Take these recovery strategies from pro Brendan Cole to recover faster and feel better from run to run!
Brendan “BJ” Cole is an Australian Olympic 400m hurdler, sprinter, massage therapist, and sprint and strength coach.
BJ ran the 400m hurdles and the 4x400m relay at the 2012 Olympics, and won gold for his performance in the 4x400m relay at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
As a high performance expert, BJ works with some of the sport’s most talented athletes. With his breadth of knowledge and experience, BJ is helping athletes around the world move better.
In September 2024, I met BJ at the Palm Heights Hotel in Grand Cayman. I was there doing metabolic testing with Different Labs, including a VO2 Max test and force plate testing.
You can watch a video overview of my VO2 Max test (and result)! It was a real treat to get this test, especially 16 years after my first VO2 Max test.
I also took a class that Brendan Cole taught on recovery and mobility. It was attended by a variety of runners, surfers, weightlifters, and other athletes. But it was focused on recovery after running.
Turns out, the start of running recovery is more than a simple cool-down. I spoke with Brendan on the podcast about how to properly off ramp yourself from a run, taking you from active to sedentary strategically.
What is Mobility?
My conversation with Brendan Cole focuses on post-run mobility and calming the nervous system after a hard workout. But first, what is mobility?
Mobility is simply the ability to move well. As runners, we need this physical skill to move through the proper range of motion required for jogging, running, sprinting, and direction changes (especially if we run cross country or trail races).
Runners with sound mobility can move athletically through the full range of motion while running, including:
- strong upward knee drive
- proper hip extension (requiring flexibility in both hip flexors)
- proper activation of the gluteal muscles (the largest muscle group in the human body)
It’s very different from flexibility (this is achieved through static stretching), which is the ability to achieve large ranges of motion in the joints. An example is if you were to bend at the waist and try to touch your toes. This is a passive static stretch that targets the hamstring.
Mobility is different. Mobility requires that you move yourself into a position of greater flexibility, thereby putting you in control. It’s not passive, it’s active.
And unlike flexibility, mobility has aspects of strength, proprioception, and coordination. So it makes it a performance multiplier that helps you achieve several goals at once with relatively no (or few) downsides.
Coach BJ Cole on Effective Recovery Techniques and a 3-Step Mobility Process
In this episode, Brendan Cole and I talk about:
- The evolution of BJ’s recovery and mobility class
- Systemic and peripheral recovery techniques for runners
- What runners are often forgetting or missing during recovery
- How runners can use breathwork for nervous system regulation
- Tools like foam rollers, tennis balls, and percussion guns
- The 3 T’s for joint mobility
- A practical 15 minute recovery routine for runners that you can use
- Ground-based vs. aerial-based athletes and their recovery
Share a link to this episode with your running friends so you can help each other focus on recovery!
Subscribe to the podcast in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or iHeartRadio.
Links & Resources from the Show:
- Brendan on Instagram: @beejayspeed
- Download the free Little Black Book of Recovery & Prevention. Hear from 9 pro athletes on their favorite recovery strategies, including Dathan Ritzenhein, Ian Sharman, Amelia Boone, David Roche, and others.
Thank you 2Before!
We are supported by 2Before, a powerful sports supplement made from New Zealand Blackcurrant berries designed to increase endurance, manage inflammation, support immunity, and promote adaptation. 2Before helps to boost performance by increasing blood flow, making it more efficient for the body to pump oxygenated nutrient-rich blood into the muscles.
So, if you want to try to boost your performance and immune system, use code JASON for 30% off 20 packs and multi-serve packs at 2Before.com.
Pro tip: get the caffeinated version. You’ll get the vasodilatory benefits of blackcurrant berries with the powerful performance and mental benefits of caffeine.
Thank you to 2Before for supporting Strength Running!
Thank you to 2XU!
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Knowing that their gear is engineered for runners by runners and backed by research makes me absolutely love 2XU. Go to 2xu.com and use code “JASON” in all caps to get 20% off sitewide, except clearance items or wetsuits.
