4 simple run recovery tips

Recovery after your run and on your rest days is one of those special ingredients to improvement that doesn't get the focus it deserves. It makes sense though. As runners, we run and as a result, we focus on our run workouts. If we want to run our best in the next workout though, we need to help our bodies repair and adapt.

1. Sleep. Magic happens when we sleep. Sciency stuff like cellular and tissue repair occurs while you sleep. Cardiovascular health is promoted while you sleep. Getting sufficient amounts of sleep also supports your immune system and can prevent you from illness. Unfortunately, we do foolish things like staring at our phones when we go to bed. The light from our phones can interrupt our circadian rhythms and while perusing the interwebs. This is a bad habit for many of us and it keeps us awake rather than going sleep. So put the phone down before you get ready for bed! No one ever got faster by looking at their phone before bed.

2. Nutrition. Some runners are vegetarian, some are into paleo and some are just omnivores. The one thing that you'll consistently hear from nutritionists is that we all need to eat more whole foods and fewer processed foods. So lets start there. Work on getting 60-70% of your calories from carbohydrates, 15-20% from fats and another 15-20% from protein.

3. Recovery/Rest Days. On recovery days, lets actually recover. Recovery days on our calendar can look different depending on the athlete and how advanced they are. If there's an active recovery on your training plan then those days a re just as important as your run workouts. Active recovery can be an easy bike ride, walk, easy jog, foam rolling or yoga. If you're not following a specific plan, then consider some low impact movement to get the blood flowing and promote recovery.

4. Hydrate. This one is a "freebie". We all know that we need to stay properly hydrated but some of us (you know who you are) just don't seem to get it. Here's your reminder taken directly from the Mayo Clinic to remind you of water's important roles:

   • Regulates body temperature

   • Moistens tissues in the eyes, nose and mouth

   • Protects body organs and tissues

   • Carries nutrients and oxygen to cells

   • Lubricates joints

   • Lessens burden on the kidneys and liver by flushing out waste products

   • Dissolves minerals and nutrients to make them accessible to your body

Bottom line is that staying well hydrated will help your body function the way its designed. As a rule of thumb, men will need about 12 cups of water a day and women will need about 9 cups.