Train hard, recover harder

With two big endurance events coming up just two weeks apart, I am definitely focusing more on recovery this month.  After spending a couple hours each day swimming, biking and/or running, I definitely need it in this final ramp up to "Racetober's" events. 

I previously posted about trying out cryotherapy again last week.  After that session, I signed up for a month of daily sessions and have been going every day after my workouts.  It is a chilly 3 minutes and I am always happy when it ends.

It gets chilly in there!

In addition to that, I have had a few kinetic recovery massage sessions at another recovery center about 15 minutes away.  It is very different than regular massages I have had in the past.  It is a specialized form of massage, stretching and muscle work performed with an emphasis on active recovery versus passive bodywork.  You stay fully clothed in comfortable clothing.  The therapist does a lot of stretching and twisting and maneuvering me around.  I definitely feel it in places I normally wouldn't be able to hit.  If it helps increase my flexibility and keep my body more balanced, then I am all for it this month.

Not your typical massage

The Normatec compression boots have been a daily part of my recovery for the last year and a half.  Mike and I each use them for 45 minutes a day to keep our legs feeling fresh.  I can tell the difference when I've gone a few days without them.  I'm still undecided if they'll be making the trip with us to Chicago this weekend...

A great investment in our recovery

Finally fall and a medal reveal

After dealing with months (and months and months) of temperatures in the 90's or higher, I woke up this morning and was greeted with temperatures in the low 60's and cool winds.  Yes, it felt like fall FINALLY arrived in Dallas.  This afternoon's high only got into the upper 70's.  The last time that happened was in April.  Of course I wanted to take advantage of the weather -- who knows how long it will last.  It felt so different running outside this morning -- it was a much more enjoyable experience!  My average heart rate was lower and I was a little faster.

Not a bad start to the week!

Also today, the marathon revealed this year's medal.  I knew the Board of Trade would be featured on it and I am happy with how it looks.  6 more days!

2019 Bank of America Chicago Marathon medal

Finally, about a week and a half ago I struck up a conversation with a woman swimming at my gym (she was wearing an Ironman 70.3 cap and I asked her where it was from).  The more I talked to her, the more I started to recognize her.  It turned out that she was one of the people featured on the first season of Ironman's "Quest for Kona".  She was very friendly and I even saw her running on the Katy Trail the next morning (she said "hey" as we ran past each other).  She was at the pool again today and we chatted briefly again.  She remembered I am doing Waco in a few weeks and she will be heading to China to do a 70.3 in less than 2 weeks.  I enjoyed my little brush with a "famous" triathlete.  She's still chasing a spot in Kona and I'm sure she will eventually get there.  I'm sharing her episode below - it's a great watch!

Cryotherapy

With two big races coming up this month, doing everything I can to optimize recovery just seems like a smart thing to do.  Mike decided that he wants to do cryotherapy for the days leading up to the marathon.  We had previously tried a few session of it in Chicago, but it's another one of the things that I think probably gives more benefit from repeated experiences (much like our Normatec boots which we use daily).  I tagged along to his session today, not fully intending to do a session but to see the place he was going.  You wear gloves and socks and slippers while you stand in the machine.  Your body is exposed to extremely cold temperatures for several minutes.  Mike had a positive experience during his session and felt like it was much colder than when we did it in Chicago.  So of course I had to give it a try...

There were 3 options for how cold you wanted it to get and I chose the coldest.  The session is only 3 minutes but after the first minute you start to really feel the cold.  It's a strange sensation - almost like ice crystals are forming on your skin.  The last minute was the longest -- I was ready to get out when the time was up!  It definitely cooled me off from the Texas heat, and it certainly can't hurt me as I get ready for the races to come.