It's important to take solid rest days. That's when your muscles get a chance to recover, but they are also getting stronger on rest days. Rest days also allow you a break so that you don't overtrain and get burnt out. You want to be excited to get out the door and taking a rest here or there can help maintain that excitement.
To help with recovery, there are a few things you can do. I love foam-rolling and massage in general. Foam rolling basically massages your leg muscles and prevents lactic acid from building up during those times when you're sedentary. I often take work calls standing up with my computer up on my dresser and I roll out my feet on a spiky ball.
Part of my nightly routine is icing my ankles and knees with these gel ice packs while reading with my kids. They're the best $15 I've ever spent. Icing helps to prevent inflammation and it feels amazing.
You can also try soaking your feet and/or legs in an Epsom salt bath. There are some groovy scented salts out there. The magnesium from Epsom salt acts as a muscle relaxant and it's a great excuse to take a few minutes to unwind with your feet in a warm tub. You can also use a topical magnesium spray - most folks are deficient in magnesium anyway. I like Ease Magnesium because it sprays on clean and doesn't cause itchiness like some other sprays.
I'm often forced to engage in "active recovery" because I'm running around later in the day with my kids after a long run in the morning. In a way, it's great to keep moving, because your muscles don't have a chance to seize up. So even on rest days, or recovery afternoons after your runs, feel free to stay on your feet and walk around. You may find that this results in a quick recovery and feeling great the following day.
Make sure you replenish calories after a long effort. I usually try to eat a meal within 30 minutes of finishing a long run. Favorites for me are avocado toast with tofu scramble and leftovers from the night before. I also love making a "tea" with slices of turmeric and ginger with raw honey. I can keep refilling my favorite mug with hot water and keep hydrating throughout the day. The turmeric and ginger both have anti-inflammatory properties that can help with recovery.
Running and DCFC: 2 of my favorite things
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