Recovery Week

Hard to believe that a week has now passed since Mike and I were running 26.2 miles through the streets of Chicago.  This past week has been focused on recovery.  We both took 5 days completely off from running -- something that neither of us loved but both knew was necessary.  My first run post-marathon was yesterday.  I went out for a little over 6 miles at a comfortable pace.  I felt good and enjoyed moving again.  In the past, there have been times when I have tried to run too soon after a marathon.  Inevitably that always seems to lead to some sort of injury.  I am hopeful that this time I can get the recovery right and build my running back up while letting my body heal.

I spent a lot of time this week doing other activities.  I spent extra time in the Normatec recovery boots.  I still went to the gym but focused on the stairmaster and bike.  I also swam laps twice this week which is something I really enjoy.  I think swimming is a great cross training activity and I love the feeling of whole body movement.  I might not sweat like I do on the stairmaster, but I finish each swim feeling like I really worked out.  Once we move and start at our new gym, I plan to swim much more frequently.

During my Headspace time, I have been working through the Sports Recovery pack.  I haven't really talked about Headspace on here, but I think the guided meditations have truly been beneficial to my health since I started doing them daily in April.  Headspace played a role in my speedy rehab over the summer, and the recovery meditations will hopefully help me to rest and be ready to start training again.

Finally, yesterday we went to get our post-race massages.  We usually get massages monthly, and the weekend after the marathon was just the right time for this month's.  It wasn't the most relaxing experience, but the massage therapist was able to really work out some of the tension in my muscles during the 90 minutes. 

Time for a massage