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How much will I lose and how long to get it back?

October 30, 2014 / Training / 3 minutes of reading

This article was originally posted by Ryan at the original HillRunner.com Blogs.

Another recovery post? The last one…unless I get more questions.

I’ve noticed a few questions creeping up over the last two weeks that generally revolve around the general question of how much fitness will be lost in this month-long recovery phase and how long will it take to get that fitness back.

Those are great questions and the concern of losing fitness and needing a lot of time to get it back is the biggest stumbling block I see people struggling with when considering or trying to convince themselves to give themselves this time off. It’s surely my biggest stumbling block when I finish a racing season still feeling good and feeling fired up to go after next year’s goals.

So how much will you lose? It’s hard to quantify what you will lose but it’s obvious you will lose something. In my opinion, though, this is the wrong question so I’m not going to go into all kinds of technical details when they won’t answer what really matters.

Instead, we should be asking ourselves how long it will take to get that fitness back and what the alternative is. If you take a month completely off or do minimal running, whatever that means for you, with no thought of training, how long until you can return to a normal workload at similar paces? What happens if you don’t take that month off?

It’s been my experience that, after a month of minimal running, a runner can expect to be carrying a normal workload within 1-2 months.

So does this mean you’re setting yourself back by 2-3 months by taking a month down? Well, keep in mind some of the repercussions of not taking that down time. Stagnation, injury, burnout, lack of motivation. You may be ahead 2-3 months from now if you don’t take that down time. However, when are the races that really matter? 6 months from now? 12 months from now? With renewed motivation and a rejuvenated body, you’ll be far ahead by that time after taking some time down now.

Yes, you will definitely lose some fitness if you take some down time now. However, you will end up with some down time sooner or later. If you take it now, you will be back to your normal self within 2-3 months and ready to push toward new levels. If you don’t, you will almost surely be forced by illness, injury or lack of motivation to take it at a time when you have less time to recover your fitness and push forward.

It’s your choice: now or later.

Ice baths and pollution

October 27, 2014 / Roundups / 2 minutes of reading

This article was originally posted by Ryan at the original HillRunner.com Blogs.

Believe it or not, I didn’t feel like I had a ton of great material that demanded a Monday post last week. I have a couple interesting things this week, though.

Ice Baths: We all hear about the benefits of ice baths. It is generally accepted that they are good for you. College teams gather in the training room after practice for team ice baths. The elites regularly do it. I remember when I was in school gathering outside the fieldhouse when the weather was nice to take my turn in the ice barrels that the trainers would have ready for us. When the weather wasn’t as good, the whirlpools would be waiting for us at the end of practice and we’d gather in the back room of the training room to take our turns. This still goes on today at probably almost every college and many high schools.

Ice baths suck but they are good so we do them. But are they really good?

A recovery placebo administered after an acute high-intensity interval training session is superior in the recovery of muscle strength over 48 h as compared with TWI and is as effective as CWI.

CWI is cold water immersion. In other words, this suggests the benefits of ice baths are at least partly, maybe completely, the result of the placebo effect.

Pollution

Do you run in a densely populated area with a lot of vehicle traffic and/or other sources of pollution?

Well, good news and bad news.

The good news: Running is better for you than the pollution is bad for you. So, even if you’re running in the pollution, you’re doing more good than bad.

The bad news: While you’re doing more good than bad, there is bad.

Keep doing what you can, even if it means running in pollution. However, try to change what you can to reduce the amount of pollution you have to breathe. Consider running before the morning rush hour, running away from streets and on motor vehicle free trails if possible. On particularly bad days, consider running inside where climate control systems will filter out some of that pollution. Probably nothing new but a good reminder.

Why such long recovery?

October 23, 2014 / Training / 3 minutes of reading

This article was originally posted by Ryan at the original HillRunner.com Blogs.

Last week, I wrote about how to recover after your final race of the year. However, I kind of glossed over why. I mentioned the physical and psychological demands taking a toll on anyone but I didn’t delve into these issues. I was privately called out on that so here it is. Why spend a month recovering, even if your race was shorter than a marathon? I’ll use myself as an example, seeing as I just finished my racing for the year with a 5K.

Most runners accept that, if you’ve run a marathon, you’ve placed a lot of stress on your body and you need a fairly significant amount of time to recover from it. But I just ran a 5K and I’m planning at least 4 weeks of recovery time. While running a 5K all out places a lot of stress on our bodies, recovering from the 5K itself surely isn’t going to take a month. So what am I doing?

I’m not planning to recover from just the race itself. I spent the past 11 months training extremely hard for the 2014 racing season. I don’t race as frequently as some people but I toed the line 8 times this year. The cumulative stress of 11 months of hard training and 8 races takes its toll on even the most resilient and motivated runner. Physically and mentally, I’m ready for a break.

Physically, it should be pretty clear. You’ve been training for months. Maybe 4 or 6 months. Maybe, as it is in my case, 11 months. Either way, you’ve been pushing yourself hard. You’re a dedicated runner as proven by the fact that you are questioning the need for a down period. While you’ve built yourself up to a high level of fitness, you’ve also built up your share of fatigue. You need to give yourself some down time to let your body get rested and refreshed.

It’s pretty common knowledge that runners after a marathon or at the end of a racing season are more susceptible to catching a cold. This isn’t because you were hanging around a lot of people on race day. It’s because your immune system is suppressed. Why do you think your immune system is suppressed? It’s because your body is fatigued and dealing with a lot of stress. This should tell you how much your body needs some rest at this point. Don’t ignore these signs.

As much as the physical aspect, if not more, we all need a mental break at times. Again, you’ve been pushing yourself hard for months. You’ve probably neglected some things you like to do because you didn’t have the time and/or energy to do them. You’ve spent a lot of mental energy focusing on your goals and on doing what you needed to get them. Be honest with yourself. How is your motivation right now? Not very good? Dont’ fight it. Give yourself the mental break you need. Go do something different. Take some time to think about what next year might bring but don’t worry about how to get there yet.

I’ve seen the result of not giving yourself enough time to rest and recover between seasons. You start off strong. You continue for a few months, then the drag starts. General fatigue may get you, injuries may creep up or you simply may lose that drive to keep going. Inevitably, something happens because you simply pushed too hard for too long.

Don’t let this happen to you. If you take a month off from the training, you’re giving up less than 10% of the year. You’ll come back at the end of that month rested, recharged and ready to attack that other 90% of the year. Your fitness will come back quickly and you’ll be far more ready to sustain high level training throughout the whole coming season.

Race report: Going for 19 straight years

October 19, 2014 / Race Reports / 8 minutes of reading

This article was originally posted by Ryan at the original HillRunner.com Blogs.

As those of you who have been reading my race reports for any time know, one of the things I’m very proud of is my streak of going under 17 minutes in a 5K every year since 1996. A little background. For me, going under 17 minutes was a big deal. My early years as a runner were pretty inauspicious. As I first started, a sub-17 5K would seem impossible. Doing it for 19 years in a row? Forget about it. What I did have was the ability physically and mentally to push hard in training and a body that responded to that training very well. Combined with the best coaching I could have asked for, I was able to go from not being able to break 4 minutes in a half mile to nearly breaking 5 minutes per mile for 2 miles before I graduated high school.

Still, as I graduated high school, I hadn’t run a sub-17 5K. My only 5K races to that date were on cross country courses. During my senior season in 1994, I got a best of 17:06 and that’s the PR I graduated high school with.

Then I moved on to college and the distance for cross country races moved up to 8K. Good for me competitively because I’ve always been better as the race distance went longer but that means I went the whole year of 1995 without ever racing a 5K.

Then came my freshman indoor track season in 1996. In my first indoor race, I believe I ran a 16:16 to smash my cross country best and run my first ever sub-17 5K. A week later, I ran 16:08, which would be my PR at the end of the season.

Fast forward to 2014 and I haven’t gone a single year since 1996 without running a timed 5K in under 17 minutes. For some runners, such as myself back in middle school or my freshman year of high school, that seems like a crazy good accomplishment. For others, that’s probably not a big deal. It means a lot to me, though. This year, though, the story has been close but not quite. In the spring, my planned 5K season essentially fell apart due to circumstances mostly out of my control but I did get one 5K in. However, I got caught in a tactical battle mid-race, then got led nearly off course which cost at least a few seconds and ended up finishing in 17:02. So close! Three weeks ago, I got caught in another tactical effort early and had to deal with a slightly challenging course. 17:05. So close again!

That leads to today. This was my last planned race of the year. I knew I was in shape to get a sub-17. Given the faster course, the fitness I’ve shown in earlier races this year and simply my confidence on this course to log fast times, I knew I was ready for sub-17. My training had gone very well and, on Friday, I was not stating anything publicly but I had in the back of my mind the idea that I could hit the 16:40s with a good race, maybe 16:40 or high 16:30s with a near perfect race.

Then Saturday morning happened. I got out of bed and hobbled. Something was up with my left foot. I checked the weather and the 0% chance of rain at race time that was being reported yesterday afternoon turned into an 80% chance of rain. I spent some time on the foam roller and with the stick before leaving home, then we loaded up the car and the whole family was off to the races.

On the drive over, the rain got downright hard at times. Man, it’s going to be fun running in this. A steady 43 degrees sounds great but with hard rain and enough breezy to be noticeable, that’s a different story.

I get to the race and I’m still very confident in my ability to break 17 but I’m less sure of the 16:40s. This might be a year where I slip in by the skin of my teeth.

As I warmed up, the rain let up some. Well, that’s good. It actually had pretty much stopped by start time and I decided to go minimal. No hat, no gloves. As for my foot, it only hurt when I was slowing down at times like at the end of a stride. As long as I was running fast and kept my pace going, it was fine. I figured good. I don’t want to slow down until the race is over. As long as I cross the finish line with the first two numbers being 1 and 6, I don’t care how I feel after the finish line.

At the start, I went straight into the lead as is usual at this race. I pushed up the one little incline on the course a couple hundred yards in as we run away from the river, then turned into the wind and up the long northbound stretch. I was thinking the wind was at least from the right direction. It would suck through here but I would then have it at my back when the going is getting really tough in the last mile. Through mile 1, I just focused on being quick but smooth. That took me through approximately mile 1 (I’m pretty sure it was a bit long) in 5:30. I panicked a bit because that seems way too close until I realized it was probably a bit long. I then cruised through some very good traffic control this year and into a figure 8 loop that covers the middle stretch of the course. Out of the headwind, I just kept telling myself work mile 2. Work it, work it, keep pushing and I’ll always be able to find a way to grind it out in the last mile.

Late in the figure 8 loop, I cruised through the again probably long 2 mile split in 11:00 even. Well, I’m skeptical of these splits but at least they are consistent. Two 5:30s. But, just in case they are accurate, it’s time to grind it out. I just sustain for the first 300-400 yards, then I turn onto the southbound stretch and backtrack toward the start/finish area. From here, I know it’s all about 100% effort. This is the stretch that I just give it everything I have and I know I’ll always have something for the end. I am just hammering here, grunting with effort, suffering but feeling in control. I’m sure I’m in the "ugly" stage now but I just keep it going. Late in this stretch, I start encountering walkers who are going on a different route but sharing part of the route with the runners. Apparently, the police decided the morning of the race to demand a change in course for the walkers that left them walking up the same sidewalk I was returning on. I left the sidewalk at one point to get around a few walkers and nearly twisted my right ankle. Then I jumped out on the road. I’m not going to keep fighting the packs of walkers. So I got past all the walkers out there, then got back on the sidewalk. Still hammering, still bringing all I had.

With I’d guess a little over 1/4 mile to go, I turn off this stretch, do a slight downhill, a couple more turns, then I’m looping around a park and into the finish. I bring all I have into that downhill, have to slow down for one turn, then just bring it with all I can. As I’m coming around the park, I’m thinking what am I going to see on the clock as I come around the last turn? 16:50-something? Hopefully high 16:40s?

As I make that final turn, I quickly scan for the clock. 16-what? 16:20-something? No freaking way! I see the clock ticking toward 16:30. Whoa, I crossed with it at 16:30? Sure enough, I’m given an official time of 16:30. Well, I honestly didn’t rule out the possibility of 16:30 but I thought it would take absolute perfection to get it. This race was extremely close but not quite absolute perfection.

After crossing the finish, I first did one of those hands on the knees things. Then I had to take a knee. I tried getting up twice but got lightheaded and had to go back down both times. Yes, I definitely gave it everything I had and it worked out.

So there it is. Some may be impressed by it, some may think it’s no big deal. To me, though, 19 straight years and counting with a sub-17 5K means a lot. I can’t wait to go for number 20 next year.

On a side note, 16:30 is the fastest I’ve gone in a while. I’m not quite sure how long but I’m going to guess at least 5 years. This year has been very good for me. I’m very proud and happy with how it went. It’s been a good year. Now, it’s time to rest up and get ready for year number 20.

Post season recovery

October 16, 2014 / Training / 4 minutes of reading

This article was originally posted by Ryan at the original HillRunner.com Blogs.

Mid-October is here. Most of us have probably recently wrapped up our 2014 racing season or are close to doing so. So what do we do now? Most of us know we need some recovery but how much? The answer is probably more than you think.

It’s time to give yourself a real break. Not just a down week or two but a month’s worth of down time.

I know what some of you are thinking. A month? Are you kidding me? I didn’t run a marathon. Why do I need to take a month? That’s very true but you’re not just recovering from the race. You were training hard leading into the goal race you just ran, right? For how long? 6 months? 10 or 11 months? During that time, not only did you push your body hard but you taxed yourself mentally and you probably sacrificed something outside of running that you enjoy. Maybe you gave up cycling because you couldn’t fit it in on Saturday mornings due to your long runs. Maybe you gave up a fitness class you like or hikes with the family or something else because you just didn’t have the energy. This is the time to go do those things. It’s also the time to give your body and mind a real break.

So what do you do during this month? I’d like to suggest no running for at least a week at some point but I also know that, if you’re like me, that’s not realistic. I suggest it but I don’t do it myself because running is how I keep my sanity. At the very least, reduce your volume and intensity dramatically. If you must run, try to keep it to no more than 30-40 minutes per run or no more than about 50% of your usual volume. No fast running of any kind for at least 1-2 weeks. No hard workouts for the whole month.

More specifically, here’s what I would suggest by week:

Week 1: If you can bring yourself to do it, don’t run at all. If you must, try to limit yourself. Keep the pace very relaxed and try to stay with no more than 30-40 minutes. Ideally, I’d like to see this at or below 30 minutes and fewer runs than your normal weekly routine. Of course, I’m one who breaks these ideals so I know how it goes. Do as little as possible and keep it as relaxed as possible. You’re not training. Just run for fun. You remember how to do that, right? You do remember that the simple act of running is fun, right?

Week 2: If you don’t want to run yet, don’t. If you can’t resist, add some running back in. Keep it relaxed and short. If you’ve been running, follow the same guidelines as week 1. This is also a good time to add in some auxiliary training. If you don’t do much stretching/mobility work, this is a good time to try some different options out. See if something works well for you and you enjoy it. Some people prefer static stretching, some prefer active isolated, some prefer more dynamic mobility exercises, some prefer things like yoga. In my opinion, the key is to find what feels good to you and you enjoy doing.

Week 3: If you’re not running yet and you don’t feel the itch, continue not running. If you’re ready to start, follow the guidelines above. If you are running, don’t build yet. Keep running for run. You can run more days if you wish but not more distance yet. This is a good week to work in some strength training. I suggest body weight exercises but, as with stretching/mobility, the key is to find something that feels good to you and that you like.

Week 4: Again, If you’re not running yet and you don’t feel ready to start yet, don’t. If you are running, you can work back toward your regular frequency but don’t increase the duration yet. Again, you should ideally be going the shorter of 30 minutes per run or 50% of your typical run distance and keeping it very easy. If you must, do more but keep it to as little as you can and keep it truly easy. Again, run for fun. You’re not training yet.

Week 5: Back to training. Start slowly, though. Strides are a good way to start faster running. Increase volume gradually at first. You’ll be able to increase more quickly soon enough.

If you take one month off training right now, that’s less than 10% of the year but it can lead to much better quality training for the other 90% of the year. Go enjoy some things you’ve been skipping. It will pay off later when you’re mentally and physically refreshed and ready to train harder than if you skimped on this recovery period.