recovery is definitely NOT my favorite part of training. i do enjoy it for the first couple days, but that doesn’t last very long. i hate feeling lazy and i hate having to regain fitness. plus with these 3 weekends of racing, i feel like my recovery time has been going on foreverrrrr! i know its a very necessary part of training and racing though.
in order to minimize my likelihood for injury and make sure i was recovered from the previous race, i only ran once between the marathon and the relay, and once between the relay and the half marathon. this is not much for me, and by now i am getting a little stir crazy! luckily i have had plenty of things to do since most of these races required travel or some sort of preparation, not to mention the bridal shower i helped throw, but all that is over and done now. i am unpacked, the laundry is done, all my running clothes are clean.
i know i just need to be careful and give myself the extra time, and i am really trying to enjoy this down time… BUT i am starting to feel gross and just itching to get out on a run. i have run during the races, but i miss my normal runs and i miss my running clothes and all those things! it is a good thing though, i think that is a big part of avoiding burnout is making sure to take these forced breaks. you come back into training excited, rejuvenated and ready to run!
so i don’t know how long i will last not running this week. when i do run i promise it will be slow and short. my legs feel a million times better this week then they did the last 2 weeks, so that is a good sign. i am really glad i took it easy at the half marathon and didn’t try to do anything silly like racing it. i don’t think my legs could have handled that, because i was pretty sore especially after the relay.
what is next?
i have the see jane run half marathon on june 5th i am running with a huge group of bay area girls, i am so excited! plus it was my very first half marathon and i didn’t run it last year, so that makes it extra exciting. i have a couple of 5/10ks planned over the summer, as well as ending my summer training with the san francisco half marathon.
i can tell you that i am SO GLAD that i am not running the full like originally planned. one of the top reasons was because i want to avoid *this* extra recovery period i am going through now. the other reason is i really want to work on my speed! i am really excited to start working on it again and really getting in some quality training over the summer, so i am ready to start training for CIM come early fall. i miss the track and i miss my tempos and i miss training in general… which is all a good thing.
Nice that after all of your races you are still having this major love affair with running! You are smart to take some time to recover and that will make you stronger. You've got some great goals/races coming up!
I walk a lot during my recovery bc I don't like that "lazy" feeling either. I hate walking but it makes me feel like I'm doing something. Its that quiet time alone that I really miss!
It is definitely smart and necessary to take the time to recover! Hang in there a few more days
Oh man, I could copy & paste this into my blog [don't worry I won't]
I enjoy the first 2-3 days then I get completely restless.
It is so necessary though.
Glad you're giving yourself the recovery you need. You're going to be so pumped up to start training again!
do you cross train during recovery? that might help make you not feel so lazy. i know it's not the same but it will help…and it's good for your body!
i hate the recovery part of training the most too! i tend to jump back into running too quickly but like you i try to keep it short and slow. best of luck with it
Forced recovery breaks are the pits! But you're so right, they are necessary and give you a great appreciation when you do go back
So sad I'm going to miss the bloggy meet up!!! Boo! Wanna do a trail race instead? Tee hee!
I am glad to hear you are not over doing it on between races and such! RECOVERY is good!
I can completely relate to this–it's so hard to be good!
I will be at See Jane Run too with three of my friends and it will also be my first half marathon. Hope to see you there!
Enjoy your rest, I know that itchy feeling too.
I hear ya on recovery! I cannot bring myself to walk a lot, so I end up sitting around and fretting…and cross training.
Shorter and speedier races are a lot of fun…sounds like you have a great season planned.
It is hard to recover correctly!! keep it up and I am sure you will be back running those tempos and track workouts and being super speedy!
Your being smart, but it still doesn't mean that recovery is fun! It'll give you that much more to look forward to with CIM. There is nothing better than having a fresh training schedule!
I swim during recovery, and it helps a ton, both mentally and physically. I know you are not a swimmer, but try to get into the pool and pretend swim for a little while; you'll be amazed how loose and refreshed your muscles feel afterward.
Good luck with the recovery! I still can't believe you had back to back to back races! Your legs deserve a little down time.
I hate recovery. I really don't even like it for a day. Great job in the half!
Your body will thank you for this recovery. I recently read something that Ryan Hall posted about getting back to running too quickly last year. Even when you know what you "should" do, it's hard to stay away from running. Good luck with the rest of your recovery! You have an awesome racing/running schedule coming up!
You're going to "work on" your speed? Girl, you're fast NOW!
Can you do some cross training to help you during the recovery time? That way you'll get your heart pumping, work up a sweat but save your feet. e.g. Elliptical? Cycle?
Exciting summer. It will be interesting to hear (if you post it) what your training for speed will entail.
How's about some two wheeled recovery in the down time?
Recovery is a good thing! I'm also thinking about running the half at SFM… I don't know if I can do a full in less than 12 weeks! YIKES
i'm like bethany I do lots and lots of walking when I need something close to down time
can't stand just doing nothing
I say one more day, then back to running! I took a full week off after Wisconsin. I didn't mind the not running part, but I hate the psychological, "Oh my god I probably can't even run 7 miles anymore!" part.
I know recovery is not your favorite but this week it's my favorite because we got to run together. ♥
Nice to know I'm not alone (going stir crazy, that is) in recovery mode. Sounds like you've got a smart plan!