……a recovery run in more ways than one!!
I was late to bed last night (or rather this morning) and, thanks to the youngest member of the household, early to rise. I felt rather delicate having had a glass or two of pink fizz to celebrate the New Year. It would’ve been easy to have had an unscheduled rest day today, but I thought it was important to start the year as I mean to go on.
Unlike my husband, who rolled out of bed into his running stuff and out of the door, I had to build up to it. We went down to the coast and, after a short walk and a strong coffee, I felt capable of a few easy miles up and down the prom. It was actually very pleasant, although there were a few too many people getting under my feet at times. I had a much better run than expected, and I felt 100% better once I’d finished.
There is some debate around recovery runs and a suggestion that they could be, in effect, ‘junk miles’. They are certainly advocated by Keith Anderson of Full Potential, he includes them in my training schedules, and by the aforementioned Julian Goater. He states that recovery runs should be short (20-30 minutes) and the aim should be that you feel better after the run than you did before. He notes that that the pace should be easy, but the cadence high – i.e. light and quick on your feet, not a heavy plod.
It’s easy to get carried away on a ‘recovery run’ and run further and harder than intended, especially if it’s ‘doing it’s job’ and you begin to feel better than you did when you set out. It’s important to be restrained, a bit like resisting second helpings at dinner. I’m sometimes guilty of being unrestrained during these sessions but, since it’s the first day of a new year, I am on my best behaviour!
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