Date: Thu, 8 Aug 1996 09:20:28 -0800 To: Jason P Hodde From: smcdonald@ljcrf.edu (Shawn McDonald) Subject: Re: 100 mile recovery (reply/suggestions) >Here's a question I'd like to pose, mainly for discussion purposes, >but also to help some of us "strategically recover" from an ultra >run. > >How do you recover from a long, hard effort? > >We runners place so much emphasis on training that the recovery >from an event is virtually ignored in the discussions. It is my >opinion that you need to train your body, not *only* to withstand >the event, but you need to train your body to *recover* from that >event, too. Thus, you need to "train your recovery" just as you >"train your effort". > >What are the strategies that you use to speed your recovery from a >long, hard event? How do you "train your recovery"? > >I'd be especially interested in hearing from any of you Grand Slam >finishers out there. How do you train your body to recover >sufficiently enough to complete 4-100 milers in 13 weeks? > >Jay Hodde >jhodde@ecn.purdue.edu > Hi everyone, Jay has hit upon a topic that few talk about, and in my opinion, is a key to running ultras over the long haul. That being recovery from tough races. Injuries and burnout often happen after pushing yourself in a race, or after doing a series of ultras over a short period of time. One has to be very careful to not try to get back too soon or to "punish" yourself if you had a race you were not happy with. Your recovery plan depends on how long you want to have following the race, before your next race. I suggest a minimum time of 3 weeks recovery time for a 50 miler, and 6 weeks for a 100 miler. That does not mean running a hard race after that time, it just means getting back close to the normal amount and frequency of training. During the recovery period, run only 2-4 days per week, and do two other cross training days (at most). Take at least one (and preferably two) days per week completely off. Following a 50 or 100 miler, in the week after a good plan might be: days after event activity duration 1 walking 30 mins. morning/ 30 mins. evening 2 walking 30 mins. morning biking 30 mins. evening 3 off 4 biking 45 mins. evening 5 walking 30 mins. morning biking 45 mins. evening 6 off 7 walking 30 mins. morning running 30 mins. evening This is a balanced week, with the focus being to stay active, flush out the muscles, and have some rest. Get lots of sleep, eat a balanced diet high in carbos, and drink lots of fluids. Note that the "harder" activity is done in the evening, after a morning walk, when you will be looser. This is important as your legs are tight after the race. Be sure to do some light stretching after your evening workout, and start out each session very easily. The second week is a transition week, back to running a bit more regularly. It might go like: 8 biking 60 mins. evening 9 running 30 mins. morning walking 30 mins. evening 10 off 11 walking 30 mins. morning running 45 mins. evening 12 biking 60 mins. evening 13 off 14 running 60 mins. morning At this point, just monitor your level of energy and back off if you feel really tired. It is best to do as much or less than you had planned during this two week period following your event. If you have run a 50 miler, then the third week can be a transition week back to more "normal" training, say do 4 short runs and 2 short bikes in that week (note that other aerobic activities such as swimming, rollerblading, and other nonpounding sports can be put in place of the biking). Note how one gradually gets back to running for an hour, and that there are two off days per week. One of the hardest parts about recovering is that in one way you may not feel like having a schedule, but you need some sort of guidelines so you don't do too much too soon. Many of my injuries when I started running ultras and marathons occured in the two to three weeks after a tough event, when my body was not at full strength. Now the question of recovering for multiple events spaced closely together (such as the Grand Slam of four 100 milers in the space of three months). This is a much tougher thing, but it is doable. We have a runner here in San Diego named Dixie Madsen who runs lots of 100s, and she does not do that much training between them if she is running hundreds three or four weeks apart. She says she has enough miles in before the first one, so she just has to recover, maintain, and then rest up the week before the second (or third, or fourth) 100. With the above program for the two weeks after the hundred, if it is only three weeks to the next 100, you just rest up the week before, and the event is then there. If you have 6 weeks, you can do the two week plan, then a transition week of 4 runs (at about half your normal peak mileage), two weeks of moderate training (75% of max mileage), and a taper week. If I were doing the Grand Slam (doubt I ever will) the keys would be: 1. going in with a positive attitude to each event 2. having the feet in good shape for each 100 3. freshness in the legs, that will last almost as long into the 2nd/3rd/4th hundreds as the first 4. good race plans and having trained on the courses or at least hiked and seen parts of them (for mental confidence) Recovery is a matter of being patient and flexible. It should be a part of your overall plan of racing and health. Have fun doing different activities during the recovery period. Then you can get back to more running, feeling fresh and enthusiastic ! With a smart approach to training and recovery, you can be in the sport of ultrarunning for many happy years. Shawn McDonald smcdonald@ljcrf.edu San Diego ps. During the month of July, I took 10 days off, biked 9 days, and ran 12 days. The break was nice, giving me time to do other things.