Greetings Spring Runners; Week #11
A great weekend for running! I missed the Saturday run because I was scoring the DCAC Chester River Open Water 1,2,3,4,and 5 Mile Swims. On Sunday, Rene, Myles, Willie, Dennis, Erin, and many others helped make the first Rosaryville Trail Runs of 10k, 15k, 25k, and 50k a huge success.
Go to the www.bluepointtiming.com to see how Myles, Jeff, Mollie (did her FIRST trail run!), Nica, Laura, Laurel, Christian, Cris, and all the others did!
As a follow on to my ‘counsel’ last week about the benefits of low aerobic long distance efforts, Jim LeClare passes this along;
“Good seeing you at the track, and yes, great reminder. I was starting to drift off course, so your timing of the email was good. Every so often, all runners, at all experience levels, get the urge to bypass correct training procedures and speed up the process. This can work temporarily -- sometimes -- however most of the time it ends in injury or you end up leaving your best runs on the training runs and the actual event suffers. Next you need a more detailed email on recovery, and recovery between events ........... ......... hurry .......... I head off to Vermont next week :-)
It might be ‘too late’ for Jim heading off to do the Vermont 100 this week; his second in about a month, but here is some advice I have learned; as they say – THE HARD WAY :-)
Recovery, like most things in endurance sports, can be described as – ‘it depends’. It boils down to the individual and how well they ‘know their bodies and mind’. Approach to recovery will depend on what the individual’s goals are. Is the Recovery after a goal race, with a long period before the next event –or- are you one of ‘those’ type people who go quickly from event to event. The basic tenet is allow enough time to let the body heal enough to be ready for the next event, or before resuming more intense workouts.
EVERY runner is more afraid of taking too long for recovery and – (the unspeakable fear of every runner) – losing fitness-and having to start over. Gasp!! There, I said it; and I am ‘looking’ at YOU!
Studies I have read indicate it takes about (again – very individual) 2 weeks to completely De-Train. The study did indicate that was with becoming a COMPLETE couch potato, ie on your back for 2 weeks. It goes to 3 weeks with the basic activity to get through a normal busy day, and extends about a week with every 15 minutes or so of activity added per day. Now losing your ‘peak’ is another thing – different discussion.
The most important period in all sports could be the hour immediately following your event. How you manage that timeframe, and to a slightly less extent, the next 8 to 10 hours, will determine if you can start working out later that week or not for two weeks. In Mark Allen’s seminar, he pointed out that a hard workout or race (an extended time above MAHR) will take 7 to 9 hours for the body to repair the basic damage done to the muscles.
Just like learning how your body reacts to different conditions during a race, you have to learn how your body recovers after different conditions.
- Basic rule of thumb calls for getting 100 gram of carbohydrates and about 20 grams of protein consumed within the first hour; plus 20oz to 40oz of water/electrolyte fluids.
- Take a 15 minute ice bath after. IT WORKS!!
- Stay off your feet – read ‘couch potato’ for a few hours after the race, but doing some walking will help delay or lesson DOMS (Delayed onset Muscle Soreness) when you are more sore two days after the event.
- Active Rest – walking, swimming, easy cycling; for the next 2 to 4 days. Then do some HONEST self-assessment on how your energy levels have rebounded before taking on more intense workouts. This is the time most athletes make their mistake – starting back too hard, too fast. Remember, it is better to recover a little longer than it is to come back too soon. You are inviting injury with the latter. The right formula is different for each person and even then, there are multitudes of variables (heat, length, type (triathlon vs trail run vs road marathon), next event, illness……..) that MUST be taken into account because they will ALL impact (positively or negatively) the amount of time to properly recover before the next event.
- Bottom Line – PAY ATTENTION to your body and mind – ALL THE TIME. Sometimes a coach can help. A good one will ask you a million questions that you should eventually learn to ask yourself. This is why a Training Log should be considered an essential piece of every runners equipment.
There are many more aspects of Recovery – more easily covered while relaxing after a good run J Ask me any time, any place, any question because IT IS WORTH THE EFFORT TO GET IT RIGHT because it is such a great feeling when it ALL COMES TOGETHER.
Just when you think you have heard every reason why the statement about distance runners are “unique” something like the following comes along – yea, we’re a different breed :-)
In the middle of the night, Diane Van Deren will leave her house against the
She used to run away from epileptic seizures. Since brain surgery, she
“It used to be, call for help if Mom’s not back in five hours,” Van
Van Deren, 49, had a lobectomy in 1997. She has become one of the
This weekend she will run in the Hardrock 100 ...
Here is the rest of the article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/09/sports/09ultra.html
Wednesday Track Session - START 6:00pm This week we will do 3 x 1200’s (3 laps) + 4 x 100 ; with 1 lap slow jog between. I plan to be there. Gather at Squisito’s after.
NOTE: I am putting out Hammer Recoverite at the 2 Mile Stop. The route will be out Rt 450 to RIGHT on St Stephen’s Church, RIGHT onto Chesterfield, RIGHT onto Crownsville to the Arundel Signs Water Stop, then RIGHT to the top of Pinedale and back, then back to Truman.
There will be some going longer so we will try to have water at the Rt 450 6 MILE and Bell Branch 8 MILE Stops.
Here is my link for the 20 mile route: Link: http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/md/annapolis/631608832 Tom might have one as well.
Say “HELLO” to the new runners you see.
The Intermediate Group will be doing their run at 9:00am from Truman Park N Ride, for 6 mile run out to South River Road intersection, turn RIGHT, under the Rt 50 overpass and out to the Rt 450 intersection at the Arundel Sign Water Stop , then LEFT out to the 3 Mile Mark- and back with two 2 minute walk breaks.
The BEN MOORE MEMORIAL HALF MARATHON & 10K is on Saturday 1, August from Truman Park N Ride, starting at 7:30am. You can register at the same place –or- we need about 20 volunteers. If you can help, contact Rene to volunteer. We can set up a Workers Run also.
“You've got to get out there and do it. Face up to it: WE WERE MEANT TO RUN”
Percy Cerutty
Ron
Ron Bowman
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