5 Easy Ways for Runners to Recover Between Training Sessions

In order to improve as an athlete you need to make rest and
recovery a key part of your training schedule. Yet most
beginning and intermediate runners tend to neglect this, and
unfortunately pay the consequences in the form of a soft-tissue
injury, or a general feeling of overtiredness.

So, how do elite athletes maintain schedules of a hundred miles
a week full of intense training? Because it is training like
this that gets them to the top, and keeps them there. Often they
are one or two sessions away from an injury, but they know from
experience when to take it easy.

Here’s five easy ways to recover between training sessions, and
make the improvements you desire without getting injured:

1) Treat rest and recovery as seriously as you take the rest of
your training. Don’t be tempted to do another training session
when you have got a day’s rest scheduled.

2) Stretch both before and after a run. Many authorities
recommend stretching mainly after your training sessions, but to
neglect stretching before running will put you at a greater risk
of injury. Don’t wait until you get injured to realize the
importance of stretching.

3) Use ice and cold water. Elite athletes like the women’s
marathon world record holder, Paula Radcliffe, take regular ice
baths before and after hard sessions or races. You do not have
to go this far, but the regular use of ice or cold water can
help to ease any muscular aches and pains.

One recommendation is to hold an ice pack to a troublesome joint
for ten minutes, then allow it to warm up again for an hour.
Then reapply the ice for another ten minutes. You can also
alternate hot and cold water on your leg in the shower. This can
help your legs recover after a hard session.

4) Vary your training. Variety adds spice to your running, as it
does the rest of your life. So, vary the speeds at which you
run. Perhaps twice a week you can run fast– do structured speed
sessions with your local running club, for example. But, you
cannot run fast every day. To recover for your next hard
training session you need to run slowly, as well as take days
off.

You don’t want to be always running with the same people either.
If you always run in a pack you are more likely to get injured
as you will get drawn into running faster than you would like.
Vary your training partners, and run on your own as well as this
will help you to listen to your body.

5) Listening to your body is probably your best defence against
overtraining and injury. This takes practice so don’t be
surprised if you DO get injured a few times before you realize
when to take it easy, and when to train hard.

If you follow these five guidelines you will recover better
between training sessions, avoid injury, and become a better
runner.

Recommended E-books:

Dog Training Mastery

http://s5.adwatcher.net/almiller/tracker.php?t=17

Dog Training Blueprint To Success – Devoted To Dogs

http://s5.adwatcher.net/almiller/tracker.php?t=18