Tag: run

5 Post-Exercise Recovery Tips

5 Post-Exercise Recovery Tips

Training for a marathon or Ironman is seriously hard work. So is a 12 week bootcamp at the gym. At the beginning of your training schedule, you are full of energy and excited about hitting your training targets, but in time your body begins to fall apart and motivation leaves via the back door. It’s hard to keep going when the going gets tough, but post-exercise recovery is an important component of any training schedule.

Are you doing enough to recover after a strenuous workout? If you are a newbie athlete and this is your first major endurance event, probably not. New athletes are far more likely to overdo their training and succumb to injury. A fatal combination of enthusiasm and a lack of knowledge can lead to problems further down the line. Hopefully this won’t happen to you, but just to make sure, here are some useful tips!

Rest Days

Rest days are just as important as long runs and cross-training. Your body needs rest days to recover and repair from your tough workouts. Some athletes think it’s better to train day after day, in the mistaken belief that their body will be harder and stronger as a result. No, it really won’t. You should factor in at least one rest day in a week and make sure every third week of training is less intensive than the preceding two weeks.

Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is just as critical as rest. Your tissues repair when you are asleep. The better your sleep, the more refreshed you will feel when you train. It’s also a good idea to take a nap following a particularly arduous long run or intensive interval session. Make sure you catch enough sleep. Invest in quality bedding from threel.co.uk and don’t burn the candle at both ends.

Sports Massage

Sports massages might seem like a luxury, but a good massage will loosen up tight muscles and prevent any problems from sabotaging your training problems. Most gyms offer a sports massage service. If your legs are feeling tight or you have having a few niggles elsewhere, book a sports massage. It’s painful, but very effective.

Eat a Nutritious Diet

We are what we eat. Your body is an engine, so make sure you give it the right fuel. Carbs give you energy, but protein is vitally important for muscle repair. Eat plenty of eggs, lean meat and healthy carbs. If you don’t fuel up before a tough workout, you will crash and burn. Energy drinks and bars have their place, but they are no substitute for good nutrition.

Take an Ice Bath

Is your body suffering from marathon training? Ice baths help to reduce inflammation after long runs. They are, however, not very pleasant, so if you can’t stand the idea of sitting in an ice bath, alternate between a hot and cold shower, or a cold shower and warm bath. It’s invigorating and should aid your recovery post-workout.

Other post-recovery tips include a full stretching and warm-down regime and adequate hydration before you take a cold shower followed by a warm bath.

 

What is your go-to post-exercise recovery tip?

 

Five Reasons To Run Iron Girl Clearwater {and a discount!}

Clearwater girl that I am, I am very excited about Iron Girl Clearwater. I’ve run this event several years now, both the half marathon and the 5k. I love that it’s so close to home for me and easy to get to race morning. This year I am running the 5k. Just for fun, I have 5 reasons you should run Iron Girl Clearwater! 

 

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The View…. If you love running by the water, the view is gorgeous. You can see Sand Key and Belleair in the distance. The water is pretty. And when the sun comes up over downtown Clearwater, it is just beautiful. 

 

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The Course… Starting at Coachman Park, you run the library, City Hall, and the courthouse and then you approach the bridge. If you run the 5k, you run about half of the causeway before you turn around and head back. If you run the half marathon, you will also get to run the Sand Key Bridge. The bridges are my favorite part!

 

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The Medals… Iron Girl does a great job with the medals and I love that the last few years it has had the bridge on it. The bridges are part of the challenge and it’s nice to have that on the medal as a reminder than you tackled them like a beast! 

 

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The Expo… Saturday and Sunday morning, you can visit the Expo for your packet and to check out all the vendors an fun products. From clothing to jewelry, fitness gear, and more, it’s always fun to walk around. And after the race! They have some pretty amazing food.

 

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Photo courtesy of Iron Girl Clearwater Facebook page

 

 

The Girl Power… I love events that empower women and this one is top of the list. Iron Girl “aspires to bring women of all ages together as a community by offering a supportive, energetic and empowering environment for females pursuing a healthy and active lifestyle.” Need I say more? I am all about this!

 

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Register for Iron Girl Clearwater today and save 10% with my discount code THISCRAZYLIFE. If you register by March 8, you will receive a personalized bib!

 

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Are you running Iron Girl Clearwater? Let me know!

10 Lessons I Learned While Running For 100 Days

It’s been two weeks since I finished my 100-day run streak and I haven’t run since then. Not because I haven’t wanted to, because I do! Two days after finishing my streak, and the day we got home from our anniversary getaway, I broke my baby toe on a bowling ball bag. Who does that? Me, apparently. I kicked it good and proceeded to say every bad word possible under my breath. It’s finally feeling better, no longer black and blue, and not sticking out at a weird angle. So, it’s time to lace up the running shoes and hit the pavement again.

I do some pretty amazing thinking and problem-solving when I’m running. And every day that I set out to run and marked the calendar for each day I ran, I thought of things I wanted to share. In true fashion, I created a mental list of 10 things I learned while running for 100 days, running a total of 193.31 miles. 

 

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10.  If you really want to do something, you will make time. Some days were hard. If I couldn’t run first thing in the morning before my day started, I really really REALLY had to make myself run later in the day. I am not an afternoon runner. But I wanted to hit 100 days more than anything so I sucked it up, and ran in the afternoon heat if I missed the morning. 

 

9.  Pace does not matter. Unless you’re training for a race, your pace does not matter. Just get out there and run. Running every day for 100 days did not make me a faster runner. It did not mean that I can all of a sudden run a 9 minute mile. That’s not what my run streak was about. It was about taking time for myself and doing something that I love.

 

8.  Running when the sun comes up ROCKS. Several times I week I was running as the sun came up and that just never gets old. Just like every run is different, every sunrise is different, and they are all amazing in their own way. The more colors in the sky, the better. And watching the sun rise while I am doing something I love is just amazing. 

 

7.  I still don’t need music to run.  I remember when I first started running and if I had any hope of making it more than five minutes, I had to have music to distract me. Fast forward a few years to half marathon training and some really early morning runs by myself and I ditched the headphones for safety. When it’s dark outside, I need to hear things. It took a little getting used to, but then I realized I loved it. Listening to my feet hit the ground, hearing my breathing, and just feeling the run for what it is, that’s all I need. It’s been forever since I listened to music while I run and I don’t see that changing any time soon.

 

6.  You need two pairs of running shoes. As I got about a month into my run streak, I decided it was time to change my shoes up. Fortunately I had another newer pair and starting rotating them daily. It really makes a difference. Shoes, like tires on a car, can take a real beating, especially when you run every day.

 

5.  Distance doesn’t matter.  Just like pace, I threw trying to run a certain distance each time out the window. It was simply about running and as long as I could get in a mile each day, I was happy. If I had a crazy busy day and only had fifteen minutes to run, well I was still getting it done. If I had decided that I had to run 3 miles every single day, I never would have kept up with it.

 

4.  Running is not just for exercise. Yes, it has it’s health benefits and I could definitely feel my body change as I ran for 100 days. Nothing drastic, but enough to remind me that my legs are strong and they will slim down when I treat my body right. But for me, running is more mental. It helps my anxiety and depression. It reminds me that I am stronger than I realize and that if I set my mind to something, I can do it. 

 

3.  I need to be near water.  I like running in my neighborhood and I have a nice route that I could run with my eyes closed. But my favorite runs are those over the causeway to the beach. Running along the water is my absolute favorite. Add in a dolphin sighting and my run is made. 

 

2.  Running solo is as good as running together.  If you asked me if I prefer to run alone or with others, it would be hard to answer that. I enjoy running alone because I just think, I enjoy the quiet. But I love running with others because it’s fun to talk while running and catch up, especially when you run with someone who loves running as much as you do. i also very much enjoy it when hubby runs with me. I love that he was with me on day 99 and 100 of my run streak, and on day 100, he gave me a high-five and told me he knew I could do it. 

 

1.  You CAN run. Yes, I’m talking to you. You CAN run. Never think you can’t because I’m here to tell you that you CAN. If I can run, anyone can. I used to hate it. I swore I would only do it if I was being chased. And then I realized while yes it can be hard, it is still one of the best things I’ve ever pushed myself to do. It took me way out of my comfort zone, I’ve felt stronger than I ever have by running, and I have met some of the most awesome people because of running. 

 

Now that my poor broken toe is better, I am ready to get back out there. Not every day, because I want to get some strength training in as well, but I will run. My goal is going to be three runs during the week and then one longer one on the weekend. My 100-day run streak taught me once again that I can do what I put my mind to. YOU can too!

 

 

 

 

 

Run Streak 2016

First of all, every time I say “run streak”, I think of Will Ferrell in Old School, running down the street in his birthday suit. Alas, I am NOT doing that kind of streaking. I’m just running every day.

 

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This past Saturday, I hit the one month mark, 31 days. I was supposed to get up early that morning and run a mile before I met my bestie for coffee, but I didn’t get up in time. After a very emotional week, apparently I needed the sleep more than a run. So, I went to coffee in my running clothes and headed to my favorite run spot afterwards. I think it was meant to be, I ran the Memorial Causeway over to the beach by myself for a total of 5 miles. There may or may not have been some tears shed. It seemed like the perfect way to end one month of running everyday. My total mileage for the month was 70.76 miles. Not bad at all. 

 

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I’m still keeping it going. Today was Day 36. I have no idea how long I’ll keep it up. Maybe I’ll wake up one day and decide not to run and I’ll just go back to 3-4 days a week. But for now, mentally and physically, I *need* to run every single day. It is good for my mind, body, and soul. 

Yes, it’s hot and humid. Yes, I’d love to sleep an extra 45 minutes in the morning. But right now, the thought of not running is not an option. I *need* to run.

I haven’t been on a scale since my dreaded doctor’s appointment awhile back so who knows if I’ve lost weight. But I can tell you my legs are slimming down and I feel stronger. I’m also very much enjoying the sunshine on my shoulders. 

So for now, I’ll keep it up. I’ll keep lacing up my shoes and taking care of myself. Running is therapy.

 

How long of a run streak have you done?

Run Therapy

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I’ve been running almost a month straight now – 23 days to be exact. And I feel like an idiot for ever stopping. The process of waking up in the morning, putting on my running clothes and running shoes, and hitting the sidewalk for 30+ minutes before I start my day is the best thing ever. How I lost sight of that and just let it fall off my radar is beyond me.

Running is therapy. My struggles with anxiety and depression are ever-changing and when those endorphins kick in, it is the best feeling ever. Is it hard to run? Yes – I’m running with easily 30 extra pounds right now. But in the 23 days I’ve been running every day, I feel a difference and it is empowering. I feel strong. My legs feel strong. 

I’m not running far or fast. I try to run 2.5 miles every morning, but if I am short on time I get a mile in at least. My pace is turtle-ish. Is that a word? Regardless, it’s the speed of my running and that’s okay. I’m not listening to music. I’m sweating my butt off and thinking the thoughts I need to think. When I get back to my driveway I stretch and then go on about my day. 

I am about to face a HUGE change when my brother and family move next week. While I’ve known for months now it was going to happen and within the last month, it was REALLY happening, I’ve been preparing myself. I hate to see them move. HATE IT. But, I can’t do anything about it so I find a way to deal with it. If running helps in this process, I’ll run every day and buy stock in running shoes if need-be.

In times like this, I usually shut down. It’s classic Nanci. I just want to curl up in a ball and hide. But I cannot do that. I have to take care of myself. And this run streak, without knowing it the day I set out to start on it, has been in preparation for next week when my world changes.

This will not be the last change I face in life. I have to remember how running gets me through things.  It got me through infertility and then again when I lost my dad. And it will get me through their move. Pounding the pavement is cathartic for me. The last several years I spent running for races and time. Now it’s for myself, for my mental well-being, for keeping myself sane. 

Running is therapy for me. How about you?