In today’s post I’m going to spill the beans on one of the most important and yet often ignored aspects of running: Proper recovery. This piece of the training puzzle is key whether you are beginner runner or an elite athlete.
See, the truth is running, sooner or later will take a toll on your body and mind.
Therefore, you NEED a multitude of ways to help you recover properly. Otherwise, you will be risking injuries and painful burnouts.
How much recovery runners needs?
As a runner, the amount of recovery you need depends on a variety of factors, including your own fitness level, the intensity and volume of your runs and your own experience.
For example, a beginner runner may need more recovery between relatively easy runs than an elite marathoner who runs 60+ miles per week.
So how can you ensure proper recovery? Well read on to discover all the answers you seek.
Running is one of the best cardiovascular exercises that there is. It’s a fast way to shed those extra pounds for good and help you tone your body—especially your legs.
Nevertheless, if you don’t balance your running with the right cross training strength program, you will, over time, develop muscle imbalances, which can compromise your performance and lead to pain and injury.
So do you think that you have any muscle imbalances? Spoiler’s alerts: of course—especially if you are a runner. And now it’s time for you to address the issue for good.
You ready?
Yoga. Yoooga. Yooooooga.
As you can see, yoga is one of my favorite activities in the world. I love it so much, and it has changed me on so many levels—body, mind, and soul (this piece is mainly concerned with the body aspect, so don’t stop reading yet if you are not into the psychological and spiritual stuff).
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Image Credit - Yogic Photos by Christine through Flickr
Do Yoga, Please!
It’s a profound practice, and if you haven’t yet caught the bug, then you should. And I hope that by the end of this post, you will at least consider the recovery routine I outlined below. Otherwise, you are missing out.
There is nothing worse than those stabbing, crippling stitches that hit below the ribcage that strikes just as you are breaking into your running pace. Urghhhhh!!!!
In fact, running with those painful side stomach cramps can be a march through hell.
Even now, after years on the running track, I still...
Runners are some of the most driven and dynamic of all athletes, but that doesn’t mean they can’t reap the benefits of yoga.
In fact, a daily yoga routine can help you increase strength and stamina in all major muscle group, including vital running muscles, such the calves, quadriceps, glutes,...
Just a couple of years ago I had no idea what foam rolling is, but after I made the discovery by doing a P90X program—Tony Horton Rocks!—my whole approach to stretching, mobility and recovery work has changed.
Foam rolling is a self-massaging technique that can help you loosen up tender and stiff muscles and keeps the fascia—which is the connective tissue surrounding every muscle in your body—happy and loose.
This may sound complicated and intimidating.
But fret no more.
By the end of this post, you will learn all you need to learn about the proper foam-rolling techniques and exercises that will help you reach common tight spots in your body as well as offer you effective strategies to help you roll your way to relief.
Oh man, the long run!
I hate to break it to you, but the matter of fact is, whether you are a recreational 5K runner, or an elite marathoner, the long run is a vital ingredient to any successful training program.
And I don’t really care whether you enjoy long runs,...
running outdoor has so many benefits. It will keep you sane, healthy and will get you into the best shape of your life. Plus, running outdoors is also awesome for the lungs and a great way to soak up some vitamin D.
But it has a dark side. You are out in the open to the elements, grisly people, awful drivers and the unforeseen. So you know that’s not really a safe world out there.
The 18 Tips for Safe Running
Safety is paramount, and taking a few precautions will not compromise your running routine. It will in fact invigorate it.
I started doing plyometric training years ago when I discovered it by going through a P90X program, which was one of the defining moments of my fitness life. In fact, Tony Horton has changed my life and the way I see fitness. Drastically.
He is an awesome trainer, and I’m really grateful. Always give credit where credit is due.
But enough talk about that crazy fit old dude, and let’s delve into plyometric training for runners, which is the main purpose of this blog post.
What are plyometrics?
“Plyometric training is high-velocity movement that relies on power generated through what is called the “stretch-shortening cycle””. This is the definition I found on the Runner’s World magazine website, and the definition will only leave you feel more perplexed and a bit, intimidated.
Whether you believe it or not, the treadmill can be a runner’s best friend—especially during these harsh winter months when you can’t gather up the motivation to walk or run outside felt victim to the winter too.
It ain’t pretty.
Although I don’t mind going for a rainy run every...