Ahhhh….
After a decent showing on a race course, a week of recovery is a good idea.
Most know this wasn’t my first 13.1 rodeo (seriously, I’ve lost count, but it’s got to be in the 60-70 range). Other than doing a few requisite long runs in the weeks prior, I didn’t train especially hard for the IMT Des Moines Half Marathon. Even so, I know to respect the recovery that follows the finish line.
Before I dig into all the recovery deets, welcome to the
Weekly Run Down!I love hosting this link-up with Deborah (from Confessions of a Mother Runner)! If you write a fitness-based blog, you're invited to join the party. The link-up opens at 8:00AM (EST) on Sundays and remains open through noon on Monday. We love reading about everyone's weekly fitness endeavors, training highlights (or low lights) and race recaps. We ask that you link back to both hosts, and we encourage you to read/comment on the other linked blogs as well...please don't link-drop & dash ;-) Anyways, here’s what went down as I navigated my way through my post-13.1 recovery:
Sunday-Race Day!!!!
With an 8:00 start time, we were downtown Des Moines and parked shortly after 7:00. The mid-40 temps were chilly, but the sunshine was fabulous. I’m hoping to have the recap ready next week, but suffice it to say this was one of my better half marathons! I was nowhere close to PR’ing, but I felt great the entire morning on the 13.38- mile race course (FYI, that distance wis not a typo). No aches, pains, or fatigue. Nothing but good vibes! I even went for a leisurely 2-mile walk before dinner.
Never miss a Monday!
Despite feeling good post-race, I thought it wise to save the Monday run for after work. Instead, I got out for a pre-sunrise (chilly) walk before heading to the office.
In addition to a sunny2-mile lunchtime walk, I was able to hit the streets, after work, for a couple of shakeout miles. Wow, that sunset!
A Typical (recovery) Tuesday
Nothing too grandiose to report. I hit the elliptical for a weighted 5K in the morning. The weather was perfect, so my lunch walk happened outdoors. And, Max and I walked after work .
Double Workout Wednesday
It was a peaceful upper-40F morning when we met for the 4:45AM run. All felt good (still), but I kept the run to just three miles (no bonus miles after we finished the usual route).
I took my lunch walk outside again. If the Iowa fall season was like this all the time, I’d definitely like it a lot more, LOL.
Thursday - slow start; strong finish
After feeling recovered and energetic all week, I was hit with some delayed fatigue come Thursday morning. Deb was on the fence with sleeping-in or meeting for our early morning virtual cardio gig. I was awake at 4:30, but kinda sorta fell back to sleep and woke back up just before 5:00 (#oops). Since I hadn’t heard from Deb, I knew she’d opted for sleeping. I reset my alarm for 5:30, and opted for a quick snooze after it went off…only to wake up (again) just after 6:30 (#OopsAgain, LOL). I had just enough time for a quick stretch before high-tailing it to the office.
The beautiful weather had me walking outside, again, over my lunch hour. After work, Max took me for a nice walk around the block, then I headed to the Thursday night run club group run. All I can say is these summer-like temps are really making me enjoy the fall season!
Feeling Good Friday
Still on a nice endorphin high from the previous evening’s run, but also still in recovery mode, I hit the bike for a short 5-mile ride to get the legs in motion. After that, I hit the weights (and the floor) for some upper-body work (via Peloton). It was a beautiful and sunny 76F, over my lunch break, so I took advantage and walked outside again.
With no impending race on the immediate roster, I kept things in recovery mode with a 3-mile walk in the morning hours. What a beautiful day in Iowa! There was a lot of walking back-and-forth, while my car was getting serviced, a bonus walk in the evening, and the October full moon run on-tap.I ended the day with 16, 731 total steps!
…and what’s happening on Sunday?
The weather is looking like a repeat of Saturday, so I’m hoping for an early morning walk, then a bike ride. There won’t be many more opportunities for outdoor cycling, so fingers-crossed I’ll be able to take advantage of the warmer-than-usual autumn weather.
Overall, I’m calling this recovery week a success. Other than some tired legs and mid-afternoon fatigue, I really didn’t have any post-race discomfort following the finish line. Even the weird intermittent hip wonkiness has been MIA (actually for a few weeks now). It’s tough holding back when everything feels so good, but I know that’s not the wisest routine following a race of this magnitude. Anyways, this week’s running mileage is just under the 23-mile mark, but the bulk of that happened on Sunday’s race course. Walking saw 21 miles, all outdoor due to the fabulous weather. Biking suffered, only logging five miles (…sigh…). I kept the strength-training pretty conservative, so I’ll be ready to bring back some intensity this next week.
In case you missed out, here’s what went down on t he blog this week:
In other news:
Friday Fashion Flair! Are we sporting any Halloween attire these days? Anyone? This top was pulled from the vault 😂 I don’t even remember how long I’ve had it, but I make a point to wear it at least once every year about this time. Kinda crazy what a little bit of embroidery floss can do to a simple black shirt…am I right?
Finally, as mentioned, I was able to get out for a short run under the Hunter’s Moon Saturday evening. Wow, it was 74F, and felt like a calm and peaceful summer evening. Total bliss for this runner!
So, it was quite a week following a pretty incredible race. Everything is feeling fully recovered and I’m ready for some easy-paced running and getting back to my strength workouts (with the goal of upping the intensity). I don’t have any major races on the calendar, other than a new-to-me turkey trot, so my running plans are to enjoy running just for running’s sake.
That’s my week in review. How are things in your world? Any upcoming races? Training goals? Seasonal weather?
Congrats on your great race on Sunday, and even more importantly on your easy recovery. Sounds like your wonky hip is finally healing from whatever was wrong. That's great news!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like we both needed our rest on Thursday morning! ;-)
I love your Halloween sweater - it's super cute!