We’ve all had to spend some extra time on recovery after a particularly grueling workout or race. But what happens if you’ve gone WELL beyond normal fatigue?
What should you do if you’ve run too many races in a very short time period?
What if you’ve trashed your legs by the Dopey Challenge?
Or, like my friend Joel, what if you’ve run five ultra marathons in just three months?!
At that point, you need a whole new approach to recovery. It’s not enough to take an ice bath, slap on some compression socks, and go on with training as usual.
No… that will only invite injury, over-training, or worse: quitting the sport entirely.
Today’s episode of Q&A with Coach takes a question from Joel Runyon, who just finished running 7 Marathons on 7 Continents in order to build 7 schools through Pencils of Promise.
The 777 Project was a success. But Joel’s legs aren’t celebrating.
If you’re burning the candle at both ends or committing yourself to outlandish goals, this post on high-level advanced recovery is for you.
How to Recover From Months of Abuse
A few weeks ago, Joel sent me this message:
@JasonFitz1 topic I would be interested in your take on:
“What to do when you’ve completely trashed your legs” #askingforafriend
— Joel Runyon (@joelrunyon) May 17, 2017
I prodded him to learn more and found out that he recently finished five ultras in just three months.
Talk about stressful!
A situation likes this demands more than traditional RICE methods. It needs a longer-term approach that prioritizes both physical and mental recovery.
You’ll notice in the video that I discuss two separate issues:
- Immediate recovery strategies like RICE plus high-quality sleep, proper nutrition, and reduced stress
- Post-race training focus: how your running should look after the ultras are finished
Note that it doesn’t matter if you’ve run a slew of ultras in a short period of time or have simply finished your first marathon. If you need a lot of recovery, this advice is still applicable.
A question for you: how do you recover from your hardest races and workouts? What’s worked for you in the past?
Leave your answers below. I’d love to have all of our favorite recovery techniques in one place!
Don’t forget to download the free Little Black Book of Prevention & Recovery to hear from 9 elite runners on their favorite strategies to stay healthy and recover faster!
