While I am usually saying "Thank goodness it's Thursday" every week, today I have extra reason to be grateful: after a super productive first few days at my new client, I was able to duck out early and catch a 2:30pm flight instead of a 7pm flight - putting me home at 7pm instead of midnight. FREE NIGHT! Glorious.
My plans for the night though? Not so impressive. I initially wanted to try to squeeze in some gym time. I did a weight lifting workout this morning (day 2 of Kara Goucher's cross-training routine), and figured I'd follow it up with some straight up cardio tonight. But before I could even put my gym clothes on, I discovered how ridiculously sore my legs/butt already are from the deadlifts and weighted lunges I did this morning. I'm pretty scared to see what tomorrow morning is going to bring - 24 hours after a workout is usually when I'm at my most sore. Dear Kara, how do you RUN after doing this workout? I am already starting to waddle from the soreness! (Though not going to lie - I LOVE soreness from a good workout. It makes me feel proud and accomplished).
Since I'm really not very hungry tonight and I indulged on a few drinks last night with the team, I'm also going to take a page from Bread is the Devil, and have made today a veggie/protein day. Breakfast = hardboiled egg, piece of salmon, and cottage cheese. Lunch = salad bowl at Chipotle (lettuce, tomato salsa, chicken, veggies, and black beans; no dressing). And for dinner, I'm making a massive bowl of hummus out of a full can of chickpeas, a few tablespoons of some roasted red pepper pesto sauce, and a lot of garlic - and then digging in with some celery and snap peas. It's actually not incredibly low-calorie, given that I'm eating an entire can of chickpeas, but I think the snackiness of it will feel light - which is what I'm craving right now rather than a "real" meal.
Bedtime at 8:45pm? I think so. LOVE IT!
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
16 hour day... and still going
Today has been crazy.
To catch my 6am flight out of Charlottesville (tear!), I had to be up at 4:30am. Because I am an absolute nut and I really wanted to do yoga in the morning, that meant waking up at 4am (probably should have been sooner, but I rushed like crazy through my getting ready routine). Upshot? I got up super duper early, but was really proud of myself for getting a workout in. When there's a will, there's a way!
And then, in stream-of-consciousness form:
6am flight from Charlottesville to Atlanta. Dear Delta: why do you not stock decaf? Dear Flight Attendant: I don't believe that you don't have decaf; I do believe that you didn't want to prepare it for me.
Too short 30 minute layover in which I ran smack dab into an empty wheelchair blocking the jetway. Massive bruise already formed on my left ankle. Curse words forming in my brain (though, classily, not spoken).
Trans-terminal sprint to my gate, with no time to stop for real breakfast (vs my 4:30am granola bar). Time to collapse into my seat and settle down to work.
Arrive in Kansas City at 9:30am, having already put in 3 hours of work on both planes. The day is just beginning!
Work. Work. Work. Work. What do you mean, it's 12:40pm and I have a 1pm meeting? I want lunch!
Work. Work. Work. Work. Lunch break! Obviously 2:30pm CT is an appropriate time for lunch after a 4:30am ET breakfast.
Work. Work. Work. Work. 8pm CT. Team dinner in 30 minutes. Praying for a short dinner and bed ASAP. Workout tonight? No way.
...something tells me this project is going to be a "control my weight with diet instead of exercise" gig.
Craving something a bit more eloquently written? Check out my guest post for Ashley's Marathons+Moderation series!
To catch my 6am flight out of Charlottesville (tear!), I had to be up at 4:30am. Because I am an absolute nut and I really wanted to do yoga in the morning, that meant waking up at 4am (probably should have been sooner, but I rushed like crazy through my getting ready routine). Upshot? I got up super duper early, but was really proud of myself for getting a workout in. When there's a will, there's a way!
And then, in stream-of-consciousness form:
6am flight from Charlottesville to Atlanta. Dear Delta: why do you not stock decaf? Dear Flight Attendant: I don't believe that you don't have decaf; I do believe that you didn't want to prepare it for me.
Too short 30 minute layover in which I ran smack dab into an empty wheelchair blocking the jetway. Massive bruise already formed on my left ankle. Curse words forming in my brain (though, classily, not spoken).
Trans-terminal sprint to my gate, with no time to stop for real breakfast (vs my 4:30am granola bar). Time to collapse into my seat and settle down to work.
Arrive in Kansas City at 9:30am, having already put in 3 hours of work on both planes. The day is just beginning!
Work. Work. Work. Work. What do you mean, it's 12:40pm and I have a 1pm meeting? I want lunch!
Work. Work. Work. Work. Lunch break! Obviously 2:30pm CT is an appropriate time for lunch after a 4:30am ET breakfast.
Work. Work. Work. Work. 8pm CT. Team dinner in 30 minutes. Praying for a short dinner and bed ASAP. Workout tonight? No way.
...something tells me this project is going to be a "control my weight with diet instead of exercise" gig.
Craving something a bit more eloquently written? Check out my guest post for Ashley's Marathons+Moderation series!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
The Purpose of Rest Days
A few weeks ago, I was talking to my mom about her half marathon training. It was Wednesday, and she hadn't had a chance to do a training run yet for the week, so she told me she planned to run one of the "weekday" runs on Thursday, the other "weekday" run on Friday, and then the "long weekend" run on Saturday. Sounds like she's sticking with the plan, right?
No, no, no! I realized that when I first set out the training plan, I hadn't mentioned something that has become human nature to me, but is not necessarily common knowledge: the purpose of rest days.
No, no, no! I realized that when I first set out the training plan, I hadn't mentioned something that has become human nature to me, but is not necessarily common knowledge: the purpose of rest days.
I designed the beginner's half marathon training plan so that you're running three days a week - but not just any three days. I don't tie the runs to specific days of the week, because I of all people know that life gets crazy and sometimes those plans don't work out. However, if you do the runs on consecutive days, you're actually not doing yourself any good - and you'd almost be better off just skipping them! Not intuitive for beginning exercisers, I know. But here's the deal:
When you weight train, run, or do any other kind of athletic activity, what you're doing to your muscles is actually tearing them apart. Not in a bad way - but the strain of the exercise makes tiny microscopic tears in the muscle. After you're done working, your body will work to repair these muscles (that's why it's so crucial to make sure you're getting enough post-workout protein and plenty of sleep). However, your body is pretty smart. "Aha," it says, "she pushed me to do 3 miles and it got me all banged up. I'm going to repair to be stronger than before, so I can do 4 miles! She'll never make me run all that!" (Unfortunately for your body, it underestimates your willpower and how you're going to keep testing its limits by making it do more and more every time you rebuild). This is why by the last week when you're doing a 12 mile run, you can get through the early miles like they're nothing at all - even though in the early weeks, you were struggling to do just 2 miles. Progress!
(My friend Adam would also like me to point out that if you break a bone, it calcifies around the break to be even stronger than before. So really, your best bet for training is to hire Tonya Harding to break your legs on day 1, and then run your race after they've healed. Obviously.)
The problem with this scenario comes when you find someone who's overzealous in their workouts. (Hi, right here!) They erroneously think that if some working out is good, more working out must be better - and so they lift weights / run / whatever every single day of the week… and then get frustrated when they're not seeing any results. In that scenario, they're only tearing the muscles apart, but not giving them a chance to rebuild stronger than before. All that work is leading to no progress whatsoever! This is why rest days are critical to your training plan.
In following the training plan, you should be taking at least one day off in between each run. If you do your long run on Sunday, don't do the first run of the next week on Monday - wait until Tuesday. If you did your last weekday run on a Friday, then your weekend run should be on Sunday, not Saturday. This does require a little bit of extra planning (if you know you can only do your long run on Saturday, you have to make sure that your second weekday run is done by Thursday), but wouldn't you prefer I allow this flexibility than telling you exactly which weekdays you have to do your runs on? It's not that complicated.
The one caveat I'll give to the "every other day" approach is this: for me personally, working out "every other" day often means that "every" day turns into the "other" day. If you think you might be the same way, don't despair! Just because you can't work the same muscles every day doesn't mean that you can't still work out every day. I make it a point to work out every day so that it becomes as habitual as showering (that is to say, I skip it on occasion, but not often and not for more than one pass day). Vary the kind of exercises that you're doing each day, and you're good to go. This weekend's Athleta training run is going to include a talk on cross-training - so I'll talk a lot more about what kind of cross-training you can do then. For now, just remember that if a particular muscle is sore from your workout the day before, find something to do that doesn't strain your already sore muscle.
When you weight train, run, or do any other kind of athletic activity, what you're doing to your muscles is actually tearing them apart. Not in a bad way - but the strain of the exercise makes tiny microscopic tears in the muscle. After you're done working, your body will work to repair these muscles (that's why it's so crucial to make sure you're getting enough post-workout protein and plenty of sleep). However, your body is pretty smart. "Aha," it says, "she pushed me to do 3 miles and it got me all banged up. I'm going to repair to be stronger than before, so I can do 4 miles! She'll never make me run all that!" (Unfortunately for your body, it underestimates your willpower and how you're going to keep testing its limits by making it do more and more every time you rebuild). This is why by the last week when you're doing a 12 mile run, you can get through the early miles like they're nothing at all - even though in the early weeks, you were struggling to do just 2 miles. Progress!
(My friend Adam would also like me to point out that if you break a bone, it calcifies around the break to be even stronger than before. So really, your best bet for training is to hire Tonya Harding to break your legs on day 1, and then run your race after they've healed. Obviously.)
The problem with this scenario comes when you find someone who's overzealous in their workouts. (Hi, right here!) They erroneously think that if some working out is good, more working out must be better - and so they lift weights / run / whatever every single day of the week… and then get frustrated when they're not seeing any results. In that scenario, they're only tearing the muscles apart, but not giving them a chance to rebuild stronger than before. All that work is leading to no progress whatsoever! This is why rest days are critical to your training plan.
In following the training plan, you should be taking at least one day off in between each run. If you do your long run on Sunday, don't do the first run of the next week on Monday - wait until Tuesday. If you did your last weekday run on a Friday, then your weekend run should be on Sunday, not Saturday. This does require a little bit of extra planning (if you know you can only do your long run on Saturday, you have to make sure that your second weekday run is done by Thursday), but wouldn't you prefer I allow this flexibility than telling you exactly which weekdays you have to do your runs on? It's not that complicated.
The one caveat I'll give to the "every other day" approach is this: for me personally, working out "every other" day often means that "every" day turns into the "other" day. If you think you might be the same way, don't despair! Just because you can't work the same muscles every day doesn't mean that you can't still work out every day. I make it a point to work out every day so that it becomes as habitual as showering (that is to say, I skip it on occasion, but not often and not for more than one pass day). Vary the kind of exercises that you're doing each day, and you're good to go. This weekend's Athleta training run is going to include a talk on cross-training - so I'll talk a lot more about what kind of cross-training you can do then. For now, just remember that if a particular muscle is sore from your workout the day before, find something to do that doesn't strain your already sore muscle.
Monday, January 23, 2012
New project, new me
On Wednesday, I start a brand new project. Along with the anticipation of new coworkers to meet and new work challenges to face, the week or so leading up to a new project also creates a bit of personal anxiety: how will this project affect my health and fitness?
Long-time readers of the blog know that the traveling lifestyle of a consultant has always been a challenge for me. Monday mornings, I wake up at 4:30am just to shower and get to the airport - I'd have to wake up earlier if I wanted to get a morning workout in. Monday through Wednesday nights can be fraught with long hours, heavy team dinners, and a constant dilemma of whether to work out or get enough sleep. Thursday evenings, I spend my time sandwiched into an airplane seat instead of getting my sweat on - and often don't get home until midnight or later, falling into bed without even taking the time to unpack. With all of these demands on my time, it can be extremely difficult (and sometimes downright impossible) to practice clean eating and get into a workout rhythm.
But just as every project brings new challenges, it also presents new opportunities. The first week of a new project is a great time for me to set expectations with my team and establish what is my norm. As I've grown from being a freshfaced first year analyst into an experienced senior associate, I've learned that confidence is the key to pulling it off. Where once I made it a point to only leave if everyone else started packing up, I now employ tactics like subtly asking "if there are any other tasks I can take back to the hotel for the night" at 7pm... making it clear that while I'm more than willing to work from home, I don't intend to stay at the office till all hours of the night. Making a move toward the hotel also helps to elicit thinking and discussion of all the dependencies/ambiguities right up front - so I get the work done a lot faster without having to stop for those interruptions. And if I get the work done faster, that's time I can put toward sleeping, working out, or maybe even (gasp) some personal time to read, watch TV, or check in with friends/family!
First step: tackling the diet/nutrition front. Yesterday, I finished Heather Bauer's latest book, Bread is the Devil. Despite the totally sensationalistic title, it was actually a really moderate, helpful, and informative book on diet strategy - how do you deal with everyday challenges (she calls them "Diet Devils") that are unique to each individual lifestyle? For me, the most helpful chapter was the one for businesspeople who travel and entertain, because not only did she suggest the healthiest choices for different types of restaurants (e.g., American, French, BBQ, Mexican, Thai, etc), but she offered a "stealth option" for when you want to eat healthy but don't want to make it obvious that you're doing so. Exactly what I need for team dinner situations! I don't know that I'm going to be following the "blueprint" she lays out exactly, but I am going to try to aim for her goal of no "Devil Carbs" and only 1-2 "Angel Carbs" a day, since that mindset will minimize a lot of the things that I think typically derail me from eating healthy on the road.
On the workout front, I stopped strength training in December when I took my holiday break, and have been practicing a "mish-mash" schedule ever since. However, I'm much more likely to stick to a workout plan if it is indeed a plan, so I think it's time that I got back to it. The new goals:
1. Strength training routine three times a week. This was a great schedule for me when I followed Rachel Cosgrove's plan, because it pushed me a bit harder than I otherwise might have done, but was still totally doable. As far as what exercises I'm planning, I'm going to take a cue from Ms. Kara Goucher - who better to give advice on weight training for runners? She put together a two-session-a-week plan that I'll be doing three times a week (alternating which one happens twice weekly) and with three sets of 10 reps for each exercise, with max weight to burn out at 10 reps. I liked that heavy weight approach to Rachel Cosgrove's plan, so I'm sticking with it.
2. Run for 20 miles a week. Back in October, I went for a 10 mile a week goal that I hit pretty successfully, but now that I'm back to marathoning, I think I need to do a little more. I would say I'm probably hitting this now if you factor in time on the elliptical, but to really get into good running shape, I'd like to transition more of those miles to outside and the treadmill. (Of course, whether or not this will really be feasible depends a lot on whether downtown Kansas City turns out to be runnable - there is no way I can steel myself to do 10 miles a week on the treadmill, even if I do the other 10 in New York on the weekend).
3. Finally, I want to make some yoga a part of my routine. Back when I was a freshman at NYU and studying theater, I was required to take a movement class three times a week that began with 45 minutes of yoga - and I was in great shape then. On Saturday, during my few hours in Albany, I took an "Athletic Yoga" class with my mom, and it actually had some of my muscles a bit sore yesterday from the great deep stretching. I've heard that my new project is going to be a bit intense (which means lots of hours hunched over my laptop), so to combat that tension, I want to try to incorporate some yoga a few times a week. I'm not going to get more specific than that with the plan just yet, but perhaps even a sun salutation or two before bed every night? Anyone with favorite routines to share, I'd love to give them a try!
Now, off to create my totally Type A workout tracking spreadsheet...
Long-time readers of the blog know that the traveling lifestyle of a consultant has always been a challenge for me. Monday mornings, I wake up at 4:30am just to shower and get to the airport - I'd have to wake up earlier if I wanted to get a morning workout in. Monday through Wednesday nights can be fraught with long hours, heavy team dinners, and a constant dilemma of whether to work out or get enough sleep. Thursday evenings, I spend my time sandwiched into an airplane seat instead of getting my sweat on - and often don't get home until midnight or later, falling into bed without even taking the time to unpack. With all of these demands on my time, it can be extremely difficult (and sometimes downright impossible) to practice clean eating and get into a workout rhythm.
But just as every project brings new challenges, it also presents new opportunities. The first week of a new project is a great time for me to set expectations with my team and establish what is my norm. As I've grown from being a freshfaced first year analyst into an experienced senior associate, I've learned that confidence is the key to pulling it off. Where once I made it a point to only leave if everyone else started packing up, I now employ tactics like subtly asking "if there are any other tasks I can take back to the hotel for the night" at 7pm... making it clear that while I'm more than willing to work from home, I don't intend to stay at the office till all hours of the night. Making a move toward the hotel also helps to elicit thinking and discussion of all the dependencies/ambiguities right up front - so I get the work done a lot faster without having to stop for those interruptions. And if I get the work done faster, that's time I can put toward sleeping, working out, or maybe even (gasp) some personal time to read, watch TV, or check in with friends/family!
First step: tackling the diet/nutrition front. Yesterday, I finished Heather Bauer's latest book, Bread is the Devil. Despite the totally sensationalistic title, it was actually a really moderate, helpful, and informative book on diet strategy - how do you deal with everyday challenges (she calls them "Diet Devils") that are unique to each individual lifestyle? For me, the most helpful chapter was the one for businesspeople who travel and entertain, because not only did she suggest the healthiest choices for different types of restaurants (e.g., American, French, BBQ, Mexican, Thai, etc), but she offered a "stealth option" for when you want to eat healthy but don't want to make it obvious that you're doing so. Exactly what I need for team dinner situations! I don't know that I'm going to be following the "blueprint" she lays out exactly, but I am going to try to aim for her goal of no "Devil Carbs" and only 1-2 "Angel Carbs" a day, since that mindset will minimize a lot of the things that I think typically derail me from eating healthy on the road.
On the workout front, I stopped strength training in December when I took my holiday break, and have been practicing a "mish-mash" schedule ever since. However, I'm much more likely to stick to a workout plan if it is indeed a plan, so I think it's time that I got back to it. The new goals:
1. Strength training routine three times a week. This was a great schedule for me when I followed Rachel Cosgrove's plan, because it pushed me a bit harder than I otherwise might have done, but was still totally doable. As far as what exercises I'm planning, I'm going to take a cue from Ms. Kara Goucher - who better to give advice on weight training for runners? She put together a two-session-a-week plan that I'll be doing three times a week (alternating which one happens twice weekly) and with three sets of 10 reps for each exercise, with max weight to burn out at 10 reps. I liked that heavy weight approach to Rachel Cosgrove's plan, so I'm sticking with it.
2. Run for 20 miles a week. Back in October, I went for a 10 mile a week goal that I hit pretty successfully, but now that I'm back to marathoning, I think I need to do a little more. I would say I'm probably hitting this now if you factor in time on the elliptical, but to really get into good running shape, I'd like to transition more of those miles to outside and the treadmill. (Of course, whether or not this will really be feasible depends a lot on whether downtown Kansas City turns out to be runnable - there is no way I can steel myself to do 10 miles a week on the treadmill, even if I do the other 10 in New York on the weekend).
3. Finally, I want to make some yoga a part of my routine. Back when I was a freshman at NYU and studying theater, I was required to take a movement class three times a week that began with 45 minutes of yoga - and I was in great shape then. On Saturday, during my few hours in Albany, I took an "Athletic Yoga" class with my mom, and it actually had some of my muscles a bit sore yesterday from the great deep stretching. I've heard that my new project is going to be a bit intense (which means lots of hours hunched over my laptop), so to combat that tension, I want to try to incorporate some yoga a few times a week. I'm not going to get more specific than that with the plan just yet, but perhaps even a sun salutation or two before bed every night? Anyone with favorite routines to share, I'd love to give them a try!
Now, off to create my totally Type A workout tracking spreadsheet...
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Cold for the Weekend
My weekend started out a bit early - after a big night out with my work team to celebrate our product launch, I had to get up Thursday morning at 4:30am to head for the airport. I'm wrapping up my current project with three days this week and two days next week (and diving into my next project next Wednesday - no breaks for me). After two quick flights, I landed in Albany, NY, at 9:30am - in time to catch up with my mom a bit, work from her house in the morning, and then head up to my brother's house in Saratoga before my brothers and I hit the road for Killington, Vermont. Ski slopes, here we come!
The festivities started pretty early - with wings + beer at 4:30pm. While wings aren't normally in my food repertoire, it was a good thing I snagged those before we unpacked at the condo - because while our fridge had plenty of beverages, we were a bit lacking in food.
Pretty much as soon as we filled that fridge up, we set to work emptying it. Several card games of "Asshole" later (in which I reigned as President for three terms - the longest tenure of any of us), we made the ill-fated decision to head for the bars. Ill-fated not so much because anything bad happened (though my brothers did accidentally leave me behind at a bar near the end of the night - shame, shame!), but more because we had all already had plenty to drink and really should have just taken advantage of the opportunity to rest up. Friday night, I paid for that decision...
Friday morning, we all got up at 7am to hit the slopes by 8:30am, which was pretty good considering that the lifts just opened at 8am. I did a quick run on a beginner trail in order to get from the ski rental area to the main lodge where everyone else was gearing up - but unfortunately, that ended up being my best run of the day. As we've all heard by now, the mountains have really been suffering from a lack of snow, and while we had just gotten a storm the night before, most of the fresh powder had blown off the mountain by early afternoon, when I stopped helping to teach my brother Erik's friend (an absolute beginner from South Carolina) and went off on my own. The two runs I got in before lunch were okay, though colder and icier than I would have liked - but after lunch, the snow had been skied off so much that I was terrified of an intermediate trail that I've done many times in the past with no problems. Ever since my mishap in Colorado a few years ago, I get really psyched out by icy conditions, and Friday was no exception. My poor brother Erik, who had spent all morning going slowly with his friend Jon, now spent his last run of the day dealing with me stopping every 20 seconds to try to assess a route down the otherwise easy trail that had enough snow for me to catch an edge. Meanwhile, temps were now in the single digits (I believe the high for the day was 8°F), and all we wanted to do was get the heck off the mountain to warm up. Sorry, Erik!
But that night, I turned into even more of a downer. The beer drinking again started early - around 5pm - but this time, I was ready for bed by like 6pm. Two days of heavy drinking and not enough sleep were really taking their toll, and I was too tired to care how lame I was being by staying in on my last night in Vermont (I had to leave Saturday to get back for my Athleta run on Sunday). In the lamest move ever that even I'm ashamed of, I borrowed my brother Lars' oversize hoodie, picked up a cool can of seltzer, and joined my recently pregnant (YAY! Congrats!) sister-in-law on the couch to veg and gossip. Sexy!
On the plus side, it was great to catch up a bit with Andie, and an 11pm bedtime was glorious :) Not so glorious? Waking up on Saturday morning with a nasty cold and discovering that while there hadn't been good snow on the mountain for me to ski, it was snowing just in time for me to leave and traverse the back roads toward Albany. Yuck! After stopping in Albany to switch to a plane (and then to a train when the storm delayed my flight indefinitely), I arrived home in NYC that night feeling pretty miserable and sick - marking the second weekend night in a row that I chose to rest up and go to bed early.
This morning, I hoped for a full recovery - but while I naturally woke up super early at 7am, I still felt pretty gross. Checking the weather to find out that it was a high of 20°F and a "feels like" of 11°F, I dressed warmly as I set out for Athleta for my 9:30am half marathon training group - and really struggled with my half-mile jog over there. I tried Tweeting a few running friends to see if anyone else might be able to come take over leading the run for me, to no avail... but when I got out there (luckily it was just a short 2 mile run this week), I found that running/coaching actually made me feel better. Go figure! Unfortunately, I wasn't enough better to justify my original plan for the day of an afternoon 4 mile race ending at a bar for football games... but I do think I'm on the mend. I stayed low-key around the house for the rest of the day (cleaning, unpacking from my trip, packing for the new week), and am now headed for yet another early bedtime. Tomorrow, I fly to Charlottesville for the last time, and then it's off to Kansas City on Wednesday night to begin my new project. Excitement is in the air!
The festivities started pretty early - with wings + beer at 4:30pm. While wings aren't normally in my food repertoire, it was a good thing I snagged those before we unpacked at the condo - because while our fridge had plenty of beverages, we were a bit lacking in food.
Note that even the produce drawers are filled with beer...
Pretty much as soon as we filled that fridge up, we set to work emptying it. Several card games of "Asshole" later (in which I reigned as President for three terms - the longest tenure of any of us), we made the ill-fated decision to head for the bars. Ill-fated not so much because anything bad happened (though my brothers did accidentally leave me behind at a bar near the end of the night - shame, shame!), but more because we had all already had plenty to drink and really should have just taken advantage of the opportunity to rest up. Friday night, I paid for that decision...
Friday morning, we all got up at 7am to hit the slopes by 8:30am, which was pretty good considering that the lifts just opened at 8am. I did a quick run on a beginner trail in order to get from the ski rental area to the main lodge where everyone else was gearing up - but unfortunately, that ended up being my best run of the day. As we've all heard by now, the mountains have really been suffering from a lack of snow, and while we had just gotten a storm the night before, most of the fresh powder had blown off the mountain by early afternoon, when I stopped helping to teach my brother Erik's friend (an absolute beginner from South Carolina) and went off on my own. The two runs I got in before lunch were okay, though colder and icier than I would have liked - but after lunch, the snow had been skied off so much that I was terrified of an intermediate trail that I've done many times in the past with no problems. Ever since my mishap in Colorado a few years ago, I get really psyched out by icy conditions, and Friday was no exception. My poor brother Erik, who had spent all morning going slowly with his friend Jon, now spent his last run of the day dealing with me stopping every 20 seconds to try to assess a route down the otherwise easy trail that had enough snow for me to catch an edge. Meanwhile, temps were now in the single digits (I believe the high for the day was 8°F), and all we wanted to do was get the heck off the mountain to warm up. Sorry, Erik!
But that night, I turned into even more of a downer. The beer drinking again started early - around 5pm - but this time, I was ready for bed by like 6pm. Two days of heavy drinking and not enough sleep were really taking their toll, and I was too tired to care how lame I was being by staying in on my last night in Vermont (I had to leave Saturday to get back for my Athleta run on Sunday). In the lamest move ever that even I'm ashamed of, I borrowed my brother Lars' oversize hoodie, picked up a cool can of seltzer, and joined my recently pregnant (YAY! Congrats!) sister-in-law on the couch to veg and gossip. Sexy!
On the plus side, it was great to catch up a bit with Andie, and an 11pm bedtime was glorious :) Not so glorious? Waking up on Saturday morning with a nasty cold and discovering that while there hadn't been good snow on the mountain for me to ski, it was snowing just in time for me to leave and traverse the back roads toward Albany. Yuck! After stopping in Albany to switch to a plane (and then to a train when the storm delayed my flight indefinitely), I arrived home in NYC that night feeling pretty miserable and sick - marking the second weekend night in a row that I chose to rest up and go to bed early.
This morning, I hoped for a full recovery - but while I naturally woke up super early at 7am, I still felt pretty gross. Checking the weather to find out that it was a high of 20°F and a "feels like" of 11°F, I dressed warmly as I set out for Athleta for my 9:30am half marathon training group - and really struggled with my half-mile jog over there. I tried Tweeting a few running friends to see if anyone else might be able to come take over leading the run for me, to no avail... but when I got out there (luckily it was just a short 2 mile run this week), I found that running/coaching actually made me feel better. Go figure! Unfortunately, I wasn't enough better to justify my original plan for the day of an afternoon 4 mile race ending at a bar for football games... but I do think I'm on the mend. I stayed low-key around the house for the rest of the day (cleaning, unpacking from my trip, packing for the new week), and am now headed for yet another early bedtime. Tomorrow, I fly to Charlottesville for the last time, and then it's off to Kansas City on Wednesday night to begin my new project. Excitement is in the air!
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Marathon myth: Test your outfit before race day
In this weekend's marathon, I had the chance to wear a brand new all-Athleta ensemble. I went a little nuts at their semi annual sale a few weeks ago, and at first I picked out the adorable hot pink PR tank and gray Quick Step capris that I'm wearing in my official Athleta profile. However, the more I thought about running in mid-60s temps (glorious!), I realized that I would probably be hot in capris, so I decided to pick up another outfit instead.
When I went shopping again, Athleta's new spring line had just started coming in, so I ended up with pretty much the cutest running outfit I've ever worn: a purple ruffled Swagger skirt and the Pavitra tank, a black Y-back tanktop with an adorable flower paisley design on it. Now, conventional advice is that you shouldn't wear something brand new when you're doing a marathon (26.2 miles can cause a lot of pain if something chafes). While the idea is generally solid, I think this advice should really vary based on the exact item of clothing you're considering. For example, I ran the Marine Corps Marathon wearing a Supergirl costume that I had never before worn to run in - but I used a favorite sports bra and tank top as my base layer underneath. So, starting from the bottom up:
Sneakers - These are pretty important, so I wouldn't wear a new model to a race that I haven't run many miles in before. However, I have frequently worn brand new pairs of sneakers to marathons - as long as they are the same exact model as a tried-and-true pair. Your mileage may vary (pun intended), but I don't get any extra tightness of rubbing from a new pair of sneakers like I do a new pair of heels, so I don't see the need to break them in.
Socks - Also critical to blister avoidance, it's probably not the best idea to wear a new pair of socks to a race. Though on the flip side, new socks tend to be cushier than old socks that have been worn down and gone through the washing machine a few times. For this one, I say fine to wear new socks as long as you put plenty of Vaseline on your feet (prevents blisters) and if you've worn that particular type before (some socks can be hotter than others).
Skirt - I like to wear a running skirt for marathons (though for training, I always wear shorts or pants... go figure). I like that skirts are cute and fun, but the tight biker-style shorts that come under them can create a buffer to prevent thigh chafing (that's right, let's be honest, for most people running 26.2 miles, that is an issue). Assuming you've checked to make sure that there are built in shorts, the worst problem you'll have is shorts that ride up a bit as you run - which isn't a huge deal, so I was going to say that as long as you've tried the skirt on before the race and it's not too big or too small, you're probably fine. But then! On Saturday I tried the aforementioned Athleta swagger skort, and discovered, for the first time in my running career, shorts that don't budge one inch while you're running. I have no idea how they did it, but I am glad I went with a skirt I hadn't worn before!
Sports bra - This is absolutely the most critical part of my workout gear. Seriously, when I used to do the Insanity program, I would sometimes do it barefoot, because I was on my Vibram Five Fingers kick, but as long as I was inside, I didn't need protection from rocks/etc, so I'd do it straight up barefoot. And then because I got so ridiculously sweaty during Insanity, I would often strip down to just my underwear for the workout (sorry, gym peepers, I always did Insanity at home or in my hotel room). But the one item that I always made sure to wear was a good sports bra - because it is not at all comfortable to go without (not to mention it's pretty bad for your girls). I used to just double up on cheap cotton sports bras from Walmart (3 for $10), until I tried a quality Moving Comfort bra... and I haven't looked back since. Did you know that you can finish a marathon without any chest chafing at all? It's a whole new world for me! A sports bra is definitely something to try in training before wearing it for a full marathon - and if you have any chafing, keep looking. A good sports bra is the best!
Tank top - Since I always wear tank tops with built in bras for marathons (a relic of the days when I had to do so because of my cheap sports bra), I'd put this in the same category as a sports bra - try it before you wear it. For my Pavitra top, I only wore it for about a 6 mile run, but that was enough for me to make sure it fit comfortably and didn't have any annoying tags or other scratch points. I really liked the Pavitra top, and got a ton of compliments on it during both my training run in it and at the race. It's a super cute design, is made from a material that does a pretty good job of wicking, and I particularly liked the length - it came down over my hips low enough that there was never any gap of skin showing, even by the end of a run when my top tends to ride up a bit. Only downside is that this top doesn't have any pockets - unlike the PR tank that I also picked up recently. But to be fair - I've never before had a top with pockets, so this is just a bonus feature that I'm looking forward to trying in the future!
Jacket - I didn't wear a jacket for this race, given how warm it was. But when choosing a jacket, I think that is another item that's critical to try before you wear in a marathon. I've found jackets to be extremely prone to annoying features - pockets that are tough to get unzipped, hoods that fall off your head when you're wearing it or that flail around when not on your head, and random tags and front zippers that scratch. Plus, it can be hard to gauge how warm a jacket is going to be until you've actually tried it on a run. You could probably get away with wearing a new jacket during a race, but I just think there are too many things that could go wrong in trying to do that.
So in short? Test your sports bra and your tank top beforehand, use a tried-and-true pair of socks and sneakers (but if they're a brand new pair, as long as you've tried the model before, they're fine), and wear whatever you pick up at the last minute for your skirt. Another marathon myth, debunked!
When I went shopping again, Athleta's new spring line had just started coming in, so I ended up with pretty much the cutest running outfit I've ever worn: a purple ruffled Swagger skirt and the Pavitra tank, a black Y-back tanktop with an adorable flower paisley design on it. Now, conventional advice is that you shouldn't wear something brand new when you're doing a marathon (26.2 miles can cause a lot of pain if something chafes). While the idea is generally solid, I think this advice should really vary based on the exact item of clothing you're considering. For example, I ran the Marine Corps Marathon wearing a Supergirl costume that I had never before worn to run in - but I used a favorite sports bra and tank top as my base layer underneath. So, starting from the bottom up:
Sneakers - These are pretty important, so I wouldn't wear a new model to a race that I haven't run many miles in before. However, I have frequently worn brand new pairs of sneakers to marathons - as long as they are the same exact model as a tried-and-true pair. Your mileage may vary (pun intended), but I don't get any extra tightness of rubbing from a new pair of sneakers like I do a new pair of heels, so I don't see the need to break them in.
Socks - Also critical to blister avoidance, it's probably not the best idea to wear a new pair of socks to a race. Though on the flip side, new socks tend to be cushier than old socks that have been worn down and gone through the washing machine a few times. For this one, I say fine to wear new socks as long as you put plenty of Vaseline on your feet (prevents blisters) and if you've worn that particular type before (some socks can be hotter than others).
Skirt - I like to wear a running skirt for marathons (though for training, I always wear shorts or pants... go figure). I like that skirts are cute and fun, but the tight biker-style shorts that come under them can create a buffer to prevent thigh chafing (that's right, let's be honest, for most people running 26.2 miles, that is an issue). Assuming you've checked to make sure that there are built in shorts, the worst problem you'll have is shorts that ride up a bit as you run - which isn't a huge deal, so I was going to say that as long as you've tried the skirt on before the race and it's not too big or too small, you're probably fine. But then! On Saturday I tried the aforementioned Athleta swagger skort, and discovered, for the first time in my running career, shorts that don't budge one inch while you're running. I have no idea how they did it, but I am glad I went with a skirt I hadn't worn before!
Sports bra - This is absolutely the most critical part of my workout gear. Seriously, when I used to do the Insanity program, I would sometimes do it barefoot, because I was on my Vibram Five Fingers kick, but as long as I was inside, I didn't need protection from rocks/etc, so I'd do it straight up barefoot. And then because I got so ridiculously sweaty during Insanity, I would often strip down to just my underwear for the workout (sorry, gym peepers, I always did Insanity at home or in my hotel room). But the one item that I always made sure to wear was a good sports bra - because it is not at all comfortable to go without (not to mention it's pretty bad for your girls). I used to just double up on cheap cotton sports bras from Walmart (3 for $10), until I tried a quality Moving Comfort bra... and I haven't looked back since. Did you know that you can finish a marathon without any chest chafing at all? It's a whole new world for me! A sports bra is definitely something to try in training before wearing it for a full marathon - and if you have any chafing, keep looking. A good sports bra is the best!
Tank top - Since I always wear tank tops with built in bras for marathons (a relic of the days when I had to do so because of my cheap sports bra), I'd put this in the same category as a sports bra - try it before you wear it. For my Pavitra top, I only wore it for about a 6 mile run, but that was enough for me to make sure it fit comfortably and didn't have any annoying tags or other scratch points. I really liked the Pavitra top, and got a ton of compliments on it during both my training run in it and at the race. It's a super cute design, is made from a material that does a pretty good job of wicking, and I particularly liked the length - it came down over my hips low enough that there was never any gap of skin showing, even by the end of a run when my top tends to ride up a bit. Only downside is that this top doesn't have any pockets - unlike the PR tank that I also picked up recently. But to be fair - I've never before had a top with pockets, so this is just a bonus feature that I'm looking forward to trying in the future!
Jacket - I didn't wear a jacket for this race, given how warm it was. But when choosing a jacket, I think that is another item that's critical to try before you wear in a marathon. I've found jackets to be extremely prone to annoying features - pockets that are tough to get unzipped, hoods that fall off your head when you're wearing it or that flail around when not on your head, and random tags and front zippers that scratch. Plus, it can be hard to gauge how warm a jacket is going to be until you've actually tried it on a run. You could probably get away with wearing a new jacket during a race, but I just think there are too many things that could go wrong in trying to do that.
So in short? Test your sports bra and your tank top beforehand, use a tried-and-true pair of socks and sneakers (but if they're a brand new pair, as long as you've tried the model before, they're fine), and wear whatever you pick up at the last minute for your skirt. Another marathon myth, debunked!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
How to recover from a marathon - in record time
It's now three days post-marathon, and I am fully recovered. I am still a bit shocked at how fast I was able to run - and was very surprised to find that I wasn't too sore from my efforts, either (though in fairness, this was one of my longer post-marathon recovery periods). Since I've been focusing a lot on beginning runner tactics lately with training plans to complete your first half marathon, I thought today I'd switch it up and talk about something for advanced runners: how to recover from a marathon.
Before you groan about ice baths and the like, let me note that I have actually never taken one. I also rarely get a post-race massage (unless it's free and the line is really short), and I don't take any crazy protein supplements. These are all standard methods I've seen in many articles for post-marathon recovery - and yet, people who follow them tend to look like this the day after the marathon (go watch that video, it's hilarious). Guess what? I did 6 miles on the elliptical the day after my marathon, and in the past, I've done a second marathon the day after the first marathon. The day after my marathons, I don't look like I've done a marathon at all - and it's time for me to share my secrets.
The first mistake people make is in how they choose their race: flat is not fast, and it is terrible for your recovery. Did I just blow your mind with that statement? Let's take a step back and think about it for a minute. When you run a marathon, your legs are going to be going in a pretty static forward and back motion for a very long time. If you are on a flat course, they are going to be going in basically the same exact trajectory for that entire time - and that's what causes your hip flexors to lock up. If they aren't stretching in multiple directions, they're going to get so focused on doing what they need to do (going slightly forward and slightly back) that finishing and then doing anything else is going to be extremely painful. This is the reason that all my PRs have been set on hilly courses - by incorporating uphills and downhills, you're changing the path your leg needs to take (because you'll probably adjust your stride to be longer or shorter), and you're also changing the muscles that you're using to move forward. You'll use your hamstrings more on the uphill, and your quadriceps more on the downhill - giving the opposite muscle a bit of a break in doing so. Furthermore, uphill running causes you to bend at the hip more, which again helps you to avoid the pain of your hip flexors locking up near the end of a race.
During a race, even if you aren't on a hill, try to vary your stride when you start feeling tension and soreness. For example, when I took walk breaks in the last 10 miles or so of the race, I tried to use each walk break as not just a chance to take it easy, but as an opportunity to really stretch out my legs - and especially those darn hip flexors. By lengthening my stride so that it was almost a lunge walk, I worked my legs through a fuller range of motion and stretched out my tight hips. If you are always taking short little steps, your hip flexors are going to tighten to that range of motion; you want to expand it to avoid the "marathoner's shuffle" so common at the end of a race. Don't be afraid to even stop and take a quick stretch break during a race; if a 20 second stretch can help you pick up your pace by 10 seconds per mile (which is very likely), you'll make it up in just 2 miles. Just make sure that you aren't doing your full stretching routine, but paying attention to which muscles are sore, and then doing a stretch or two that is specific to those muscles. If your calves aren't really tight, why are you stretching them mid-race? Save that for after.
So you finished the race (congratulations!) and now you're tired and want to stop. Terrible idea! The absolute best thing you can do post-race is keep moving. However, while a lot of people advise walking after a race, I'd actually suggest the opposite (especially if you walked a lot during the race). Instead, find some kind of movement that keeps your legs going but moves them to a different plane than the one they've been in during the race. Sunday, after hearing Aretha Franklin's "Respect" come over the loudspeaker system, I got up and demonstrated "my dance" (aka the official choreographed dance that we had to do when I worked at Johnny Rockets in high school), and then later when I got back to my condo, I did a little victory dance to "Born This Way." Get your legs moving in a way that they weren't moving when you were running and it will work wonders.
The obvious - stretching - is also important, but before you launch into your usual routine, pause to consider what is sore. My feet are almost always sore after a marathon (and I usually have blisters to treat, too), but I try to notice what feels different than the expected soreness. This race, I noticed that my calves felt kind of tired, but were generally fine - so while I did a quick calf stretch, I didn't worry about it too much. However, my quads were a little tight - and I knew that would only get worse in the next 12-24 hours. Take some time to do stretches for those particular muscles (Google is your friend to find muscle-specific stretches), and also use a foam roller, Stick, or even wine bottle to "roll out" that muscle tension. The sooner you can do this after the race, the better, since that's when your muscles will be warm and pliable. I try to stretch and roll/massage within an hour or two of finishing. If you have a non-slip bathtub/bathmat, the shower is a fabulous place for some of that stretching - the combo of getting to ease your tight muscles and simultaneously wash off the gross salty residue always feels awesome.
Also obvious but very important: drink tons of water to rehydrate and flush out your system, and get lots of sleep - these are the building blocks of allowing your muscles to repair and rebuild. Try for an hour more sleep than whatever your usual "well-rested" night is (e.g., instead of 8 hours, I tried for 9), if possible. 99% of the time, my feet hurt after a marathon… but that completely goes away after just one night of good sleep, and I'm left with just a few areas of muscle soreness (this time, my quads). Pay very close attention to what still hurts the morning after a marathon - those are the muscles you need to stretch a lot now, and strengthen the next time around. (Hopefully by now you've forgotten the pain and have decided that there will be a next marathon!)
You may notice that "eat lots of protein" is conspicuously lacking from this list. This is because if you eat lots of extra protein, you're probably just putting unnecessary calories into your body that it doesn't know what to do with - plus, in extreme circumstances, too much protein can tax your kidneys. Avoid manufactured protein shakes, and just try to incorporate a regular source of protein into each meal. Hopefully, you do this anyway; I just make sure that I don't have any low protein meals for a day or two after the race (e.g., I'd pick an omelet over a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast). A normal amount of protein is plenty for your muscles to recover.
Finally, take all that advice about "doing a reverse taper" and throw it out the window. Am I a bit easier on myself the day after a marathon? Absolutely, but I still get in a good workout. In college, I watched our hockey team hit the stationary bikes as soon as a game was done - it was required by their coaches - and I've incorporated that into my own plan. Stationary biking is a great low-impact way to get your legs moving again. The elliptical is another great option. Do I run the day after a marathon? Not usually, but I've done it on occasion. Some soreness in your day-after-the-marathon workout is to be expected, so don't let that deter you. I just make sure that while I'm going for a similar time workout, my intensity is down a bit and I'm not pushing it like crazy. This week, I biked for 20 minutes (4.5 miles) in the morning and then hit the elliptical for an easy 60 minutes (5.9 miles) while watching the Bachelor in the evening. The next day, I opted for a free weight lifting routine that had me up on my feet, but focusing primarily on my arms rather than my legs (though I did include 10 minutes of the rowing machine). And today, I'm back to normal and am planning to punish my legs for their time off with some crazy squats and deadlifts tonight :)
And as preventative for next time? Run more marathons. Part of the reason my body recovers so quickly after a marathon is that it's very used to the distance. Running a marathon for me has become the equivalent of running 5 miles for other people - it made me sore the first time, but as I did it more and more, my body adapted to that distance and now can recover in record time. When you figure out your training plan, add as many long runs (20 miles or more) as possible. Having your muscles used to working for that long period of time will give them the endurance they need to last you through the race - and will make the day after seem like just another day after your long run.
Before you groan about ice baths and the like, let me note that I have actually never taken one. I also rarely get a post-race massage (unless it's free and the line is really short), and I don't take any crazy protein supplements. These are all standard methods I've seen in many articles for post-marathon recovery - and yet, people who follow them tend to look like this the day after the marathon (go watch that video, it's hilarious). Guess what? I did 6 miles on the elliptical the day after my marathon, and in the past, I've done a second marathon the day after the first marathon. The day after my marathons, I don't look like I've done a marathon at all - and it's time for me to share my secrets.
The first mistake people make is in how they choose their race: flat is not fast, and it is terrible for your recovery. Did I just blow your mind with that statement? Let's take a step back and think about it for a minute. When you run a marathon, your legs are going to be going in a pretty static forward and back motion for a very long time. If you are on a flat course, they are going to be going in basically the same exact trajectory for that entire time - and that's what causes your hip flexors to lock up. If they aren't stretching in multiple directions, they're going to get so focused on doing what they need to do (going slightly forward and slightly back) that finishing and then doing anything else is going to be extremely painful. This is the reason that all my PRs have been set on hilly courses - by incorporating uphills and downhills, you're changing the path your leg needs to take (because you'll probably adjust your stride to be longer or shorter), and you're also changing the muscles that you're using to move forward. You'll use your hamstrings more on the uphill, and your quadriceps more on the downhill - giving the opposite muscle a bit of a break in doing so. Furthermore, uphill running causes you to bend at the hip more, which again helps you to avoid the pain of your hip flexors locking up near the end of a race.
During a race, even if you aren't on a hill, try to vary your stride when you start feeling tension and soreness. For example, when I took walk breaks in the last 10 miles or so of the race, I tried to use each walk break as not just a chance to take it easy, but as an opportunity to really stretch out my legs - and especially those darn hip flexors. By lengthening my stride so that it was almost a lunge walk, I worked my legs through a fuller range of motion and stretched out my tight hips. If you are always taking short little steps, your hip flexors are going to tighten to that range of motion; you want to expand it to avoid the "marathoner's shuffle" so common at the end of a race. Don't be afraid to even stop and take a quick stretch break during a race; if a 20 second stretch can help you pick up your pace by 10 seconds per mile (which is very likely), you'll make it up in just 2 miles. Just make sure that you aren't doing your full stretching routine, but paying attention to which muscles are sore, and then doing a stretch or two that is specific to those muscles. If your calves aren't really tight, why are you stretching them mid-race? Save that for after.
So you finished the race (congratulations!) and now you're tired and want to stop. Terrible idea! The absolute best thing you can do post-race is keep moving. However, while a lot of people advise walking after a race, I'd actually suggest the opposite (especially if you walked a lot during the race). Instead, find some kind of movement that keeps your legs going but moves them to a different plane than the one they've been in during the race. Sunday, after hearing Aretha Franklin's "Respect" come over the loudspeaker system, I got up and demonstrated "my dance" (aka the official choreographed dance that we had to do when I worked at Johnny Rockets in high school), and then later when I got back to my condo, I did a little victory dance to "Born This Way." Get your legs moving in a way that they weren't moving when you were running and it will work wonders.
The obvious - stretching - is also important, but before you launch into your usual routine, pause to consider what is sore. My feet are almost always sore after a marathon (and I usually have blisters to treat, too), but I try to notice what feels different than the expected soreness. This race, I noticed that my calves felt kind of tired, but were generally fine - so while I did a quick calf stretch, I didn't worry about it too much. However, my quads were a little tight - and I knew that would only get worse in the next 12-24 hours. Take some time to do stretches for those particular muscles (Google is your friend to find muscle-specific stretches), and also use a foam roller, Stick, or even wine bottle to "roll out" that muscle tension. The sooner you can do this after the race, the better, since that's when your muscles will be warm and pliable. I try to stretch and roll/massage within an hour or two of finishing. If you have a non-slip bathtub/bathmat, the shower is a fabulous place for some of that stretching - the combo of getting to ease your tight muscles and simultaneously wash off the gross salty residue always feels awesome.
Also obvious but very important: drink tons of water to rehydrate and flush out your system, and get lots of sleep - these are the building blocks of allowing your muscles to repair and rebuild. Try for an hour more sleep than whatever your usual "well-rested" night is (e.g., instead of 8 hours, I tried for 9), if possible. 99% of the time, my feet hurt after a marathon… but that completely goes away after just one night of good sleep, and I'm left with just a few areas of muscle soreness (this time, my quads). Pay very close attention to what still hurts the morning after a marathon - those are the muscles you need to stretch a lot now, and strengthen the next time around. (Hopefully by now you've forgotten the pain and have decided that there will be a next marathon!)
You may notice that "eat lots of protein" is conspicuously lacking from this list. This is because if you eat lots of extra protein, you're probably just putting unnecessary calories into your body that it doesn't know what to do with - plus, in extreme circumstances, too much protein can tax your kidneys. Avoid manufactured protein shakes, and just try to incorporate a regular source of protein into each meal. Hopefully, you do this anyway; I just make sure that I don't have any low protein meals for a day or two after the race (e.g., I'd pick an omelet over a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast). A normal amount of protein is plenty for your muscles to recover.
Finally, take all that advice about "doing a reverse taper" and throw it out the window. Am I a bit easier on myself the day after a marathon? Absolutely, but I still get in a good workout. In college, I watched our hockey team hit the stationary bikes as soon as a game was done - it was required by their coaches - and I've incorporated that into my own plan. Stationary biking is a great low-impact way to get your legs moving again. The elliptical is another great option. Do I run the day after a marathon? Not usually, but I've done it on occasion. Some soreness in your day-after-the-marathon workout is to be expected, so don't let that deter you. I just make sure that while I'm going for a similar time workout, my intensity is down a bit and I'm not pushing it like crazy. This week, I biked for 20 minutes (4.5 miles) in the morning and then hit the elliptical for an easy 60 minutes (5.9 miles) while watching the Bachelor in the evening. The next day, I opted for a free weight lifting routine that had me up on my feet, but focusing primarily on my arms rather than my legs (though I did include 10 minutes of the rowing machine). And today, I'm back to normal and am planning to punish my legs for their time off with some crazy squats and deadlifts tonight :)
And as preventative for next time? Run more marathons. Part of the reason my body recovers so quickly after a marathon is that it's very used to the distance. Running a marathon for me has become the equivalent of running 5 miles for other people - it made me sore the first time, but as I did it more and more, my body adapted to that distance and now can recover in record time. When you figure out your training plan, add as many long runs (20 miles or more) as possible. Having your muscles used to working for that long period of time will give them the endurance they need to last you through the race - and will make the day after seem like just another day after your long run.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
