly 6.5 miles. The Husband called with a Shower Curtain Emergency (apparently those exist?) so I had to make a quick, sweaty, stinky, red-faced stop at Target before going home.

 

Walking in, I realized I desperately needed to stretch my achy muscles. I made a beeline for the bathroom and was happy to find the handicapped stall empty.

 

Gross? Probably. Necessary: Yep. Plus, I got to incorporate some new, germ-avoidance stretches into my routine!

proof

 

could've been worse. I could've chosen Wal-Mart.

 

Quick recap:

• Mommas, don't letcher babies grow up to get haircuts 
• Try incorporating a new, safe workout into your routine
• If you have to drape body parts around a public restroom stall, make sure it's at Target

Any new stuff happening for you this week?

 

Which was more weird : stretching in the stall or taking pics of it?