Coach Jenny part II

 As promised, here are more tips from Jenny Hadfield, coach at Chicago Endurance Sports, and co-author of the book 'Marathoning for Mortals'. 

The Number One Rule

We are within several weeks of the marathon.  The weather shows signs of fall, our bodies are stronger than ever before and week-by-week we are getting closer to earning that marathon medal!

Now is the perfect time to begin practicing for race day. The number one rule in long distance racing is DON’T TRY ANYTHING NEW ON RACE DAY! The only way you can truly avoid doing this is by practicing now!   

Keep track of what you eat the night before and the morning of your long workouts.  How early you need to get up to get to the race on time.  How early do you need to arrive at the race and anything else you think will help you when it's time to race?  Run a few of your long runs at the same the marathon starts. 

Dial in your attire, shoes, fluids and when you take them.  The more familiar you are with your strategy, the more likely the day will go smoothly for you.  Avoid trying anything new, as once you do, the risks for potential problems rise and the fun factor drops.


Speedy Long Workout Recovery

We are quickly approaching the fourth quarter of the training season and the point where the endurance workouts will be at their longest. The key to efficient recovery and minimizing post endurance workout aches, pains or injuries is to begin the recovery process the minute you finish the long workout each week.

Take 10 minutes and keep moving with easy walking. Walking at an easy pace allows the body to come down more gradually and circulates blood back to normal distribution quantities and regions on your body (i.e. stomach for digestion...).

Within the first 15-20 minutes of completing the long workout, consume a sports drink like Gatorade or the new Gatorade Endurance to increase blood sugar levels and replenish electrolyte levels in your system (sodium, potassium).

Within the first 30-60 minutes post long workout, eat a meal rich in carbohydrates and a little protein (7 to 1 ratio carbohydrates to protein). This will quickly replenish the glycogen stores depleted in the long workout as well as provide protein to rebuild muscle tissue damage. The longer you wait to refuel, the longer it will take to fully recover from the workout.

Soak your body (hips and legs) in a cold tub. Fill the tub with luke-warm to cold water. Get in with your rubber ducky and then add ice cubes. Normal post long workout swelling will decrease in cold water and speed recovery. This sounds like an awful thing to do, but is highly effective in recovery strategies. It is the first thing most professional athletes do post game (pitchers in baseball) or race. Spend 15-20 minutes in the tub.  If it works for Paula Radcliffe, it will work for you.

Continue hydrating throughout the day to replenish water losses.

Use the “Pee” test to monitor adequate hydration levels. If your urine is pale yellow like lemonade, you are adequately hydrated. If it is dark in color, it means you need to hydrate a little more.  Avoid over hydrating to the point that is runs clear.  Continue to replenish fuel and sodium stores.  A bowl of soup is a great meal to do so. 

If possible, schedule a massage 4+ hours post long workout or the next day. Massages too soon to finishing the workout can create more soreness due to moving around the lactic acid that accumulates in training. Massage can have a dramatic effect on post long workout recovery times.  You can also perform your own massage with some of the products on the market like “the Stick” or foam rolls.  It is great for deep tissue massage for hamstrings, calves, thighs and hips.  You can find it at most running specialty stores like Fleet Feet Sports.

Take a 20-minute nap 2-4 hours after eating. Your body at rest will absorb more readily the food in your stomach and speed healing.
Yes, it is okay to nap.  Tell your family it is all part of your training regimen and you’ll get to the chores laterJ

Pay attention to aches and pains post long workout. Most aches and pains will subside within 24 hours. If they stick around longer than 3-4 days, take 2-3 days off running/walking, cross train and stretch. In most cases, the time off will allow the aches to heal. If they stick around for a week or grow worse, schedule an appointment with a physical therapist or orthopedic doctor. It is better to be safe than sorry.

Jenny Hadfield

My thanks to Jenny for some great advice!  I'm going to be taking a few days off from the blog business.  I'll have some more stuff in about a week. 

Til then, enjoy the journey!  John