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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.

How to recover and mistakes in interpreting research

October 13, 2014 / Roundups / 4 minutes of reading

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

This week, I read several interesting things but I think two topics works well for these posts. If you disagree with me, feel free to say so in the comments or contact me via the contact form or any other place you can find me.

For this week, I’d like to focus on two things: recovery and interpreting research. I think recovery is especially an important topic right now as many of us are finishing up our racing seasons and looking toward 2015. As for interpreting research, it’s always difficult. Conflicting studies, our own personal biases, confusing technical language. There are many barriers. Personally, I’m always trying to guard against these mistakes but I’m not perfect. We all fall into these traps from time to time, no matter how careful we are, and it’s always good to get a reminder to be on guard.

How to recover

The people I’m coaching are finding out or soon will find out how seriously I’m taking recovery this year. It’s going to be a bigger focus than I’ve made it in prior years because I think that post-season recovery is the first key to success going into the next season. I’ve been a little lax in the past about it but not this year. I’m going to be as serious about this as I am about peak training. You need to recover completely or you’re not going to be successful next year.

What does this mean, though? A lot of people can’t imagine taking time off of running completely. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m the poster boy of this. To me, what it means is don’t run if you don’t want to. If you do want to, purposely limit your volume and intensity for a while and treat it as recreation, not training. Enjoy yourself and don’t worry about your next race or season.

Most important, even if you’re going to do absolutely no running, don’t do nothing. Remain active. This also goes for when you need some extra recovery during a training season. Whether via running or some form of cross training, you’ll recover more rapidly and completely if you keep active.

Here’s a discussion of this point. It also has some good points about icing and anti-inflammatories. There are always cases where any or all of these things are warranted but, for general recovery or in many cases for recovery even from specific injuries, it’s very possible you’ll recover more quickly and completely without the ice and anti-inflammatories and with some level of activity.

Interpreting research

I read a lot of research. Every week, I’m reading several papers, articles and various other pieces on research. Sometimes straight from the source, sometimes someone else’s analysis, often both straight from the source and an outsider’s analysis.

I have to say, it’s not easy reading research. Studies seem to contradict each other often. Especially if reading straight from the source, the language is often tough to get through. Most importantly in my opinion, we always bring in our preconceived notions and biases. It’s hard for me to read an article on HIIT training without looking for where the study that says it’s the next great thing had flaws or a research paper on a study that found aerobic exercise improves our cognitive abilities without wanting to gloss over any flaws in the study.

However, if we want to get the most out of what we’re reading, we must guard against these things. We’re humans and we’re not perfect but, the more we can watch for these things and guard against them, the better we can do in making the most of what we’re reading.

On that note, here are some things you can watch for in your own reading and in the analysis of others. If you ever see me falling into these traps, please let me know. Again, I’m not perfect and I will never claim to be. I try to guard against these pitfalls and I hope that’s clear in my writing but I suffer from these shortcomings just like everyone else.

Nothing new on race day

October 9, 2014 / Training / 3 minutes of reading

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

"Never try anything new on race day."

We’ve all heard this advice by now and I’m sure we do our best to live by that rule but how well do we do?

Many of us fall short because we don’t consider the corollary to that advice. Practice race day in training. Wear the shoes, socks and gear you’re going to on race day. If you’re running a race that’s long enough to require fueling, practice not just fueling but doing so with your race day strategy and with the equipment you will have on hand on race day. Possibly most important, do this at goal pace and on a route that is at least similar to what you’ll be racing on.

Why do all these things? Simple, you don’t want any surprises on race day.

Why wear race day gear? Hopefully the answer when it comes to shoes is obvious. You have to make sure the fit and ride are right or you could be in for a world of pain, especially as the race distance gets longer. As for the rest of your gear, you never know what stitch or piece of fabric may rub on you the wrong way and produce blistering or chafing. I’d rather find that out after a 10 mile tempo run than at the 10 mile mark of a marathon.

Why practice fueling? First, you need to make sure your stomach can handle whatever you will be taking in for fuel on race day. There are few things worse than getting sick mid-race due to the fuel you’re taking. Just as much, though, you need to practice with what I’ll call the fuel delivery tools you will have available on race day. If your plan is to take water or sports drink from aid stations, how good are you at drinking from the paper cups they will most likely be handed to you in? Are you planning to drink from a paper cup on the run? If so, you need a strategy for doing so in order to ensure more fluid ends up in your stomach than on your face and shirt and you need to practice that strategy until you can execute it to perfection every time.

Why at goal pace and on a route similar to what you’ll be racing on? Have you ever tried drinking from a paper cup at easy run pace? It’s not easy but not terribly difficult. Have you ever tried at race pace, especially if race pace is significantly faster than easy run pace? The first time you tried, you probably ended up wearing more of whatever you were drinking than you managed to swallow. You might have even choked on it. When running at race pace, your breathing is more heavy, you are probably not quite as smooth and you can’t adjust as well.

So get out there and practice race day in your training. By doing so, you can make sure that your execution on race day will be as flawless as possible and you won’t encounter any unfortunate surprises.