The week after a race has a lovely way of playing with your brain. You may find yourself wondering how you could have possibly covered that distance because you feel out of shape.  You’re tired and sore, but impatient and ready to get back to work at the same time. You’re working through the mental ups and downs, feeling all the feels and wondering what you could have done differently. You’re eager for either redemption or higher goals. You want to get back to routine and running with friends. There’s just so much going on.  

So here’s what we want you to do. It’s not complicated and can actually be said in one word. We want you to RECOVER and we want you to work as hard at recovery as you did at training.

But I feel fine! I’m not sore or tired. Yes, paying attention to your body’s cues is important, but you cannot see the stress your body is under from the outside. Racing especially pushes our bodies to their limits and they need time to regain strength. This is why you have to give your body the gift of recovery even if it doesn’t ask for it. 

But recovery will make me lose ground! You are not going to lose any fitness by taking some time to let your body recover. It would take a lot more than some active recovery to hurt you. Your body will actually come back stronger if you allow it the proper time to recover rather than continually pushing it to its limits. 

A couple days off running should be fine. Actually, no. We recommend giving your body plenty of time. A solid week of rest is a good place to start. The general rule is one day of recovery for every mile you raced. Masters runners and new runners need to be especially vigilant about recovery.

You want me to sit around and do nothing for 26 days? Of course not! Some days of complete rest may be in order, but active recovery is what we are looking for. Start with walking and add in some hiking, biking, elliptical and/or swimming. Add running back in at slower paces and lower mileage, avoiding speed work. 

But I ran my race at a slower pace than usual so I don’t need recovery. Your legs still covered the distance and you likely still trained for that distance. Perhaps your body was not pushed to the extent it would have at a faster pace, but it will still benefit from recovery.

But I’m registered for another race next month. Racing too often doesn’t allow your body the proper time to fully recover and can actually compromise your race results. Choose and use your races carefully. Find your A race and your A goal and don’t be tempted to let other races distract you. A properly timed half marathon can be a great training tool for a marathon, but stacking it too close to your marathon or a hard workout can work against you. If you happen to have two major races close together, allow yourself as much recovery as you can before a reverse taper into the second race. Then recover, recover, recover!

Take care of your body so that your body can take care of y