Recovery for Runners

Hi friends,

Last week The North Face has dropped my sponsorship and even though it's making it a lot harder for me to run twice a day, the good news is that I'm now able to train and race in different trail running shoes. So I got myself the new Nike Terra Kiger 7's and Pegs Trail 3 🤗 Expect a full review in the coming week on my youtube channel.

Also, Recovery tips for runners - part 2 has just been published on my youtube channel. Here is a summary for you 👇

Diet

A massive part of recovery and my main focus on daily nutrition has always been low inflammatory foods. I stay away as much as I can from processed foods such as deep-fried foods, sugary drinks, white bread, and pastries.

Instead, I try to consume mostly foods that will lower inflammation in my body, such as fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, and olive oil.

(Inflammation is very normal and at a healthy level it's a big part of good recovery but once it gets too high that's when recovery is negatively affected)

Usually post easy runs - I try and get some calories within 30-45min and after long runs or harder workouts I get in some calories within 10-15min post-run.

Active Recovery

I remember doing a 3k jog the day after my first 100k race 7 years ago. It was more painful than the race itself but a few days later I was back to running pain-free and raced another 100k race 3 weeks later. Looking back I probably should have done a 30-45min walk the day after my first 100k race but I just wanted to point out how important it is to get easy low impact movement of the legs to help with recovery.

I usually would do an easy walk a few hours after my runs or races to speed up my recovery.

Magnesium gels and Epson salt baths

Once every week or two I would rub some pure magnesium gel on my legs - right after a hot shower (absorbs quicker as the pores are open). And once in a while, I would take a 20 min hot bath with Epsom salts to help with the recovery process.

Daily hydration

Maintaining hydration as a runner is important for health and performance. It can improve recovery, minimize injury and cramping, and help you be a better runner. In the morning I usually fill up a 3-liter water bottle and make sure that I have finished it before going to sleep. I also have 1-2 tablets of Bix every single day to ensure that I am refueling on lost vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes.

Get Dry, Get Warm, Stay Warm

Something that I picked up from my days as a triathlete (when I ranked world #1 for my AG at the 70.3 distance) and something that I do till today is to get dry and warm after finishing a run. This means if I'm running from home I will jump into the shower right away and layer up when I get out. If I do run away from home I usually change to dry socks, shorts, and T-shirt right after finishing my run so I can drive home nice and dry. This is super important in keeping your immune system happy since your immune system is on the weaker side when you run/ train hard.

Foam roller

I'm sure you have heard it a million times and everyone has one at home - but please don't wait till something hurts before you start foam rolling. Get in a habit of foam rolling for 5min every day and you can stop injuries and niggles before they even appear.

Running News

For anyone who missed it, the world 10 000m women record got broken twice in a space of just 2 days 🤯 and it's not long before that 29min mark is broken.

"Letesenbet Gidey has broken the women's 10,000-metre world record, just two days after Sifan Hassan broke it at the same track in the Netherlands.

The Ethiopian set a new record of 29 minutes, 1.03 seconds at the Ethiopian Olympic trials, which are being held in Hengelo"

Recovery links 💪

🎥 Top 12 Recovery Tips For Runners - 2/2

Enjoy, Vlad Ixel