TheAthlete’sGuidetoRecoveryispartoftheAthlete’sGuide™series.

Copyright©2011bySageRountree

Allrightsreserved.PublishedintheUnitedStatesofAmericabyVeloPress,adivisionofCompetitorGroup,Inc.

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DistributedintheUnitedStatesandCanadabyIngramPublisherServicesTheLibraryofCongresshascatalogedtheprintededitionasfollows:Rountree,SageHamilton.

Theathlete’sguidetorecovery:rest,relax,andrestoreforpeakperformance/bySageRountree.p.cm.ISBN978-1-934030-67-7(pbk.:alk.paper);ISBN978-1-937716-38-7(e-book)1.Sportsinjuries.2.Athletes—Physiology.3.Physicalfitness.4.Sportsmedicine.I.Title.RD97.R682011617.1’027—dc22

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CoverdesignbyErinJohnsonCoverphotographandFigure11.1byTimDeFriscoFiguresandgaugesbyCharlieLaytonPhotographscourtesyof the following:Figure6.1,AlterG Inc.; Figure 7.1, iStockphoto; Figure 8.2,ZeoInc.;Figure10.1,usedwiththepermissionofTheUnitedStatesPharmacopeialConvention;Figure12.1,The Recovery Sock; Figure 12.2, Performance Health, Inc.; Figure 13.1, Globus Sport and HealthTechnologiesLLC;Figure13.2,NormaTec;Figures14.1and14.2,iStockphoto.Figure17.1byDonKarle.PhotographsinChapters15and16bySteveClarke;propscourtesyofTriggerPoint.

Version3.1

ToWes,Lily,andVivian

Todonothingissometimesagoodremedy.—HIPPOCRATES

Training=stress+rest.Themostimportantcomponentofthisequationisrest,butnooneisgoingtogetrich

writingatriathlonbookaboutrest.—TOMRODGERS,THEPERFECTDISTANCE

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

PartI:DefiningandMeasuringRecovery

1.WhyRecoveryMatters

2.AvoidingOvertraining

3.QualitativeMeasurementsofRecovery

4.QuantitativeMeasurementsofRecovery

5.RecoveryfromInjuryandIllness

PartII:RecoveryTechniques

6.ActiveRecovery

7.StressReduction

8.Sleep

9.NutritionandHydration

10.Supplements

11.ColdandHeat

12.HomeRemedies

13.TechnologicalAids

14.Massage

15.Self-Massage

16.RestorativeYoga

17.MeditationandBreathing

PartIII:RecoveryProtocols

18.PuttingItTogether

19.RecoveryfromShort-DistanceTrainingandRacing

20.RecoveryfromLong-DistanceTrainingandRacing

AppendixA:ReturningtoTraining

AppendixB:DaystoRecovery

ReferencesandFurtherReading

Index

AbouttheAuthor

Preface

ENDURANCE SPORTS are about testing the limits. You work your body to abreakingpoint,thenstepawayfromthebrink,lettheworkabsorb,andrepeat.Itsoundssimple,buttheprocessisnotclear-cut.Whereisthatbreakingpoint?It’samoving target,varyingfromathlete toathlete,year toyear,month tomonth,andsometimesevendaytoday.Howlongdoesabsorptiontake?Again,it’shardtotell.Resttoomuchandyoumissoutongainsthatcouldmeanthedifferencebetween fulfilling your potential and falling flat. Rest too little and you driveyourperformanceintoadownwardspiralthatcantakedays,weeks,months,oryears tomitigate.Thekey is finding thebalancebetweenworkingenoughandresting enough, and that’s what this book will help you do. Following therecovery tools laid out here, you’ll figure out how to achieve your optimalbalance.

Asanathlete,I’vepushedthelimitsmyself.Iranmyselfinto—andbeyond—atibialstressfracture,andthen,toavoidlosingtoomuchfitness,Ispentmanylong “runs” churning circles in the deep end of the pool. I overachieved on afieldtesttomeasuremylactatethresholdandwoundupspendingafour-monthblocktrainingforamarathonwithmyheartratezonesskewedalmost10beatstoohigh,sothatalltheworkthatwassupposedtobeperformedjustbelowmylactatethresholdwasactuallyredliningme.I’vebeensodeepinfatigueduringIronmantrainingthatIdesperatelylookedforwardtoa teethcleaning,becauseI’dgettoliedowninthedentist’schair.Iunderstandhowtoughitcanbetotakethetimeforrecovery,evenwhenit’sreallyinmybestinterest.

Asacoach, Ihaveamoreobjectiveview.Muchofmywork is instructing

myathletestotakeiteasy,buildingrestdays,restweeks,andrestmonthsintotrainingschedules.Ispendmuchmoretimeassuringmyathletesthatmissingaworkout is OK than pushing them to get things done. From reading logs andtalkingtomyathletes,Icanseewhentheedgesstarttofray,andIcanpulltheirtraining back so they can absorb the hard work before returning to intenseworkouts.

Asayoga teacher, Iknow thebenefitsof rest, relaxation, lyingdown,andbreathing.As I tellmy students, going into a deep expression of a yoga poseisn’tthepathtoenlightenment.Butknowingwhennottoworkdeepermayhelpyoudownthepath,becauseitshowsself-awarenessandanacceptanceofwhatisgoingon inyourbodymoment tomoment.This self-knowledge is critical forsuccessinsportsandinlife,andyoucandevelopitbyusingtherecoverytoolsoutlined in this book. Someof them come fromyoga,manymore come fromsportsscience,andallofthemareproventimeandagaininathletes’bodies.

This book gives you the tools for learning about your own body and itsoptimalconditionsforrecovery,so thatyoucanreachpeakperformancewhilefeeling balanced and content with your sport and your life. In Part 1, we’llexaminethepsychologicalandphysiologicalprocesses involvedinrecovery tosee its vital importance in training, and we’ll see what can go wrong whenrecoveryisinsufficientandanathletemovesintoovertraining.You’lllearnwaystomeasureyourownstateofrecovery,bothqualitativelyandquantitatively,andwe’ll look at some general guidelines for returning to training after injury orillness.

Part2givesyouconcrete,proventechniques toenhanceyourrecoveryandimprove performance. They cover everything from stress-reduction tips tonutritionandsupplements to technologicalaidsandmassage.You’ll also learnsome very simple poses, breathing exercises, and meditation techniques toenhanceyourrecoveryandyouroverallhealth.Tohelpguideyouthrough,eachchapterinthispartbeginswith“Sage’sGauge,”avisualrepresentationofhowmuch time,money, and confidenceyou can expect to invest in these recoverymodalities.Someof themostpowerful aidsare free—sleepingmore, stressingless,andtakingthetimeforself-care.

Finally,Part3 showsyouhow toput it all together,demonstratingvariousplansforrecoveryfromtrainingforandcompetingineventsofall types,fromshort-distance bike races to ultramarathons. These chapters will give you astartingpointfromwhichtodevelopyourownroutines,basedonhowyourbodyresponds to thevarious techniques.Using themodalitiesdescribedhere,you’ll

improvethespeedandqualityofyourrecovery,hitpeakperformance,andgrowmorebalanced,happy,andsuccessfulinyoursportandyourlife.

Acknowledgments

THEIDEAFORTHISBOOKcametomeinaflashasIenjoyedarestorativeyogaclass led by SusanHutton. Susan,while I didn’t havemymind as blank as Imight have, I certainly appreciated the space for insight; thank you. WesRountree, my companion in that class and in life, helped not only in myriadintangibleways but also usinghis skillswithExcel programming andhelpingmeunderstandstatistics.

Researchforthisbookwasajoy.Inthedozensofin-person,phone,ande-mailinterviewsIconducted,IlearnedmorethanIcouldeverfitintoonebook.I’mdeeplygratefultoeveryonewhospokewithme,andespeciallytothosewhodemonstrated how powerful working in a field you love passionately can be.These include, in alphabetical order, Pat Archer, Brian Beatty, AnnetteBednosky,BenBenjamin,DaveBerkoff,GaleBernhardt,ChrisBohannon,JeffBrown, Gordo Byrn, Steven Cole, Bernard Condevaux, Kristen Dieffenbach,MattDixon,JamieDonaldson,AndyDoyle,EvieEdwards,CharlieEngle,ReedFerber,ShalaneFlanagan,CarlFoster,JoeFriel, JamesGreen,KateHays,JeffHunt,GiladJacobs,NateJenkins,MarcJeuland,LeahKangas,JayT.Kearney,Kristin Keim, Michael Kellmann, Göran Kenttä, Nikki Kimball, ThomasLaffont,CarolynLevy,AmandaLovato,JoanNesbitMabe,PeterMagill,AlexMcDonald,StephenMcGregor,GregMcMillan,TeraMoody,JackRaglin,MikeRicci,TomRodgers,HalRosenberg,MoniqueRyan,BillSands,BobSeebohar,StephenSeiler,KamiSemick,ToddStraka,KeithStraw,JenniferVanAllen,SueWalsh,MichaelWardian,PeterWatson,MatthewWeatherley-White,andMarvinZauderer.

Thanks to the team at VeloPress, who are always fantastic to work with,especially to Casey Blaine for her useful, careful, and tactful shaping of themanuscript.ConnieOehringandBethPartinablysmoothedtheroughedges.It’sgreat to have my agent, Bob Kern, always on my side. Thanks also to MattFitzgerald,whogavemebothdirectencouragementinhisenthusiasmaboutthisbook and confidence in my writing and indirect encouragement by being aninspiringrolemodel.

Thank you tomy coaching clients and tomy yoga students, all of whomdaily demonstrate the importance of balancing work and rest. The joy ofprescribing restweeks,easydays,andpost-race recovery routines is surpassedonlybythejoyofwatchingstudentsletgoincorpseposeattheendofayogapractice.

Thank you tomy business partner, Lies Sapp, who talkedme into a newprojectinthemidstofmyworkonthebook,andthengenerouslymadespaceformetodevotemyenergytowriting.Lies,I’mlookingforwardtobringingmoreofmypresencetoourworkinhelpingothersfindthework/restbalancethroughyoga.

Thank you to my favorite people with whom to sit and do nothing: myfamily.My parents andmy fantastic in-laws have beenmy company inmanyhappypost-racelounginghours.Andthankyouespeciallytomydaughters,LilyandVivian,andmostespeciallytomyhusband,Wes.Icanthinkofnogreaterwaytospendmytimethanrelaxingwithyouthree.

IN THE SUMMER OF 2009, I spent a week in residence at the Olympic TrainingCenter (OTC) in Colorado Springs, enjoying a coaching internshipwithUSATriathlon. Itwas exciting to see the resourceswegive ourmost elite athletes.Thetrainingcenteroffersafullyequippedtrainingfacility,withalltheamenitiesyou might expect: full rooms of weight training equipment, ample gyms (Itaught yoga in a roomy tae kwon do space, outfitted with lovely cushionedmats),indoorandoutdoorpools,andacafeteriaservinghealthyfoodanddrinks.Miles of local trails and roads, including some that head right up into theRockies, make this a fantastic place to train. Better still, the OTC boasts aRecoveryCenter.Thisluxefacility,availabletoallresidentathletes,includesasteamroom,asauna,ahottub,acoldplungepool,asnackbar,androomsforyoga andmassage.TheUSATriathlon national teammembers are allotted 90minutes ofmassage time aweek,which they canuse at one sessionor divideintomultiple, shorter sessions. In a convenient central locationon the trainingcentercampus,theRecoveryCentergivesathletesthebestrecoverymodalitiesknowntosportsscientists.

AttheOlympicteamlevel,athletesknowtheimportancebothofmanagingevery element important to training and of prioritizing recovery. Remember,Olympiansarenotoperatingonfivehoursofsleep,squeezingintheirworkoutsin the early-morning dark before sitting around conference room tables orchasingchildrenallday.Noraretheywrappingupeveningworkoutsafteralong

day at the office in time to mow the lawn before daylight fades. Betweenworkouts,theyrest.

Althoughit’sprobablyunrealisticforyoutoprioritizeyourrecoverytosuchan extent, if you can give a fraction of this value to your own recovery, yourperformancewillimprove.PerhapsnottoOlympiclevels,butcertainlyinwaysthatwillconvinceyouoftheimportanceandbenefitofrest.Recoveryiswherethegainsofyourtrainingactuallyoccur,andvaluingyourrecoveryisthekeytobothshort-termandlong-termsuccess,nomatterwhatyoursport.

Anyattention thatyoucangive toyour recovery is likely tobehelpful.A2006 study of British rugby players measuring the effectiveness of activerecovery, compression garments, and contrast baths found theywere allmoreusefulthandoingnothing(Gill,Beaven,andCook2006).

Inthisbook,we’llconsidervariouswaystodescribe,measure,andenhancerecoverybetweenbouts of training and racing.Recovery is a complicated andemerging field, and much of the research on these recovery techniques ispreliminaryandevencontradictory.Sometechniqueswillworkwondersforyou;otherswon’t.Ultimately,you’llneedtobeanexperimentofoneperson,learningwhatworksbestforyou.

THEWORK/RESTCYCLELifemovesinacyclicalpattern.Weseeitallaroundusinthenaturalworld:Astheearth travelsaround thesun, theseasonsshift.As themoon travelsaroundtheearth,theamountofitslitsurfacevisibletouschanges.Astheearthtravelsarounditsaxis,dayandnightalternate.

Ourbodiesmovethroughcycles, too.Theagingprocessthat takesusfrombirthtodeathisthebroadest,butweechonature’scyclesaswell—especiallyifweengageinseasonalsportsortargetapeakraceonceortwiceayear.Wecyclethroughthecourseofanathleticcareer,throughannualtrainingplans(whichwecallmacrocycles), throughsmallerblocksoftraining(mesocycles), throughtheworkoutsinaweek(microcycles),andthroughperiodsofactivityandinactivityeachday.These cycles dependnot only on the periods inwhichwework butalso on the periods in which we rest and build our recovery. It’s the balancebetweentheworkandtherestthatkeepsushealthyandstrong.

ThisbalancingactisdescribedbyCarlWeigert’slawofsupercompensation,formulatedinthelatenineteenthcentury,andbyHansSelye’sgeneraladaptation

syndrome. An endocrinologist working in the mid-twentieth century, Selyeidentified two kinds of stress: positive stress, called “eustress,” and negativestress,called“distress.”Weadapt to theformer—indeed, it’s importantforourgrowth—but when we do not, the stress changes into the latter, withphysiologicalconsequences.Whilewemaydobetterunderpressure, toomuchpressurequicklybecomesaproblem.Wetravelfromthealarmstage, inwhichstresshormonesarereleasedtoallowthebodytorespondtothestressor;totheresistance stage, inwhich the bodyworks to bring itself back into balance byadapting;and,finally,intotheexhaustionstage,inwhichcontinuedstressleadstohormonal imbalanceandchanges to thechemistryof the tissuescan lead toillnessandevendeath.Figure1.1illustratesthisprogression.

Whatpreventsusfrommovingintothisexhaustionstage?Recovery.Whenwemanage stress and take time to adapt to stress stimuli, our bodies undergopositivechangesthatequipustohandlethestressorsweface.Theseadaptationsare called “supercompensation.” During this process, the tissues in the bodyundergochangeinresponseto thestressputonthem.Ultimately, theybecome

better able to copewith the stressor.Thishappens in fourphases (BompaandHaff2009),illustratedinFigure1.2.

Inthefirstphaseofsupercompensation,whichencompassesthehourortwoimmediately following an intense workout, fatigue is high. It comes fromreducedneuralactivation,depletedmuscleglycogenstores,andmental fatiguerelated to serotonin levels in the brain. Cortisol levels are high as thesympatheticnervous system(the fight-or-flight response)dominates.Thebodyis compromised on a neural and psychological level, and it needs rest. Theathletefeelsspentandperhapsalittlementallyfuzzy.

The second phase of supercompensation comprises one to two daysfollowing the workout. During this period, the body begins to recover. Thebody’senergystoresofadenosinetriphosphate(ATP)andmuscleglycogenarereplenished.ThishappensveryquicklyinthecaseofATPandmoreslowlyformuscleglycogen,dependingonhowlongtheexercise lastedandhowwell theathleterefueledduringandimmediatelyafter theworkout.Thebodyconsumesmore oxygen, a process known as excess postexercise oxygen consumption(EPOC),anditusesmoreenergyevenatrest,asitworkstorestoreproteinandbalancehormones.

Inthethirdphaseafteraworkout,somewherebetween36and72hourslater,theadaptivegainsoccur.Thebodyhasadapted,whichtheathletecanexperiencebothphysicallyinarenewedabilitytogenerateforceandmentallyinasenseofconfidence and readiness to train. This is the stage inwhich the next trainingstimulusshouldbeappliedtotakeadvantageofthisfreshnessandbuildonit.

If you miss this window and pass into stage four of supercompensation,whichincludesdays3to7aftertheinitialworkout,thebodywillbegintoreturnto itsoriginal state, and theadaptationseffected in theprevious stageswillbelost.Thus, the tricktosuccessful traininglies inproperlytimingthefrequencyandintensityofworkouts.You’llbeabletodosoonlywhenyouhaveasenseofwhetheryouarerecoveredenoughforanotherhardsession.That’sthesubjectofthisbook:howtogetthereandhowtoknowyou’rethere.

Managing your cycle of supercompensation requires awareness of yourshort-term recovery (that is, how you respond to an individual workout), buttrainingusuallyinvolvesaseriesofworkouts.You’llneedtobesurethatyou’renot undermining your body’s adaptation by working too hard in the interimperiodsbetweenyourkeyworkouts.Youalsoneedtoapplythepropertraining

stimulus: If your load is correct and your recovery is correct, you’ll adapt. Ifyourloadis insufficient,you’llplateau.Andifyourloadis tooheavyforyourrecovery,yourperformancewillsuffer,andyouriskovertraining.Propertrainingstimulus varies according to your age, experience, background, and a host ofother factors; you’ll learn it by trial and error, and a coach can be a valuablepartner.Coachescanalsoensureyou’retakingproperrecovery.

Recovery involves more than just the physiological or neurochemicalprocessesatwork.Italsorequirespsychologicalrestoration,orareneweddesiretotrain.Withoutthissenseofenjoyment,yoursportwillnotbeahealthypartofyour life.You’ll gain this sense of restoration by including rest in your daily,weekly,monthly,andannualcycles.

RECOVERYOVERTIMERecovery takes place in both the short term and the long term. Short-termrecoveryfollowsfrompayingattentiontoyourrestandrecuperationdaytoday.Long-termrecoverycomesfromgoodshort-termrecoveryandfromgivingyourbodyadequatetimetorecoverbetweenyourpeakefforts.Here’showrecoveryshouldcyclethroughyourday,week,month,andyear.

InaDayYou recoverover the courseof thedaybyalternating the amountof timeyouspendintrainingactivitieswithdowntime.Itcanincludepassiverestandsleep,but you’ll also be recovering even as yougo about your daily activities.Yourbodyisprocessingyourmealstorebuildyourmusclesandrestoreyourglycogensupply; it is managing inflammation; it is, holistically, enjoying the cyclebetweenworkandrest.

Thereshouldalsobeperiodsofmentalrestbuiltintoyourday.Ifyoumovefromsleeprightintoaworkout,fromaworkoutrightintowork,fromworkintomeetings, and frommeetings intochores,youdon’tget anymentaldowntime.Besureyoutakeafewbrainbreakstostareoutthewindow;togoforaneasywalkaway fromcomputer, phone, andTVscreens;or to talk to a friend.Anyenjoyableactivityisfine,providedit’srelaxingandnotassociatedwithtrainingorwork.

InaWeek

Over the course of your week, ormicrocycle, recovery comes in the cyclicalpatternofharderandeasierworkoutdays.Ontheharddays,workoutstargetingstrength and power and taxing the aerobic and anaerobic systems push theboundaries ofwhat an athlete can do.The easier days are the key here:Theymustbequiteeasy,togiveyourbodytimetorecoverandadapttothestressorsyou’veplacedon it.All toooften,athletesgravitate toward themushymiddle,between working easy enough for recovery and hard enough to target lactatethreshold,VO2max, neuromuscular efficiency, or power.This leaves them tootired to perform at their best in their harder workouts, robbing them of thechancetoekeoutaslightlyfasterpaceorslightlyhigherwattageandtoimprovespeedandpower.

Thebigquestion,then,ishowbesttoalternatehardandeasydays.Thebiganswer is: It depends.A range of factorswill affect the answer: your age, theimpact level of the sport, your history in the sport and any past or presentinjuries, environmental factors during workouts, the length of your race, and,ultimately, howwell you recover.Here are various examples. In the first two,hard/easydaysalternate.Foramastersathlete,oronenewtothesport,twoharddaysaweekmightsuffice.

Ofcourse,theseschedulesdonotincludemoderateworkouts,whichdohavetheirplace.

For those who can tolerate more frequent hard workouts (for example, innonimpactsports),twoharddayscangobacktoback.

Or, if you want two hard days in a row but also want to include somemoderatework,youcouldtrythefollowingschedule.

InaMonthYourtrainingmesocyclelastsapproximatelyamonth.Thesemesocyclesusuallyfollow a 3 to 1 work/rest ratio, with 2 to 1 a standard approach for mastersathletes. In these ratios, each microcycle emphasizes either work (3 or 2microcycles)orrest(1microcycle).Eachmesocycleshouldcontainacontiguousblock of easier days to allow you to absorb and adapt to the work of theprecedingweeks.Formostathletes,thistakestheformofaneasyweek,thoughsomeexperiencedandeliteathleteswillstepbackforashorterblockofaroundfivedays(whichleavestheweekendsforheaviertraining,oftenwithagroup).Duringyoureasy,“rest,”orstepbackweek,yourworkoutsshouldscalebackinterms of both duration and intensity—and possibly also frequency. Thus yourworkoutswouldbeshorterandcarryless,ifany,intensity,andyoumightdroponeortwoworkoutsinthestepbackweek.

Thisweekisoftenusedforfitnesstesting,especiallyinJoeFriel’sapproachtotraining,outlinedintheTrainingBiblebooks(Friel2009).Testingprovidesavaluable opportunity to measure your progress and check the state of yourrecovery.Aswe’llseeinChapter2,declinesinperformanceareanearlysignofovertraining.Makesure,however,thatyouaren’ttestingtothedetrimentofyourresting.Evenwhenyouhavesomefieldtestsinyourstepbackweek,youshouldleavetheweekfeelingfresherthanyouwentin.

This freshness is key. During each month, your cumulative fatigue willmount, evenasyou include recovery for supercompensation.The restweek inyourcycleletsthefatigueliftandlong-termadaptationoccur,sothatyoucanbefresherasyoustartthenextmesocycle.Figures1.3and1.4demonstratetypicalmesocycle builds as well as the amount of fatigue and freshness an athletecarriesthroughthecycle.

InaSeasonorYearJustasitappearsintheday,week,andmonth,cyclicalityappliesoverthecourseofyouryear.Besuretoblockouttimeeachseasonoryearwhenyouturnyourfocus away fromorganized training.Youcan and shouldbe activeduring thisperiod, but your activity should be varied and fun and completely free of theattentiontotheparametersyoucontrolduringyourmainsporttraining.Asyouchartyourtimespentintrainingovertheyear,youshouldseedefinitepeaksandvalleys.Thesevalleysareimportant,astheyallowyoutimetorecoverfromtherigorsoftraining,bothphysicallyandmentally.

Beyond this annual variability, theremay evenbe periodswhere youpushfor a fewyears, then step back to focus on a shorter distance or to train less,perhaps in conjunction with other obligations in your family or work life.Olympic athletes follow a four-year cycle. Yours might be shorter—trainingharder for twoyears and steppingback.Or go for a sabbatical, a lighter year,every seven years. It need not be a planned stepback; your life circumstanceswill often dictatewhen it is time to go lighter. Thus the cycle plays out on a

grandlevel.

VALUINGRECOVERYInorder toreceive thebenefitsof recovery—andhence, toget themostoutofyour training—youmust pay asmuch attention to recovery as youdo to yourtraining.Thatmeanstreatingrecoveryasanextensionofyourtraining,whichitis,andapproachingitwiththesamezeal.Youhavetogoeasytobeabletogohard. Exercise physiologist Carl Foster says athletes must “be disciplinedenoughandpreparehardenoughfortraining,whichmeansyousometimeshaveto do very little. Yoga, icing, meditation, massage: work as hard at that asrunningyour20-milerun.”

Attention to recoverymight take evenmore discipline than training. Two-timeIronman®worldchampionTimDeBoomsaysthatafterhismanyyearsintriathlon, “Training has become the easy part. All the supplemental exercises,stretches,andtherapiesarewhatmakethedifferencenow.”UltrarunnerCharlieEngle agrees. “The easiest thing forme to do any given day is to run out thedoor,”hesays.“Thehardestthingtodoisalltheseotherthingsthatwillactuallyhelp keep me healthy through the years.” Foster, who has worked with USASpeedskating, remembers that Bonnie Blair and Dan Jansen focused on theirrecovery so much they called themselves the No Fun Guys. Foster explains,“Whenyou’reafull-timeathlete,it’sactuallyamazinglyboring.Alotofpeoplewithphysicaltalentdropoutofitbecausethelifestyleistooconstraining.YouhavetohavethedisciplinetobeoneoftheNoFunGuys—andthat’snofun.”

Not only can paying attention to recovery be tough, but also it can runcountertotheathleticmindset.Asathletes,wearefamiliarwiththeintensityofwork,comfortablewithsuffering,andoftenunreasonablyproudofourabilitytohandlemore, more, more. But Engle cautions that the body needs to balanceworkwithrecovery.“Youcandriveyourcaracrossthecountryandthengetinthecaranddrivethenextday.Youcan’tdothesamethingwiththebody,”hesays.“There’saweirdbadgeofhonorthatifyouranamarathon,youcangetupandrunthenextday.Peopleforgetthatyouhavetorest.”

Thatamnesiatiesintoaculturalsensethatactionistheonlywaytoachieveresults. There is no room for passive downtime in this worldview. Sportperformance coach and psychotherapist Marvin Zauderer says, “In Westernculture,wetendtobeconsumedbytheperspectivethatthethingthatwewantto

happen—gettingstronger,faster,fitter—ishappeningonlywhenwe’reworkingonit,exertingsomekindofcontrol.Wearen’tused to the idea that lettinggo,resting, and relaxing control can be as important to healing, recovery, andstrengtheningastheyare.”

Inourhyperbusyculture,itcanbehardtobestill.Often,aplannedrestdaydevolvesintoadayofhousework,andarestweekbecomesaweekofplayingcatch-upatwork.Wheneverpossible,dialbackanddelegate.Useyourenergywhereitisbestspent.UltrarunnerKeithStrawsuggestsyouavoidyourchores.“When you rest, rest,” he advises. “Don’t rake the leaves; don’t clean thegutters.”ProfessionaltriathleteAlexMcDonaldadmitspayingtheneighborhoodkids to mow his lawn. Athletic therapist Reed Ferber says, “A rest day isworkingnothingbutyourthumbontheremotecontrol.”

PATIENCEANDFAITHYour successful approach to recoverywill depend on two traits: patience andfaith.Youneedpatiencesothatyoucangiveyourbodythetimeitneedstohealitself.Your body is an amazing, complicated, andpowerful system, andgiventime,itwilladaptinincrediblewaystothestressesyouputonit.Butyouhavetogiveittime.

Faithisalsocritical.Youneedtotrustthattimeoff,eventhoughitmightbehardtotake,willhaveadirect,positiveeffectonyourtraining.Intime,you’llsee that it does, andyour faithwill become tested andprovenbelief.Patienceandfaithareheightenedbythepowerofritual.Simplytakingthetimetositinanicebathortopracticerestorativeyogasendstheverypowerfulsignalthatyouvalueyour recoveryenough toworkon it.Whenyouregularlygo through thesteps of your recovery protocol, you’ll be ingraining positive habits, and thepatternoftakingthesestepswillsignaltoyourparasympatheticnervoussystemthatit’stimetorelax,torestore,torecover.

REFERENCESANDFURTHERREADINGBompa,T.O.,andG.G.Haff.2009.Periodization.5thed.Champaign,IL:HumanKinetics.Friel,J.2009.TheTriathlete’sTrainingBible.3rded.Boulder,CO:VeloPress.Gill,N.D.,C.M.Beaven,andC.Cook.2006.“EffectivenessofPost-MatchRecoveryStrategiesinRugby

Players.”BritishJournalofSportsMedicine40:260–263.

NOWTHATWE’VELOOKEDattherecoverycycleanditsbenefits,let’sinvestigatewhathappenswhenyoudon’t recover.Under-recovery is a slippery slope thatcan lead to full-blown overtraining syndrome. Overtraining is a specter thatloomsjustoverthehillofmostdedicatedathletes’training,butitisamysteriousstate that is hard, if not impossible, to diagnose, with both physiological andpsychological implications. This amorphousness has been combined withconfusing terminology that calls overtraining “staleness, “burnout,” or“overwork.” Sometimes overtraining is described as an imbalance betweentrainingand rest; sometimes it isdescribed,moreholistically, as an imbalancebetweenstressand rest.This latterdefinition includesall the lifestressors thatcombinewith training stressors and contribute to problems in the athletewhodoesnotallowforrecovery.

It’susefultothinkofovertrainingasonepointonaspectrum(Figure2.1)—the training equivalent to exhaustion, the third stage of Hans Selye’s stressadaptationchart.Beforeanathleteprogressesintoovertraining,hemovesfurtheralong the spectrum.Whenweapplyan increasinglystressful training load,wego into a period of intentional overreaching,which involves carrying a heavyloadforaweekor two, thenpullingbackandabsorbing theworkbydevotingadequate timeandattention to recovery. It’spushing thebody to thebrinkandthen yanking back before the athlete topples over the edge. A powerful andusefulstrategyfortraining,ithappensnotablyatrunningandtriathloncampsof

aweekor10days’length.

Such stressmustbe followed,of course,by sufficient recovery.Anathletewillleaveaperiodofintentionaloverreachingwithalargeloadoffatigue.Thatshouldbe enough togeneratepositive adaptations through supercompensation,withoutpushingtheathlete intoinjuryor illness.CoachandsportpsychologistKristen Dieffenbach likens the work of overreaching to getting just the righttoast on amarshmallow.You need to come close to the fire (a heavy trainingstimulus) to create change in themarshmallow (the body). “Youwant it to bebrown and crinkly, without catching on fire,” she says. “How it comes outdependsonhowhotthefireis,andwhereyou’restanding.”

Thefinelinebetweenperfectlyroastingthemarshmallowandincineratingitneedsspecialattention.Youmustknowwhentopullbackfromthefireandcooloff. Coach Gordo Byrn explains, “There are times when it’s desirable to getprettytired.Butyouneedtoprepareforthoseoverloadperiodsandbearinmindthatthey’respecialoccasions.Athletesgettrappedinthisideathattheyneedtobe exhausted to improve.” The success of your overreaching period, Byrnexplains,haslesstodowiththenumbersyoucanpostduringtheweekandmoretodowithhowwell—andhowquickly—youcanrecoverfromtheoverload.

Thisabilitytorecoverquicklyiskey,anditcansaveyoufromprogressingfurtheralongthespectrumtowardfullovertraining.Whenyouarecarryingbigfatigue, you should be able to rebound after a few days of rest or very light

training.This pre-overtraining state is characterized by a performancedecline.Keeping a detailed training log and regularly testing your performance in thefieldcanalertyou if suchadeclinebegins.Nextcomefeelingsof fatigue thatTim Noakes colorfully describes in The Lore of Running as “heavy legsyndrome” and the “super plods” (Noakes 2001). As alarming as they maysound,theyaren’tfull-blownovertraining;carefulattentiontorestcanstillaverttheshifttowardamoreseriousproblem.

But if the load is too great, for too long, or if your training is toomonotonous,includingtoomuchofthesamestimulusdayinanddayout,andifyourrecoverycontinuestobeinsufficient,youcanbringyourselfintoastateofovertraining.

HOWTOIDENTIFYOVERTRAININGPsychological indicatorsoftenpoint toastateofovertrainingsoonerandmoreclearly than physiological indicators, such as blood tests and heart ratemeasurements. Because psychological and physiological issues such asdepression and thyroid problems can resemble overtraining, it’s important towork with an experienced health care practitioner to make the appropriatediagnosis.

Signs of overtraining can be hard to identify. An overtrained athlete mayexhibit a cluster of the symptoms listed below (based on Noakes, Lore ofRunning)whilenotshowingothers.Andbecausemanyofthesesymptomscanindicate other underlying medical conditions, do not use this list as a self-diagnostictool.Instead,consultwithyourcoachandhealthcareproviders.

Thinking about overtraining continues to change, but most agree that it’sreversibleonlybyaprolongedperiodofrest,onethatcanlastforweeksorevenmonths. Hence, your athletic success depends on purposely avoiding pushingyourselfintosuchastate.

HOWTOPREVENTOVERTRAININGThis book examines the many practical things you can do to preventovertraining: focus on your recovery nutrition; make sleep a priority; find abalance between training, work, and relationships; and employ recoverystrategiessuchaswearingcompressionclothingandpracticingrestorativeyoga.On the broadest level, though, simply knowing your goals and paying closeattentiontoyourbodywillhelpkeepyoufromovertraining.

Contextiseverything.Settingappropriategoalsandkeepingthebigpictureinmind throughout the seasonwill help athletes stay away fromovertraining.Sport performance coach and psychotherapist Marvin Zauderer says thatovertraining is a common result of an athlete setting unrealistic goals. If you

havesetyourgoalsohighthatitbecomesall-consuming,thenyou’regoingtotakeahit, and thatcaneasilymoveyou intoovertraining. Inaddition, anxietyoften causes athletes to seek to exert control. When athletes feel anxious,Zauderersays,theyturntothethingstheythinktheycancontrol—forexample,the volume and intensity of their training—often to the detriment of theirrecovery.

CarlFoster,professorofexercisephysiologyattheUniversityofWisconsin–LaCrosse,agreesthattheproblemisaneedforcontrol.Inhisyearsworkingatateaching hospital, he says, “I’d see the residents, tired all the time, doboneheadedthingsthatdon’thavegoodoutcomes.Thendidtheygohomeandsleep?No,they’dgotothelibraryandreadupontheissues.Similarly,ifartisticperformers have a less than stellar performance, they domore rehearsal.” Anaccomplishment-oriented mindset causes the trouble, Foster explains. “That’showyougetovertrainingsyndrome.Yousay,‘I’moutofshape,Ineedtoworkharder,’”whenyou’renotoutofshapeatall;you’resimplyunrested.

Payingattentiontoyourpsychologicalandphysiologicalstatesiskey.Knowyour habits, know your stressors, and know your goals. Beyond that self-awareness, keep careful track of your performance inworkouts and races andanalyzeittoconfirmthatyouareadaptingasplanned.Adeclineinperformanceshould lead to a search for its cause and to a focus on the quality of yourrecovery.Remember,oftendoinglessismorepowerfulthantrainingmore.

InChapters3and4,we’ll lookatwaystoqualifyandquantifythestateofyour recovery. Tracking metrics such as mood, hours slept, and variousphysiologicalparameterswillhelpyoukeepaneyeonthestateofyourrecoveryandhenceyour training.Such attentivenesswill keepyou fromapproaching astateofovertrainingaswellashelpyoureachyourpeakpotential.

QUICKTIPSOvertrainingisaseriousconditionfromwhichitcantakemonthstorecover.Payattentiontothestateofyourrecoverysothatyoudon’treachanovertrainedstate.Takingafewdaysoffatthefirstsignofunder-recoverycanyankyoubackfromtheedge.Thesignsofovertrainingcanalsobesymptomsofothermedicalconditions;checkwithyourhealthcareprovider.Sometimesdoinglessisfarmorepowerfulthandoingmore.

REFERENCESANDFURTHERREADINGKellmann, M. 2002. Enhancing Recovery: Preventing Underperformance in Athletes. Champaign, IL:

HumanKinetics.Noakes,T.2001.LoreofRunning,4thed.Champaign,IL:HumanKinetics.

THINK ABOUT THE LAST TIME you felt really refreshed. (Hopefully, it’s not toodistantamemory.)Whatadjectiveswouldyouusetodescribethefeeling?Youmight use words like springy, peppy, or on, as in, “I felt on today.” Thevocabularywilldifferfromathletetoathlete,andyoushouldn’tfeelsurprisedifit’stoughtoputwordstothefeelingofrecovery.Sincerecoveryisabroadandsomewhatnebulousstate,itcanbeveryhardtoidentify.Oftenitisdefinedmoreby its absence than by its presence. While there are some ways to quantifyrecovery—and we’ll look at them in Chapter 4—you will be best served bytaking a qualitative impression of your state of recovery. This is an importantway to pick up on early warning signs that can’t be quantified. ExercisephysiologistStephenSeiler, aprofessorat theUniversityofAgder inNorway,says,“Perceptualandpsychologicalmeasuresaremoreusefulforpickingupatendencytowardoverreachingstatesthanquantitativemeasureslikebloodtests,heartratevariability,etcetera.Bythetimethosevariablespaintaclearpicture,theathleteisoftenalreadyintrouble.”

StephenMcGregor developed the running Training Stress Score (rTSS) inWKO+ software, a method of quantifying recovery (see Chapter 4). ButMcGregor seesmeasuring recovery as both a science and an art. He says, “Ithinkofcoachingabitlikemedicine.There’sascientificaspecttomedicine,butwestillneeddoctorswithintuitiontoqualitativelyevaluatetheinformation.The

quantitativetoolsgiveyouinformation,objectivity,baselinedata,andattheendofthedayitcomesbacktotheintuition.”Honingyourintuitionandassessmentskillswillhelpyoukeepanaccurateeyeonyourfatiguelevel.

UltrarunnerMichaelWardian,who has placed 3rd overall at theMarathondesSables, a six-day,151-mile race in theSahara, likenshis awarenessofhisrecovery to a car checkup. When his legs feel dead, that reads like low tirepressure and is a sign to change his workout schedule accordingly. His self-assessment is like a systems check: “Ismy tank fueled? Is the engine feelinggood?Howaboutthetires?Whataremygaugesshowing?”

Foravisualaidinthistracking,useatraininglog.Yourtraininglogisatoolto help you calibrate, to learn how to tune in to your body.After a period ofusing it regularly, youmight be able toworkmore on intuition.Consider thisanalogy: As you begin endurance sports training, you go on feel, working atlevelsthatfeelsustainableforlongerworkouts,orpushingduringshorterones.Afterafewblow-upsinwhichyoupushtoohard,youlearnaboutyourcurrentlimits.Thenyoumight begin trainingwith a heart ratemonitor.Trainingwiththisdevicereducestheguesswork,removingthetrialanderror.Yougettoknowwhenyoumightpushalittlemore,orwhenyou’reindangerofbeingforcedtoslow down. Eventually, you’ll develop a sense ofwhat your heart rate is at agiveneffort,andyoumayultimatelystopusingthemonitorforsomeorevenallofyourworkouts.You’vebeencalibrated,andyou’vehadyourintuitivesenseofeffort and pacing confirmed. Keeping your log is like wearing that heart ratemonitor:Ithelpsyouseethepatterns.Itgivesyousomegaugessothatyoucanseeintothestateofthesystem.Intime,youmaychoosetooperatemoreonfeel.

INVENTORIESTOMEASURERECOVERYVarious inventories and lists havebeen scientifically proven to track recovery.ProfessorJackRaglin,a sportpsychologistat IndianaUniversity,explains thatthese inventories work just as well as any physiological measurement ofrecovery. “Whatever logical or theoretically compelling physiologicalassessmentyou lookat, thesecorrelatewithpsychologicalmeasures,”he says.“Howyoufeelisareflectionofwhat’sgoingon.”

CoachesandsportspsychologistshavenotedthattheProfileofMoodStates(POMS)questionnairedevelopedbyDouglasMcNairandhiscolleagues(1971,1992) can predict whether an athlete is well rested or overtrained. This scale

measures six mood states: tension, depression, anger, vigor, fatigue, andconfusion.Obviously,oneofthesethingsisnotliketheothers:vigor.Inawell-restedathlete, agraphof thePOMSprofilewillpeak forvigorwhile showinglower scores in the other five states. It is called the “iceberg profile,” for itsjuttingtop.Inanunder-recoveredorovertrainedathlete,theoppositeoccurs.

Building on the POMS, Michael Kellmann and Wolfgang Kallus (2001)developedaquestionnaire to trackathletes’ stress and recovery, theRecovery-StressQuestionnaireforAthletes,orRESTQ-Sport.This72-itemquestionnaireasks athletes to rank both the stress they are experiencing and how recoveredthey feel.The stress questions trackmarkers of general, emotional, and socialstress (conflicts/pressure, fatigue, lack of energy, and physical complaints), aswellasrestintervals,halftimes,andtime-outs;emotionalexhaustion;andinjury.Recovery questions track success; social and physical recovery; well-being;sleep quality; and the sense of being in shape, personal accomplishment, self-efficacy,andself-regulation.

Thisthoroughtool,usedinnationalprograms,isavailableinbookandCD-ROMformatbutnotonline.Ifyouhaveaccesstoit,you’llfindthatitgivesanin-depth picture of the state of your recovery. Simply filling out thequestionnaire may prompt some revelations about the balance between yourtrainingstressandrecovery;scoringtheformandgraphingtheanswerswilltakeyoufurther.

With T. Patrick, Cal Botterill, and Clare Wilson, Kellmann developedRecovery-Cue, a shorter questionnaire for athletes designed to be completedweekly(Kellmannetal.2002).Ideally,athleteswouldtaketheassessmentatthesametimeeachweek,sothattheiranswersaremoreconsistent.

Recovery-Cue asks the following questions, with answers rankednumericallyfrom0to6;foryourownuse,youmightchooseaslightlydifferentscale.

1. Howmucheffortwasrequiredtocompletemyworkoutslastweek?2. HowrecovereddidIfeelbeforemyworkoutslastweek?3. HowsuccessfulwasIatrestandrecoveryactivitiesthisweek?4. HowwelldidIrecoverphysicallylastweek?5. HowsatisfiedandrelaxedwasIasIfellasleepinthelastweek?6. HowmuchfundidIhavelastweek?7. HowconvincedwasIthatIcouldachievemygoalsduringperformance

lastweek?(Kellmannetal.,2002)

You need not be so detailed, however, to get an accurate sense of yourrecovery. Tracking qualitative data in metrics you design yourself can beeffective,too.Here’show.

HOWTOTRACKRECOVERYYOURSELFYourtraininglogisaninvaluable tool thatshowstrendsover time.Itcanholdmuch more than numeric details on the miles you’ve covered or the wattageyou’veposted.Yourlogcanbecomeajournal,arecordofyourexperiencesdayinanddayout,alistofthesmallmomentsthatmakealife.Trackingindicatorsofyourrecoverywillbeinvaluableinensuringyoureachpeakperformanceinyourkeyworkoutsandraces.Afewdays’noteswon’tbeofmuchuse toyou,but after you’ve accumulated data over a fewweeks ormonths, youwill seetrends emerging. Simply looking at your training log—miles andwattage andtime—is not enough. You can be going through the same workouts butconsistently under-recovering because of life stresses. Your sleep log mightrevealaproblembeforeyourworkoutpacingdoes.

Table3.1showsmyathleteDonnie’slogduringtheweekhewastaperingfora back-to-backmountain bike/duathlon race weekend. In a casual manner, henoteshissleep,nutrition,andthestateofhislegs.Thisisonlyoneofthemanywaysinwhichyoumighttrackthequalityofyourrecovery.

Themeansoftrackingisuptoyou.Ifyouprefertoworkwithapaperlog,youmightcreateasectionineachday’slistingwhereyouratethesemetrics.Or,periodically,takeapairofhighlightersandworkyourwaythroughyourrecentworkoutnotes.Useone color—green, say—tohighlight all thepositivewordsyouuse,suchasstrong,good,nailedit,excited.Anothercolor—safetyorange,perhaps—canhighlightanynegativeterms,suchastired,sluggish,deadlegs,orbad.Aglanceatthecolorpatternswillgiveyouusefulinsightsintotrends.

IfyouarehandywithExcelorotherspreadsheets,youcancreateyourowntraininglog.Youcanprogramaformulasothatyourspreadsheetautomaticallycomputes your average metrics for the week, month, and year, such as theaveragehourssleptpernight,theratingyouapplytostress,oryourenjoyabilityscore.

Ifyoupreferanonlinelog,youmaybeabletofindmetricsonhandthatwillhelpyoumeasurethequalityofyourrecovery.WorkoutLog(workoutlog.com),forexample,hasaHealthLogfeaturewithfieldswhereyoucanrecordwakingheartrateandweightandmeasuresleep,fatigue,soreness,andstressona1-to-5scale. Training Peaks (trainingpeaks.com) has numeric fields to track weight,hoursofsleep,soreness,fatigue,andsleepquality.

Aslidingscalerankssoreness,fatigue,andstressfrom“None”to“Extreme”andsleepqualityandoverallhealth from“Worst” to“Best,”bothona5-pointscale.TrainingPeaks allowsyou tographyourdailymetricsbyplotting themagainsteachother:thatis,youcanseeyourfatigueandsleepqualityonthesamegraph.

Exactlyhowyoutrackthefactorsthataffectyourrecoveryislessimportantthanconsistencyintracking.

RecoveryMetricstoNoteHerearesomeideasofmetricstonote.Somemayworkforyou,othersmaynot;what’simportantisconsistentdatacollectionsoyoucanseetrendsemerge.

How’sItGoing?Ingeneral,howisyourtraininggoing?Iftheanswerisn’tanenthusiastic,honest“Great!”drill deeper.Areyou in an intentional stateofoverreaching,workingforafitnessbreakthrough?Howisthatworkingoutforyou?Orareyousimplypushing too hard?Are you having one ormore failedworkouts eachweek—workoutsinwhichyoucan’tmakeyourtargetnumbers,everythingisoff,oryoublowupbeforeyoufinish?GordoByrn,endurancecoachandcoauthorofGoingLong, says that even though an occasional bad day is to be expected, “If youhavemore than one failedworkout aweek, you need to back off.One day aweekisOK,buttwoisasign.”

PerformanceBeyond the general perspective on how things are going, consider yourperformance in workouts. You should have target paces to hit for various

distances in yourworkouts: Are you hitting the targets?Do they feel easy ortoughtoachieve?Comparingthisefforttoperformancewillgiveyouasenseofhowyourtrainingplanisworkingandwhetheryouhavesufficientrecovery.

BodyQualityHowdoyourmusclesandlungsfeel?Buoyantandclear?Heavyandcongested?In his research, sport psychologist Jack Raglin uses a scale from 1 to 7 todescribethefeelingofheavinessinlimbs.“Swimmersfeellikethey’resinkinginthewater,”hesays;“runnershaveheavylegs.Comeupwithyourownscale,andwhenyouseeajump,that’swhensomethingisgoingon.”

MoodMoodfluctuationsareanormalpartofbeinghuman,butpayattentiontoyourmoodstate.Bigswingsbetweengoodandbadmoodsshouldbenoted,andanyprolongednegativemood—beittension,sadness,anger,depression,anxiety,oranyothermalaise—shouldbearedflag.Whensuchmoodspersist,checkyourtrainingandconsidertakingtimeoffforrecovery.

SleepingYoucan trackboth the amount of sleepyouget—aquantifiable number—andthequalityofyoursleep.Youmightalsonotetheextentofyourdreaming.Doyou awaken with memories of vivid dreams? If so, what are their commonthemes?

While it’snormal tohavea fewnightswhere it’s tough to fallasleepor tostayasleep,aregularpatternofsubparsleepisawarningsign.SeeChapter8forwaystoimprovethequalityofyoursleep.

ExternalStressWhatkindof pressures areyou currentlyunder?Bigdeadline atwork? In themidst of writing a dissertation? About to get married or undergo some othermajor life-changing event? These pressureswill affect your training and yourrecovery,andtheyshouldbetracked.

InternalStressInternal stress is the pressure you put on yourself. It could be performancepressure,butitcouldalsobepressuretosucceedatwork,totakecareofafamilymember, to balance everything without showing strain. We all have internal

stress.Sometimessimplymakinganoteofithelpsalleviatetheproblem.MoreaboutstressreductionappearsinChapter7.

MenstrualCycleWomen should track their menstrual cycles, which can give insight into anathlete’s state of recovery. A few missed periods or complete amenorrhea(absenceof theperiod)arecommonindicatorsofovertraining.Femaleathletescantracktheirmenstrualcyclesintheirtraininglogs,notingthedaythemensesstart,anyabnormalities in floworcramping,andduration.Achange inanyofthesefactorsmaybeevidenceofunder-recovery.Astrendsemerge, theathleteorhercoachmightadjusttrainingcyclessothatrestweekscorrespondwiththeweek of the athlete’s period, or theweek just before.Once again, individualsmust experiment to determine their individually appropriate combination ofworkandrecovery.

OtherMetricsTheremaybeothermetricsyou’dliketotrack.Forexample,oneofmyathleteswhosuffersfrommigraineshasappropriatedthesleepmetricinTrainingPeaksto track her migraine symptoms. If you have a cyclical work schedule—forexample,abiweeklypayrolldaythatkeepsyouverybusy—itcouldbenotedinyourlog,too.

EnjoymentIn his 2010 book Run: The Mind-Body Method of Running by Feel, MattFitzgerald suggests tracking your enjoyment of each workout. Studies haveshown that a lack of excitement for training can be one of the first signs ofovertraining. Fitzgerald’s system assigns a simple rating of 1 to 3 to yourenjoymentof theworkout,with1meaning itwason thewholeunenjoyable,2meaning itwasso-so,and3meaning itwasanenjoyableexperience.Youcantally these points and divide them by the number of workouts to generate anenjoyabilityaverageforeachweek,month,andseason.Thisisoneexampleofhowasimplemetricgainspowerbybeingtrackedovertime.

PARTNERPOWERInadditiontoself-assessment,youcanrelyonthosearoundyoutoletyouknow

whenyouarepushingtoomuch.Ifyouhaveacoach,heorsheshouldcheckinwithyouregularly toseehowyou’rehandlingtheworkload.MattDixon,whocoacheschampiontriathleteChrisLieto,sayshenotonlyreliesonhisathletes’subjective self-assessments but also looks at the athletes themselves. Somedetails he notes are the vibrancy of an athlete’s skin, attitude, and anymoodiness.Evenseeminglyminordetails,whenaddedup,paintapictureofanathlete’srecoverythatanintuitivecoachcanevaluate.StephenSeilersays,“Oneof the best ways for a coach to monitor athletes is just to observe theircommunicationandpersonality.Thisisverylowtech,andasasportscientist,IwishtheanswerwassomecoolphysiologicalmeasurementthatonlyfolkswithPhDscoulddo,butthatisnotthecase.”

If you’re coached online, pay extra attention to communication with yourcoach.Don’tholdbackforfearofsoundinglikeawhiner.Honestevaluationofyour fatigue level is critically important to your training. Without fullinformation on how your body is absorbing and adjusting to the prescribedworkouts,acoachcannotdesignanintelligentprogressiontowardyourgoals.Atbest,you’llfallshyofyourpotentialifyouarenotfullyrecovered;atworst,youmightbeheadingforinjuryorovertraining.

While well-known endurance sport coach Joe Friel’s business is basedonline,heregularlymonitorshisathletes’training.Hedescribeshisprocess:

Ihave[athletes]tellmehowtheyfeelinworkouts.Iftheydon’t,thenIsendane-mailaskingaboutthat.I talkwiththemonceaweektohearhowenthusiastic, tired, stressed,happy, sad,orexcited theyare. I alsoteachthemwhattolookforandalwaysencouragetheminthetrainingplantocutbackonagivenworkoutiftheydon’tfeellikeworkinghardor long.When they do reduce the workload, I praise them for beingsmartenoughtomakeagooddecision.Buttheyneverhavepermissiontounilaterallymaketheworkoutharder.

CoachMikeRicci finds thatonlineworkcanmake thecoach’sassessmenttougher.“Oneofthebestthingaboutcoachingathletesinpersonisbeingabletosee them,” he says. “Seeing how their body language is, how their form is,energylevel,andevenjusttolookintotheireyestogaugethestateoffatigue.”

If you don’tmeetwith a coach in person or speakwith one regularly, askyourfriendsandfamilymemberstokeepaneyeonyou.Theycanletyouknowiftheynoticeashiftinyourappearance,mood,ormentalacuity.Byrncallsthis

a “reality check” from someone who knows you well—a wife, husband,boyfriend, girlfriend, training buddy, or friend. “It may be apparent to thosepeoplebeforeitistotheathlete,”hesays.

QUICKTIPSTrackingyourmood,sleepquality,andothermetricsgivesyouinsightintothestateofyourrecovery.Acoach,spouse,orclosefriendwillhavevaluableinsightintohowwellyouarehandlingyourtrainingload.Listen.Ifyoufeelthingscomingofftherails,adjustyourtrainingforafewdaysandreassess.

ADJUSTINGTRAININGBASEDONTHESEMEASUREMENTSIfyoudiscernthatyouarenotrecoveringasplanned,backoff.Itcouldmeananumberofdifferentthings.Sometimes,takingafewdaysoraweekofcompleterestisthebestplan.Thatmeansnoworkoutsatall;infact,itmayevenbebesttotakeacompletetime-outfromeventhinkingabouttraining.(Naturally,thisiseasiersaidthandone.)

Other times, youmight follow the same cycle of yourworkouts—keepingswim/bikedaysas swim/bikedays, forexample—buteliminate intensity.Thusyourbodyandmindhavetheroutineofenjoyingyourdailyactivity,butwithoutanyadditionalstress.Leaveoutyourmainsetsandintervals;theentireworkoutshouldbedoneatthesameeasyintensityyouuseforwarm-upandcooldown.

Afteraweekoflighterworkoutsornoworkouts,reassessyourmetrics.Hasyour sleep improved? Your mood? Did you enjoy these lighter workouts?Dependingonyouranswers,anotherfewdaysoranotherweekofintensity-freeworkoutsmightbeinorder.Ifyoufeelreadytoresumeharderwork,slidebackinto it gently, keeping a close eye on your mood and your other metrics todeterminewhetheryouaresufficientlyrecoveredorneedalittlelonger.

REFERENCESANDFURTHERREADING

Dueck, C. A., M. M. Manore, and K. S. Matt. 1996. “Role of Energy Balance in Athletic MenstrualDysfunction.”InternationalJournalofSportNutritionandExerciseMetabolism6:165–190.

Fitzgerald,M.2010.Run:TheMind-BodyMethodofRunningbyFeel.Boulder,CO:VeloPress.Friel, J., andG.Byrn. 2009.GoingLong:Training forTriathlon’sUltimateChallenge.2nded.Boulder,

CO:VeloPress.Kellmann,M.,andW.Kallus.2001.Recovery-StressQuestionnaireforAthletes:UserManual.Champaign,

IL:HumanKinetics.Kellmann,M.,T.Patrick,C.Botterill, andC.Wilson.2002. “TheRecovery-Cueand ItsUse inApplied

Settings: Practical Suggestions Regarding Assessment and Monitoring of Recovery.” In EnhancingRecovery: Preventing Underperformance in Athletes, ed. M. Kellmann, 219–229. Champaign, IL:HumanKinetics.

McNair, D., M. Lorr, and L. F. Droppleman. 1971, 1992. Profile of Mood States Manual. San Diego:EducationalandIndustrialTestingService.

MUCHOFRECOVERY isqualitativeandcan’teasilybemeasured,andqualitativepredictorsoftenidentifyaprobleminrecoverybeforeitcanbequantified.Butthereare someways toquantify recovery, asweexamine in this chapter.Likeanytrainingtechnology,thesearetoolstohelpyougettoknowyourbodyanditsneeds.Thetoolsgiveyouawindowofinsight,butyoumustultimatelymakeadecisionbyweighingbothquantitativeandqualitativeinput.

Manyofthesetoolsmeasurerecoveryindirectly,byquantifyingitsabsence.Forexample,ariseinrestingheartrate(RHR)orahighTrainingStressScoreinTraining Peaks, described below, indicates stress on the body rather thanrecovery.Manyofthesetestssuggestoverreachingortheonsetofovertraining.FocusingonadequaterecoveryusingthetoolsandtechniquesoutlinedinPart2mayeventuallyhelpyouavoidtheneedforsuchtestingentirely.

The tools described here grow progressivelymore complicated, and somerequirecomfortwithmathandtechnology.Iftheyconfuseyou,theymaynotberightforyou.Youwilldojustfinewithaqualitativeimpressionofyourrecoveryandanemphasisontrainingsmart,increasingsleep,reducingstress,andeatingwell.Ifyou’dliketotrysomeofthemorecomplicatedmethods,you’llprobablyfindtheyconfirmwhatyoualreadysuspectedaboutthestateofyourrecovery.

LABORATORYTESTSOnewayathletescanquantifytheirrecoveryistoundergoperiodicbloodlactatetesting.Most sports performance laboratories,many fitness centers, and somecoachesoffer it.Such testing isuseful forestablishing trainingzonesbasedonpaceorheartrate,sothatathletescanusetheseparametersinworkoutstargetingspecific energy systems. But blood lactate can also indicate the onset ofovertraining.A1993studyshowedthatwhenanathletebegins tooverreach,ablood lactate testwill show lower levels of lactate concentration compared toratings of perceived exertion.That is,work begins to feelmore taxing than itmeasuresphysiologically.

When overtraining syndrome is suspected, a doctor may order moresophisticated tests, including an assessment of mitochondria function andvarioushormonalteststochecklevelsofcortisolandhumangrowthhormoneaswell as the state of the adrenal glands. These tests require direct medicalsupervisionanddonotmeasureday-to-dayrecovery.Instead,theyaredeployedincasesofsevereunder-recovery.

AthletesattheU.S.OlympicTrainingCentersandotherelitefacilitieshavethe luxury of having bloodwork done to assess their adaptation.Coaches canlookforvarious indicators,suchas ironlevels, thatshowwhetheranathlete isrecovering from training stresses.But such testing is out of the reach ofmostathletes. Luckily, the average athlete can quantify recovery through varioushometests.

HOMETESTSEachof thesehome tests is fairlystraightforward,but theygrowprogressivelymoredetailed.Most important foryourquantificationof recovery isconsistentmeasurement,regardlessofthetestyouareusing.

RestingHeartRateOnesimpletesttomeasurerecoveryisbytrackingyourrestingheartrate.Thiscanbedoneeverymorningbeforerising,providedthatconditionsarethesame.Suchatestpresumesthatyouhaveawokenwithoutaharshalarmsound,whichcould cause a stress reaction and skew the results. The heart rate can bemeasuredwithamanualcount,withafinger-clamppulsereader(soldaspulseoximeters atmedical-supply stores), orwith a heart ratemonitor. In the latter

case, resta fewminutesafterdonning themonitorstrapsoyourheart ratecanreturntostasis.Alternatively,atsomeestablishedpointinthedaywellseparatedfromexercise,liedownforafewminutes,thenmeasureyourrestingheartrate.

Note this number in your training log.After tracking your heart rate for aweekormore,anaveragerestingheartrateshouldbecomeapparent.Ifaday’smeasurement is5 to10beatshigher thanusual, it couldbea signof elevatedstress,eitherthroughtrainingorbecauseofanimpendinginfection;morerestoraneasydayofworkoutsisinorder.Somecoachesrecommendswitchingtoaneasyworkoutwith a 5-beat spike in RHR, and dropping theworkout entirelywith a 10-beat spike.Dependingonyour personal restingheart rate, however,thesenumberscancarrymoreorlessmeaning.Ifyouhavearestingheartrateof35,forexample,5beats isamoresignificantchangethanifyourrestingheartrate is 70. Timewill give you a sense ofwhat change in resting heart rate isacceptable. Remember that your heart rate will be affected by a number offactors, from thestateofyour trainingand recovery toyourmood, thequalityand duration of your sleep, the strength of your immune system, and yournutritionalstatus.Whiletheselatterfactorshaveaneffectonyourrecovery,theymayberelatedtootherthingshappeninginyourlife,soyoumustlookatrestingheartrateasonepartofabiggerpicture.

OrthostaticHeartRateTestTheorthostatic (standingupright)heart rate testdevelopedbyFinnishexercisephysiologist Heikki Rusko compares the resting heart rate with the heart rateafter a shift in position and the subsequent ambient heart rate standing. Toperform the test, lie down while wearing your heart rate monitor (or a pulsereadersuchastheRestwisefingerclamp,describedbelow).Afterafewminutesofrest,you’llseeyourheartratestabilize.Time2minuteshereasyourecline,then stand up and note your heart rate at 15 seconds, 90 seconds, and 120secondsafterstanding.Ifyourmonitorgivesanaverageheartratefortheperiodbetween90and120secondsafterstanding,allthebetter.Notethesenumbersinyourlog.

Figure4.1illustratesthecurveofyourheartrateafteryoumaketheswitchtostanding. Youwill see that your heart rate spikes about 15 seconds after youhavemadetheshiftfromrecliningtostandingandthenlevelsoff.Ruskofoundthatathleteswhoareonthevergeofovertrainingexhibitahigheraverageheartratethannormalintheperiodbetween90and120secondsafterstanding,whichisevidenceofstrainon thesympatheticnervoussystem.Thishigherheart rate

indicatesthatastressloadhasbeenaddedtothebodybeyonditsabilitytoadapt.Aswith restingheart rate, this test ismosteffectivewhenperformedregularlyovertime.Youmightwanttoincludethistestdailyorweekly.Aimtocreatethesamecircumstanceseachtime:Measureatthesametimeofdayandonthesamedayofeachtrainingmicrocycle.

HeartRateVariabilityHeart rate variability (HRV) refers to the difference in the time betweenindividual heartbeats.When your heart is beating at 60 beats per minute, thetime between individual beats isn’t necessarily one second. Rather, the spacebetween beats can change from0.89 seconds to 1.23 seconds and so on.Thisvariabilityisapositivething:Itshowsthattheparasympatheticnervoussystemisincontrolandthatthebodyisunderarelativelylightloadofstress.Whenthebeatscomemoreregularlyandwithlessvariability,thesystemisunderstress.Infact, lowheart ratevariability isoftenaprecursor toacardiaceventsuchasaheartattack.Butthisstresscanalsocomefromexercise,soHRVisnotrelevantduringexercise.Instead,it’smeasuredatrest,todeterminehowreadytheheartistoadjusttothebody’sneedsmomenttomoment.

Heart ratevariabilitycan thusbeagood indicatorof recovery.Thegreaterthe variability, the more recovered the athlete. Measuring HRV requires asensitive heart rate monitor that can measure and record each individualheartbeat,ratherthansimplysamplingthemat5-or10-secondintervals.CalledtheR-Rmeasurement, it calculates thepeakof eachRwave and analyzes thespacebetweenthepeakofonebeatandthepeakofthesubsequentone.Top-endheartratemonitors(costing$350–$450)fromPolarandSuuntoincorporatethismeasurement.Polar’sRS-800series,whichincludesrun-,bike-,andmultisport-specific models, displays the R-Rmeasurement, calling it a “relaxation rate.”PolarmonitorsalsouseHRVaspartofa“relaxationtest,”asimpletestsimilarto Rusko’s orthostatic heart rate test that incorporates heart rate variability toprovide further insight into system stresses. TheRunning Index feature of thePolar watches combines HRVwith other data to give an estimate of runningefficiencyonagivenday.ManyofSuunto’smonitorsrecordR-R,althoughnotall display it. Instead of showingR-R, the lower-costmodels use it as part oftheir Training Effect measurement (described below), while the upper-endmonitors can record R-R measurements for analysis using Suunto’s TrainingManagersoftware. Ifyouhave thebudgetforoneof thehigh-pricedmonitors,youwill find them useful for quantifying andmonitoring your recovery fromhardtrainingsessions.

Know,however,thatlikerestingheartrate,heartratevariabilitycanchangeforanumberofreasons,andthestateofyourrecoveryisonlyoneofthem.

ExcessPostexerciseOxygenConsumptionExcess postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) occurs in the periodimmediatelyafterexercise,whenthebodytakesinextraoxygen—inexcessofthatusedbythemetabolismatrest—tocompensatefortheeffectoftheexerciseandtobringthesystembackintohomeostasis.Assuch,itpredictstheamountofstressthataworkouthasplacedonthebody.EPOCcanbemeasuredinalabbyexamining an athlete’s gaseous intake and output with a mask, but that isobviouslyinconvenientfordailyuse.UsingtheR-Rfeaturetorecordheartratevariability and combining that score with the information about duration andintensity provided by a heart rate monitor, some Suuntomodels of heart ratemonitors estimate the amount of EPOC associated with a given workout andtherefore suggest the amount of recovery that should be taken afterward. ThewatchesdisplaythisinrealtimeasTrainingEffect,usinganumberfrom1to5toindicatehowstressfultheworkoutisonthebody,with1registeringverylittle

stress (and therefore generating no positive adaptation) and 5 indicating anextremely stressful workout. (The Training Effect scale comes from KennethCooper’s 1970 bookTheNewAerobics, inwhichCooper suggestedworkoutsshouldcomefromacrossthesecategories.)Suunto’st6modelscanthenuploadthedatatoacomputerforfurtheranalysis.

An athlete using one of these monitors can compare the data from themonitortohisorherownsenseofperceivedexertion.WhentheTrainingEffectishighandinlinewithperceivedexertion,thestressfromtheworkoutindicatesthatattentionshouldbepaidtorecovery.AdisconnectbetweenTrainingEffectandperceivedexertion,inwhichTrainingEffectislowbutexertionfeelshigh,can indicate a need for more recovery before performing another intenseworkout.A correlated lowTrainingEffect and lowperceived exertion suggestthattheathleteshouldincreaseintensitytoencouragepositiveadaptation.

Foster’sModifiedRatingofPerceivedExertionCarlFoster,anexercisephysiologistattheUniversityofWisconsin–LaCrosse,developedamethodtoquantifytrainingloadbasedontheRatingofPerceivedExertionscalecreatedbyGunnarBorg.WhiletheBorgscaleratestheeffortoneperceivestobegivingatthemomentonascalefrom6to20(numbersselectedtocorrespondroughly toheart ratesof60and200),Foster’sscaleapplies thatsamemetrictotheentireworkout,usingascalemodifiedtogofrom0to10.

Tousethesystem,assignanumberfrom0to10toratetheintensityofyourworkout,with0beingnoeffortand10amaximaleffort.(Fosteradviseswaitingabout30minutesbeforeratingyourworkout.)Thenmultiplythatnumberbythenumber ofminutes theworkout lasted. For example, a two-hour-long run thatfeltlikea3,aprettymoderateeffort,wouldrate360trainingloadunitsforthesession(120×3).Ashort,hardbikeridewithseveralall-outeffortsmightlast45 minutes but rate a 9, yielding 405 units (45 × 9). You can even quantifynonaerobic workouts in the sameway. Aweight lifting sessionmight last 50minuteswith an intensity of 6: 50× 6= 300; a yogaworkshopmight be 180minuteswithanintensityof4:180×4=720.

Thesecalculationsareeasytomake,andtheyinvolveyourownperceptionofhowhardtheworkoutwas,thustakingintoaccounttheotherstressorsyou’reunder. Foster says that even though his approach is not as exact as E. W.Banister’s training impulse system (TRIMP), describedbelow, it’s simpler: “Ifyoumissed a night’s sleep last night because your kidsweren’t sleeping, thatintegrates theother thingsgoingon inyour life. Ifyoudidn’tgetagoodmeal

andyourlegsareglycogendepleted,it’sgoingtoshowup.”Onceyou’veaccumulateddataoverseveraldays,somesimpleanalysiscan

give you fascinating insights by looking at the monotony of your training—whether or not there is variety in your training load. Training monotony iscorrelatedwithovertraining, and carrying a load above the average amount ofstraintheathleteisaccustomedtooftenleadstoillness.Monitoringthevariationacross the week can allow an athlete to carry a higher load of strain withoutbecoming ill or overtrained, as “multiple ‘easy’ days within each week mayallow a given training load to be accomplished with comparatively fewernegativeoutcomes”(Foster1998:1167).Fosterexplainsthatthetrainingloadof4,000unitsperweek,whichisaboutwhatmanyelitesarecarrying—fourharddaysperweek,interspersedwithtwoeasydaysandanoffday—greatlyreducestrainingstraincomparedtosixharddaysandoneoffday.

Youcancalculatethestandarddeviation(thenearnesstothemean)ofyourdailytrainingloadusinganonlinecalculator(orlonghand,ifyou’restatisticallyminded).Tofigurethemonotonyofyourtrainingload,dividethedailyaverageby the standard deviation. To determine your weekly load, multiply the dailyaveragebyseven.(Logazeroforafullrestdaywithnoworkouts,asthatwillaffect your standard deviation.) Finally, to calculate your strain,multiply yourweeklyloadbythemonotonyoftheweek.Trackingthisnumberacrosstimewilldemonstrate to you your personal threshold for strain, andwhen you cross it,you’ll be in the red zone, starting to exhibit less recovery and in danger ofovertraining.

Whilethissoundscomplicated,ifyou’rehandywithaspreadsheet,youcancreateaneasywaytotrackyourload,monotony,andtrainingstrain.Tables4.1and4.2showtwotrainingweeks.InTable4.1,I’vetalliedthetrainingloadofaweekIloggedinOctober2009.InTable4.2,I’veoutlinedahighlymonotonous(and hard!) training week for comparison’s sake.While this is a hypotheticalweek, it’s representativeofmanyathletes’ reality.You’llsee that the total loadbetween the two is virtually identical—myweek rated 2,065, while the otherweekrates2,080.Butnoticethedifferenceinthestandarddeviationofthedailyload,whichhas a huge effect on themonotonyof theweeks.Myweekhad amonotonynumberof1.5,whiletherun-hard-every-dayweekratedmorethan28times higher, at 42.4.Andwhile I carried a training strain of 3,097, our poorrunner’s strain rates 88,251. The implication is obvious: It is much morestressfultogohardeachdaythantoalternatehardandeasyworkouts.

Foramoredetailedexplanationofthesystem,seeDr.TimNoakes’sLoreof

Running.

SOFTWAREFORMEASURINGRECOVERY

TRIMPandRaceDayByquantifyingthetrainingload,athletescantracktheamountofstressputontheirbodiesandmatchtheirrecoverytomeettheworkload.Onewaytodosoiskinesiologist E. W. Banister’s training impulse (TRIMP) system, whichmeasurestrainingdosageasdurationtimesdeltaheartrateratio,wherethedeltaheart rate ratio equals the average heart rate during exercise, minus RHR,dividedbytheathlete’smaximumheartrate,minusRHR:

TRIMP can then be tracked in a spreadsheet or in the TRIMP softwareavailableforsale.PhilipSkiba’sRaceDaysoftwarefillsasimilarneed:tracking

thestressputonanathlete’sbodyandpredictingwhethermoreorlessshouldbeaddedtotargetpeakperformanceinacertainweek.

WKO+Assessmentoftrainingload(andthustheneedforrecovery)isrobustlycoveredby WKO+, a proprietary desktop software application that is linked to theTraining Peaks website and has recently been added to the Training Peaksinterfaceitself.WKO+trackstheeffectof trainingmetricsontheperformanceof endurance athletes and allows athletes and their coaches to manipulatetrainingbasedonaquantifiableamountofstressputonthebody.Basedoninputfrompower-andpace-measuringdevices suchaspowermeters and speed-and-distance watches, WKO+ software assigns a few numeric values to eachworkout,includingIntensityFactor(IF)andTrainingStressScore(TSS).Itthencombines these numbers with data over time tomeasure an athlete’s ChronicTraining Load (CTL) andAcute Training Load (ATL)—or, as Training Peakssays,anathlete’sfitnessandfreshness.

To use the training stress measurements, an athlete needs access totechnology and energy for field testing, as well as a power meter for bikeworkoutsandapace-sensingwatch(suchasaGPS-enabledwatch)forrunning.Alternatively, athletes can estimate the effect of a givenworkout and enter itsstressmanually.Foruploadeddata,Dr.AndrewCoggan’sTrainingStressScore(TSS) weights cycling workouts’ effect on the body, given the athlete’sfunctional threshold power—the best average amount of wattage generated inonehour’scycling.ArunningTrainingStressScore(rTSS),basedonfunctionalthreshold pace—themaximum sustainable pace for an hour’s run—serves thesamepurpose.ThesenumberstheninformtheCTLandATL.WhenCTLishighandATLislow,theathleteisprobablyfeelingfreshandrecovered.WhenATLishighinrelationshiptoCTL(whetherCTLisitselfahighoralownumber),anathlete’sbodyisinneedofrecoveryforpeakperformance.

Therelationshipbetweenchronicandacutefatigue—betweenCTLandATL—is the Training StressBalance (TSB). Physiologist StephenMcGregor,whohelped develop analytical tools forWKO+, says, “TheTSBvalue is themostimportant thing in regards to looking at your recovery. Especially for a self-coached user, that’s the real value. It’s difficult for an individual to maintainobjectivity. They’re too close to their training. The quantitative approach inWKO+allowspeopletogetanobjective,broaderperspective.”

Figure4.2,generated inWKO+,shows theperformancemanagementchart

formyathleteStacey,aneliteage-grouptriathlete.AttheendofJune,shedidaheavycycling-intensiveblock,andthenwepulledhertrainingbacktoprepforaB-priorityraceonJuly10.Sheperformedwonderfullyattherace,especiallyonthebike—andyoucanseefromtheblueTSBlinespikinghigher thatshewasfeelingprettyfreshcomingintotherace.

RestwiseRestwise(restwise.com)isawebsitethatmeasuresathletes’recoverybytrackinga dozen simple metrics. Some of them are quantitative—heart rate, bloodoxygenation(SPO2),weight,andhoursslept—andsomearequalitative,ratedon

aslideroryes/noscale—sleepquality,energylevel,moodstate,performanceinthe previous day’s training, appetite, symptoms of illness (nausea, sore throat,headache,ordiarrhea),musclesoreness,andurineshade.Anathlete inputs thedata, which are then passed through an algorithm, and receives a “recoveryscore,”whichpredictstheathlete’slevelofrecovery.

JeffHuntandMatthewWeatherley-White,whocreatedthesite,wantittobeasimplemodelforathletestouse.ThedataRestwisetracksaresimplebutgiveinsight into an athlete’s level of life stress, hydration, and adaptation.Athleteswhousethesitebuyasmallfinger-clampunittokeepbythebedsidetomeasurerestingheartrateandbloodoxygensaturation.TheunitquicklyreadsbothpulseandSPO2,makingitmuchmoreconvenientandfoolproofthanamanualcountorresultsfromaheartratemonitor.WhileSPO2doesnotdirectlydemonstratean athlete’s state of recovery,Weatherley-White says, “if your SPO2 is belownormalforsomeperiodoftime,itmayindicatesomebiologicalproblemsuchaslow-levelanemia.Orifyougotoaltitude,yourSPO2willbecompromisedandyouwon’twant todohard intervalsuntilyouhaveacclimatized.”Thus,whileSPO2isnotadirectreflectionofyourstateofrecovery,itcansupportchoicesthatinfluenceit.

Restwisetakesasnapshotofthestateofanathlete’srecoverythat includeslife stresses and thus makes a good complement to a power-or pace-basedprogramsuchasWKO+.Weatherley-Whitesays,“Inaperfectworld,[thetwo]work together. WKO+ tracks training stress and tries to predict what yourrecoveryshouldbe.Forpros,that’sfine,asthetwoarefrequentlyaligned,andtherecoveryscoreactsasatrainingoptimizer.Fortherestofus,we’reprobablyworking too hard.” To address this potential problem, Restwise separatestrainingdatafromrecoverymarkers,whichhesaysmakesituseful“fortheagegrouper, the executive trying to lay even more on an already overburdenedschedule,orthemomwhoistryingtotrainbetweenalltheotherdemandsonherlife—becauseitcapturesthosenon-trainingstressesthatunderminerecovery.”

The various commercial software options each use slightly different formulasandslightlydifferentinterfaces.Ifyouareinterestedinusingthemtotrackyourtraining load, you’ll need to try each out and make a choice based on yourtechnicalabilities,computer,andneeds.Themoredatayoucanaccrueintheseapplications,themorepowerfultheapplicationbecomes.Youwillbeabletosee

trends:Whatlevelofacutetrainingloadcanyoumaintain?Whatistoomuch?Howmuchtimedoyouneedforrecoveryafterworkoutsofvariousintensities?Usethetechnologytohelpyouhoneyourawarenessofyourownbody.

QUICKTIPSThebestquantitativemeasurementsarethoseyouwilluseconsistently,soyoucantrackdataovertime.Youcangetsophisticatedwithyourmeasurements,buttheywilllikelyultimatelyreflectyourintuitionaboutthestateofyourrecovery.

LOGGINGInorderforanyofthesehometeststobeeffective,you’llneedtokeepcarefultrack of your metrics. This can happen on paper, in a spreadsheet on yourcomputer, or in an online log. If you track your resting heart rate, orthostaticheartrate,orheartratevariability,eachofthesenumbersshouldbenoted.Afewwordsdescribingwhatotherstressorsareatplaythatdaywillhelpyouobservetrends as they emerge (see Chapter 3). Over weeks, months, and years oflogging,you’llgenerateapowerfuldatabase for insight intoyourbodyand itsperformance.

REFERENCESANDFURTHERREADINGApor,P.,M.Petrekanich,andJ.Számado.2009.“HeartRateVariabilityAnalysisinSports.”OrvHetil150:

847–853.Banister, E. W. 1991. “Modeling Elite Athletic Performance.” In Physiological Testing of the High-

Performance Athlete, ed. J. D. MacDougall, H. A. Wenger, and H. J. Green, 2nd ed., 403–424.Champaign,IL:HumanKinetics.

Cooper,K.1970.TheNewAerobics.Eldora,IA:PrairieWind.Foster,C. 1998. “MonitoringTraining inAthleteswithReference toOvertraining Syndrome.”Medicine

andScienceinSportsandExercise30:1164–1168.Meeusen,R.,E.Nederhof,L.Buyse,B.Roelands,G.DeSchutter,andM.F.Piacentini.2008.“Diagnosing

OvertraininginAthletesUsingtheTwoBoutExerciseProtocol.”BritishJournalofSportsMedicine,Aug.14.

Noakes,T.2001.LoreofRunning.4thed.Champaign,IL:HumanKinetics.Rusko,H.,ed.2003.CrossCountrySkiing.Malden,MA:WileyBlackwell.Smith, D. J., and S. R. Norris. 2002. “Training Load and Monitoring in an Athlete’s Tolerance for

Endurance Training.” In Enhancing Recovery: Preventing Underperformance in Athletes, ed. M.

Kellmann,81–101.Champaign,IL:HumanKinetics.Snyder, A. C., A. E. Jeukendrup, M. K. Hesselink, H. Huipers, and C. Foster. 1993. “A

Physiological/Psychological Indicator of OverReaching During Intensive Training.” InternationalJournalofSportsMedicine14:29–32.

Steinacker,J.M.,andM.Lehmann.2002.“ClinicalFindingsandMechanismsofStressandRecoveryinAthletes.”InEnhancingRecovery:PreventingUnderperformanceinAthletes,ed.M.Kellmann,103–118.Champaign,IL:HumanKinetics.

THIS BOOK FOCUSES on recovery between workouts for healthy and uninjuredpeople.Butsometimeshealthyanduninjuredpeopletakeillorbecomeinjured.The recovery process from illness and injury is unique to the individual andshould be managed between the individual athlete and his or her health carepractitioners,includingphysicaltherapistsintheeventofinjury.

Tocomplementyourworkwithyourownsupport team,however,herearesomegeneralguidelines.

PREVENTIONRuleone:Prevent illnessandinjurybefore theystart.This is,ofcourse,easiersaid thandone. It involvespayingclose attention toyourbodyandhitting thepausebuttononyourtrainingassoonasyounoticesomethingalittleoutoftheordinary:atickleinyourthroat,aniggleinyourknee.Sometimes,adayortwooflighterornotrainingwillboostyourrecoveryandwardoffillnessorinjury.Ifyou’verestedadayor twobutdonot improveoryoursymptomsworsenwithtraining,headtotheclinic.

Hal Rosenberg, a USA Cycling coach and member of the USA Triathlonmedical staff, suggestsusing this ruleof thumbwhensomethingstarts tohurt:Askyourselfifthesymptomisaffectingyourbiomechanics.Iftheanswerisyes

—you find yourself moving in different patterns to avoid pain—you shouldceasetheactivity.Don’twaituntilthingsworsenbeforeconsultingwithahealthcareprovider.Rosenbergexplains:

A lot of the problemswe see in the sportsmedicineworld are peoplewithaninjurytheythinktheycantrainthrough,butithangsaroundandthere are compensation injuries. The sooner people address theseinjuries, themore successful they can become at getting them healed.PeoplecomeintwoweeksbeforeanIronmanwithaproblemthat’sbeengoingonfortwomonths.Best-casescenario,wepatchthemupsotheycancompletetherace.Ifthey’dcomeintwomonthsago,wecouldhavegottenthemhealedsotheycanrace.

Behonestwithyourselfwhenyoufeelsomethingisamiss.Havingacoachoralovedonealsogiveyouanhonestassessmentisveryhelpful.Ifyoususpectsomethingiswrongbutdon’thaveanadvocatearguingforyoutorestandtakethe time toheal, it’sveryeasy toshrugoff thepainoracheand trainanyway.Thiscanbethestartofachainoftrouble,fromachangeinyourstrideorstrokeortechniquetofurtherstrainonyourimmunesystem.Theclichésareright:Nipitinthebud.Astitchintimesavesnine.Bettersafethansorry.

DISTINGUISHINGINJURYFROMSORENESSAs training necessarily carries with it some strain on your system to inducesupercompensation,it’snormaltoexperiencesomepainandsoreness,especiallyduringperiodsofheavy training load.The trick is findingways todistinguishbetweennormalsorenessandsignsofanimpendinginjury.

Ifyoufeelsorenessortendernessinthecenterofyourmuscles,andyoufeelitonbothsidesofyourbody,it’slikelynormal.Ifyoufeelpainlocalizedtowardajoint(inthetendonsorintheligamentsofthejointitself)oronlyononesideofyourbody,beware.Ifthepaincomesonafteraworkoutwithnewmovementsor one that ismore intense or longer than usual, keep an eye on it. It shouldimprove inadayor two. If thepaincontinues toworsenoryou feel itduringexercise,especiallyifitaffectsyourform,stopandhaveitevaluated.Table5.1liststhedifferencebetweennormalsorenessandwarningsignsyoushouldkeepyoureyeon.

RECOVERYFROMINJURYANDILLNESSIfyoufindyourselfwithaninjuryorillnessthatinterfereswithyourtraining,beverycarefulaboutyourreturntoworkouts.Acommonpsychologicaltrapistoworryaboutyourperceivedlossoffitness.(Whilehigh-endspeedwillfadeaftera week or two of disuse, your muscular and aerobic endurance will still bepresentafterafewweeksorevenamonthoff.)Often,whatseemslikealossoffitness is the effect of the illness—you can easily still be dehydrated from astomachbugorhaveproblemsbreathingafterarespiratoryinfection.Youneedtobeabletotrainpain-andsymptom-freeinordertomakethequickestrebound.Thatmightmeanbailingonworkouts,resting,andtryingagaininadayortwo,andthiscyclemayberepeatedmanytimes.

Your recovery will differ, depending on what sidetracked you. A twenty-four-hourboutofvomitingwillleaveyouweakandknockyououtoftraining,butyou’llprobablybeable tostepback in toyour trainingplanafteradayortwooflighterworkouts.Recoveryfromtheflumightmeantwoweeksofmissedworkouts. Returning from a cracked rib might take a month or more, and apelvicstressfracturecanmeanmonthsofrehabilitation.Resisttheurgetoreturntoo soon, which may only exacerbate the problem, taking you right back tosquareoneor,evenworse,settingyoubackfurther.Bettertobepatientthantoremaininjuredbecauseofahastyreturn.

Returning to low-impact sports suchas swimmingandcycling canhappenonce you are symptom-free. Take it easy and go slowly, with short and light

workouts, increasing intensity after a few days. Carefully and honestly assessyourprogressandbackoffifyougetwarningsignsfromthesiteofinjuryorthesymptomsofillnessreturn.

Returning to a running program requires special care because running is ahigh-impact activity; returning to contact sports after an injury will be eventrickier.Happily,athletesincontactsportsusuallyworkwithanathletictrainerandcoacheswhocanassess theirprogressandease thembackon to the field.Self-or distance-coached endurance athletes who run will need to be verydisciplined in their return. See AppendixA to this book for a well-reasoned,progressive approach developed by Steven Cole, an athletic trainer at theCollegeofWilliamandMary.

RecoveryfromanOveruseInjuryRecoveryfromanoveruseinjurywilldependonwhatwashurt.Somesoft-tissueirritationcanbealleviatedprettyquickly,whileastressfracturewilltakeweeksormonthstoheal.Mostimportantinyourrecoveryfromanoveruseinjurywillbeunderstandingthecauseoftheproblem.Alloveruseinjurieshappenbecauseofanimbalance:animbalanceinyourbody,oranimbalancebetweenworkandrest.Abiomechanistoraphysicaltherapistskilledinworkingwithathletescanhelpyouaddresstherootproblem,usuallythroughstrengtheningandflexibilityexercises. Technique drills can then reinforce the correct movement pattern.Someofthisworkcanbedonewhileyouarerecovering;itwillcontinueonceyouresumetraining.

Some overuse injuries are caused by using the wrong equipment: swimpaddles that send too much force to your shoulders; a bike fit that has yoursaddletoohigh,toolow,toofarforward,ortoofarback;orrunningshoesthataretoooldornotsuitableforyourgait.Theseproblemscanusuallybecorrectedsooner,andavoidingthemiseasyifyouperiodicallycheckinwithexpertswhoknowhowtoassessbikefitorrunningshoes.

QUICKTIPSPayattentiontowarningsignsfromyourbody.Droppingafewworkoutstorestatthefirstsignofinjuryorillnessismoreproductivethanmissingweeksdowntheroadwhenyouareseriouslyhurtorsick.Workwithyourhealthcareteamtoaddresstherootproblemthatledtoanoveruseinjury.

Don’ttrainthroughsymptomsofillnessthatappearbelowtheneck—congestioninthelungs,fever,gastrointestinaldistress.Makeaslow,methodicalreturntotrainingaftertimeoffandreduceyourtrainingifyoursymptomsrecur.

RecoveryfromanAcuteInjuryAcuteinjuriesusuallyresultfromafalloracrash.Thetimeneededforproperhealing and recovery depends on what is banged up and the level ofinflammationandpainyou’reexperiencing.Sometimes,crosstrainingisagoodway tomaintainyouraerobic fitnesswhileyouheal.A runnerwitha sprainedankle might be comfortable riding a bike; a cyclist with a broken collarbonemight be OK riding the trainer; a swimmer with a broken wrist might enjoyhiking.

RecoveryfromIllnessYour recovery from illness dependson the severity anddurationof the illnessandonwhatsystemsitaffected.Youcantrainlightlywithsymptomsfromtheneck up—a sore throat, a stuffy nose, a headache—but should not train withsymptomsthataffectareasbelowtheneck.Thatincludesacough,afever,andgastrointestinaltrouble.Whenyouhavethesewhole-bodysymptoms,youneedto let them abate before you consider training, and if training makes thingsworse, resting ispreferable.Yourbodywill giveyou the cuesyouneedaboutwhethertogoorstop.Listentoyourbodyinsteadofyourhead,whichmaytrytorushyoubacktotrainingtoosoon.

WHATCONSTITUTESACTIVERECOVERYActiverecoveryisexerciseatalowintensity.Ithasmanyrightfulplaces:withinaworkout (forexample, joggingeasilybetween intervals), immediatelyafteraworkout (thecooldown), andasa stand-alone training session.Someevenusethe phrase “active recovery” to refer to the off-season. Studies havedemonstrateditsbenefitinallthesecontexts.

Ourconcernhereisnotwithactiverecoverybetweenboutsofexercisesuchasintervalsonthetrackoreventsinaswimmeet,whereit’sproventohelpwithshort-termrecovery(Nericetal.2009).Rather,we’re interested in thebenefitsofthecooldownandofscheduledeasytrainingsessions.

TheCooldownA2000study(Wigernaesetal.)showedthataneasycooldownperformedafter

runningatmoderateintensityfortwosetsofanhoureach,orhighintensityfortwohalf-hoursets,helpedpreventthefallofwhitebloodcellcountthathappensin the first fifteen minutes after exercise. The implication here is that thecooldownhelpsyoursystemsgentlyreturntonormalandreducesstressonyourimmunesystem.Thinkofthecooldownasyouwouldturningoffyourcomputerbychoosing“shutdown”fromyourcomputer’smainmenu,ratherthansimplyyanking the power-cord plug from the socket.As the computer shuts down instages,itcleansitselfup—puttingfileswheretheybelong,closingapplicationsone by one. Your body does the same during cooldown. It clears lactic acidpretty quickly—fasterwith cooldown thanwithout (Baldari et al. 2005)—andhelpsallthesystemsreturntohomeostasis.Yourbodytemperaturecomesbackto normal more smoothly, your central nervous system calms down, and youprepareforyourrecovery.Simplystoppingisagreatershocktoyoursystem.

Follow your cooldown with some gentle static stretching, holding eachstretch for 30 seconds or 5 slow breaths. Taking advantage of your warmermuscles,youcanusethisopportunitytoimproveyourrangeofmotion.(Staticstretching isn’t advised before a workout, when dynamic, movement-basedstretching is better, but it still has its place.) For short postworkout routinesappropriate for athletes, please seemybooksTheAthlete’sGuide toYogaandTheAthlete’sPocketGuidetoYoga.

EasyTrainingSessionsEasy,stand-aloneactiverecoveryworkoutselevatetheheartratejustenoughtoincreasebloodflowtorecoveringmuscles,andtheymustbelightenoughsothatthey do not tax themuscular and cardiovascular systems they are intended tohelp.

Scheduledeasy sessions shouldconsistof light-intensityworkouts andcaninvolveyourprimarysportoradifferent,lower-impactmodality.(Seebelowforsomeideas.)Theintensitymustbequitelight.Ifyoutrainwithheartrateusingthe five-zone system outlined in Joe Friel’s Training Bible books, activerecovery would be in zone 1—that is, no higher than 55 percent of yourmaximumheartrate.Frielreferstohiseasyridesas“takingawalkonthebike.”Youshouldbeabletospeakamonologueduringyouractiverecoverysessions—theeffortshouldbecompletelyconversational.Isometimestellmyathletesthattheymaywanttoshowerafterward,buttheyshouldn’tneedtowashtheirhair.Theeffort,then,isjustenoughtobreakasweat.Thesessionshouldn’tlastmuchlongerthanhalfanhour.Beyondabout40minutes,you’removingintoaneasy

enduranceworkoutratherthananactiverecoverysession.Spaceyourrecoveryworkoutstocomebetweendaysofhardtraining,or,if

youdomultipleworkoutsinaday,about12hoursafterahardworkoutand12before your next one. Your individual need for recovery and your ability tohandlehardertrainingwilldictatehowoftenyouneedactiverecoverysessions.TheymayfollowoneofthepatternslaidoutinChapter1,oryoumightfindthata different sequence works for you. What’s important is including them andkeepingyourtrainingfromdriftingintomoderate-hardintensityeveryday.

Thecyclicalityofhardalternatingwitheasyplaysoutnotonlyinthedayandtheweekbutalsoacrosstrainingcyclesandevenacrossyears.ThinkofOlympianswho take an easy year or two in their quadrennial cycles.Check that there isvariety across your training at every level, from the cooldown after a hardworkout to the easier year after a particularly tough season. Active recovery,both in easy workouts and in easy days, introduces variability to training.RememberCarlFoster’s finding,outlined inChapter4, that athletescanadaptbetter to a greater overall training stress when it is variable instead ofmonotonous.Maketheeasydaysreallyeasysothattheharddayscanbetrulyhard.Ifyoucanreininyoureffortonyoureasydays,you’llhaveroomtopushalittle fasterora little longeronyourharddays,yieldingamuchbigger fitnessrewardthansimplymuddlingthroughwitheasydaysthataretoohardandharddaysthatthereforebecometoosloworshort.Fosterremembers,“JackDanielswas my professor in school. He is famous for apparently undertraining hisathletes, but they all seem to get good results.” Foster recalls physiologistStephenSeiler’squote:“Ifyoudon’trestontheeasydays,youwon’tbeabletotrain hard enough on the hard days to improve.” Complete rest would beatblowingaplanned easy runor spinbygetting sucked into apace that’s fasterthanintended.

Of course, this is easier said than done, given the psychology of athletes,especially in group situations. Foster reviewed various coaches’ plans,comparingthemtohowhardtheathletesactuallytrained.Whiletheplanshadanappropriatebalanceofworkandrest,harddaysandeasydays,theathleteshadtrouble following the plan as written. “Most coaches are very smart people,”Fostersaid.“Theyoccupythesamenicheasphysicians:theydiagnoseproblemsandcreateaprescription to fix them.Mostseriouscoachesareseriouspeople.[Lookingat]theresults,onthedaysthecoacheswantedtogoeasy,theathletes

every timewent harder. Sowhen the coacheswanted to go hard, the athletescouldn’t.” Foster’s review consistently shows that athletes don’t take the easydaysthatallowthemtogohardwhentheyneedto.

Ifyouknowyouaresusceptible tosuchracing inpractice,excuseyourselffromthegroupandinsteaddoyourownthing.Orspendthistimewithaslowerfriend—theonewho’salwaysapologizingforholdingyouback.Betterstill,runorridewithachild,providedit’saslow-movingchild!

Don’tdiscount thepowerofadaycompletelyoffor filledonlywithsomeverylightwalking,especiallyifyoufindithardtogoeasy.Howmuchrecoveryyouneedwillbespecifictoyou,dependingonyourage,historywiththesport,workouts, andmore.Weekendwarriorswill needmore recovery; professionalathletesmayneed less,and itmight involveactiverestmore thanpassiverest.PhysiologistStephenSeilersays,

Itseemsthatthemoreanathletetrains,thelesscompleteresttheyneed.Whenanathletehasahormonalandbiologicalrhythmbuiltaroundveryfrequent training, complete rest days actually seem to disturb thatrhythmintheshortterm.Thatis,theworkoutafteracompleterestdaymayfeelrottenforanathletetrainingthirteensessionsaweek.Thatdoesnotmeanthatcompleterestdaysarenotusefulforeliteathletes,but itdoesmean that theyareunlikely to actuallyuse complete restprior tocompetition, surprisingly enough. On the other hand, a recreationalathletewhoputsinahardweekendoftrainingthatisclearlyovertheirnormalphysicalstressloadwillneedthatcompleterestdayonMonday.

Coach Matt Dixon’s protocol for his athletes—including triathlete ChrisLieto—incorporatesactiverecoveryaswellasprogrammedrest.Heexplains,“Itinvolves short sessions, under forty minutes, to avoid stressing the metabolicsystemandimmunesystem.”Foractiverecovery,Dixonsays,“frequentisOK;longisbad.”

CoachPeterMagillagrees.Hedescribesanactiverecoverysession:

Notlongerthanfortyminutes,notshorterthantwentyminutes,doneataneffortlevellighterthannormal.Stillwiththenormalstride—nottooslow—butalittlebiteasier.Wegetcirculationgoing,lotsofoxygen-richbloodgoingtomusclefibers,ithelpswithosmosis,gettingstiffnessout

ofmusclesbyreturningsomeofthewaterthat’sbuiltupwithineachcellback into the bloodstream.Most people neglect this.A lot of coachesdon’tconsiderahardintervalsettobecompleteuntiltheirathleteshavecompletedarecoveryrunwithintwelvehoursoftheworkout.Ifyoudidthehardworkoutinthemorning,dotherecoveryrunintheafternoon.Ifyoudiditintheevening,dotherecoveryrunthenextmorning.

Elite runner Nate Jenkins discovered for himself the benefit of activerecovery.Whenhewasrunning100milesperweek insinglesessions,hewasabletobuildhisvolumeallthewayto160milesperweekbyaddingasecondrun tohisdays.This second sessionwasmuch slower thanhis typical6-or7-minute-per-miletrainingpace,usuallyconstitutinganadditional8miles,butatan8-or9-minute-per-milepace.“Then,”Jenkinsreflects,“Igotgreedyandtriedtorunalittlebitlessmileage,butdoingthosesecondrunsatthenormaltrainingpace.Igotrundownveryquicklyandwentbacktothe100-mileweek,butIstillwasn’tfeelingright.Iaddedbacktheeight-mileshakeoutruns.”

SuchactiverecoveryworksforJenkins,whopreferssomekindofmovementovercompleterest.“Withtimecompletelyoff,yourneuromuscularsystemgoestoofarintorestandgetsstiff,”hesays,suggestingayogasession,corework,oraswimasgoodchoicestokeepthebodymovingwhilenottaxingitfurther.U.S.OlympianShalaneFlanaganagrees:“Idoalotofhydrotherapyingeneral.WhenI’mfeelingflat,Igetinthepool.”

WHATMODALITYTOUSEUltrarunnerAnnetteBednosky echoes Flanagan’s statement on the benefits ofswimming: “I have just started swimming and find the stretching out fromswimmingandthensittinginahottubisanexcellentpartoftraining.Iamanickyswimmer,yetyoudon’thavetobegoodatittogainsomeofthebenefits.”

Usingadifferentsportforactiverecoverycanintroducenotonlyvarietyofintensity but also variety of muscle recruitment to your training. It can alsoprovide a mental break for the single-sport athlete. However, Magill, as arunningcoach,suggestsrunningasactiverecovery:

It all depends onwhat a person’s goals are. If youwant to become abetterrunner,Ineversuggestcross-training.Ifyourgoalistostayactive

andfit,cross-training isagood thing todo. Ifyourunahardworkoutanddoaneasybikerideforrecovery,you’rerecruitingdifferentmusclefibers.Ofcoursethere’soverlap,butyoucan’ttraintobeabetterrunnerby riding a bike. Exercise is cell-specific. You’re training a differentrange of muscle fibers and separating the workload among differentmusclefibers.

If you are a balanced runner capable of handling high mileage, runningmight make a fine active recovery workout for you—and running easy willcontributetoyourefficiencyandpositiveadaptationtorunning’sstresses.Butifyouhaveahistoryofinjuryorburnout,substitutingadifferentmodalityforyouractiverecoverysessionmightworkbetter.Ineachmodality,theworkoutshouldbekeptto40minutesorless;otherwise,itbecomesanenduranceworkoutratherthanactiverecovery.Herearesomeoptions.

Swimmingcanberelaxing,especiallyonceyouhavesolidtechnique,anditworks thebodyinadifferent relationship togravity.Thepressureof thewatersupports yourmuscles and facilitates recovery by helping remove edema, andtheworkoutis,ofcourse,nonimpactandengagesyourentirebody—upperbody,core,andlowerbody.Ifyouwantextrarestforyourlegs,youcanswimwithapullbuoy,whichholdsyourlegsupasyouuseyourarmsandcoretoswim.Ifyouareasingle-sportswimmer,includeshort,drill-basedrecoveryworkoutsinyourweek.

Cycling is another nonimpact sport. Riding outdoors offers not only someactiverecoverytimebutalsosomesightseeing,eitherontheroadoronabikepath or trail. (Mountain biking, however,maybe too demanding to qualify asactiverecovery.)Ridingindoorsallowsyoutocontroltheintensitycompletely.An easy ride on the bike trainer gives you time to catch a television show ormovieandtakeamentalbreak,anditkeepsyounearyourfamily,makingitagoodoptionforbusyparents.Bewareagroup indoorcyclingclass,whereyoumightbesucked intoputtingoutaneffort that’s toohard tocountas recovery.Cyclistsshouldincludeoneormoreveryeasyrecoveryridesoverthecourseoftheweek.

The elliptical trainer can be a good active recovery choice for runnersbecauseitmimicstherunningstridewithouttheimpact.(Multisportathleteswilldobetterwithaneasyswimorbikeride,whichgivesthemtheactiverecoveryworkout while stayingwithin their primarymodalities.) You can also involveyourupperbodyontheelliptical.Inthesameway,rowing—eitheronthewater

or on a rowingmachine—will shift thework to your upper body, givingyourlegsabreak.

Liketheellipticaltrainer,easyrunningonasoftsurfacesuchasacindertrailreducestheimpactofrunningwhilegoingthroughthesamerangeofmotion.Sodoes running in water, which can be done in shallowwater or in deep waterwhilewearingaflotationbelt.Itmightlooksilly,butit’safineworkout.Anotherpossibility is to run on an AlterG treadmill, which reduces the runner’s bodyweightbyupto80percent(seeFigure6.1).

ShalaneFlanagansays,“TheonlyfunkygadgetweuseforrecoveryatNikeis theAlterG. I’lluse itasa recovery tool ifmy legsare really tired.Becauseyouwearthecompressionshorts,itwarmsupquadsandhamstrings.”Andwiththe reduced bodyweight, athletes can expendmuch less energy—and receivemuchlessimpact—thanonaregulartreadmillorover-the-groundrun.

Don’t have access to a $30,000 AlterG? Walking makes a fine recoveryworkout,anditcangiveyousomequalitytimewithalovedone—oryourdog.

Whatever modality you choose, including easy efforts between your harderworkouts will help both physiologically and psychologically. Your body willrecoverfasterwhenyoudon’taddheavystressbutinsteadmovejustenoughtostimulate extra blood flow. And yourmindwill recover as well, by getting abreak from the intensity of your moderate and harder workouts and, if youchoosealternativesportsforeasyworkouts,bygettingabreakfromtheroutineofyourusualactivity.

QUICKTIPSActiverecoveryincludesbothapropercooldownandstand-alonesessionsof20to40minutes.Theintensityofactiverecoverysessionsshouldbeverylight—justenoughtobreakasweat.Includingveryeasydayslessensthemonotonyoftrainingandallowsyoutoekeoutmorehigh-endeffortsduringyourhardworkouts.

REFERENCESANDFURTHERREADINGBaldari, C., M. Videira, F. Madeira, J. Sergio, and L. Guidetti. 2005. “Blood Lactate Removal During

RecoveryatVariousIntensitiesBelowtheIndividualAnaerobicThreshold inTriathletes.”Journal ofSportsMedicineandPhysicalFitness45:460–466.

Neric,F.B.,W.C.Beam,L.E.Brown, andL.D.Wiersma.2009. “ComparisonofSwimRecoveryandMuscleStimulationonLactateRemovalafterSprintSwimming.”JournalofStrengthandConditioningResearch23:2560–2567.

Stacey,D.L.,M.J.Gibala,K.A.MartinGinis,andB.W.Timmons.2010.“EffectsofRecoveryMethodonPerformance, Immune Changes, and Psychological Outcomes.” Journal of Orthopaedic and SportsPhysicalTherapy40:656–665.

Wigernaes, I., A. T. Høstmark, P. Kierulf, and S. B. Strømme. 2000. “Active Recovery Reduces theDecreaseinCirculatingWhiteBloodCellsAfterExercise.”InternationalJournalofSportsMedicine21:608–612.

WHENYOU’REWOUND tightly, forwhatever reason,youdon’tget thedowntimeyouneedtobringyourbodyintobalance.Addthistothefatigueyou’realreadycarryingasaresultofyourtraining,andit’sarecipefordisaster.Haveyouevernoticed how poorly timed illness can be when you are building toward a bigrace?Haveyoubecomeaccident-proneclosetoamajorevent?Weoftenthinkofthisasbadluck,butitcanalsobeourbodiestellingus—subtlyornot—thatweneedarest.

DuringmytrainingforIronmanCoeurd’Alene2009,Icutmywritingandeditingcommitmentsback so I couldcall trainingmywork.Still, theworkoftrainingisprettyintense,andIcarriedaheavyloadoffatiguethatmanifestedina mental fog that thickened every time I approached a grocery store. I wasunabletothinkbeyondpizza.Myfamilyatealotofpizza.Onespringevening,Ifelt rested enough to make guacamole—a welcome break from pizza—andwoundupintheemergencyroomafterbadlybotchinganavocadopit–removaltrickusingabutcher’sknife.(Theadmittingnursekindlysuggestedpitremoval

usingaspoonnexttime.)Theresultwasarowofstitchesonmyhandthatkeptmeoutof thewater fora littleoveraweek.Twodaysafter thecut, Imade itthrough a century ridewithmyhand still in thehospital splint (anunforeseenbenefitofaerobars).And thenextweekend,stitchesoutprematurely, I racedahalf-Iron-distance triathlon. I was at the peak ofmy training, and the variousstressorsinmylifehadconspiredtomakemeclumsy.

In2010,trainingforthesameraceandatthesamepeakoftrainingweekend,myyogastudentSusanfellwhileclimbing intoherbathtub tosoakherachingfeet.A rowof stitches patched up her eyebrow,which hadmade hard contactwiththefaucetheadonherwaydown.Again,itwasnotcoincidence;itwastheworkloadcatchingupwithher,andalittlebadluck.

Removing life stress for even a few days can have a big effect on yourperformance.EliterunnerNateJenkinstellsthestoryofarunningpartnerwithafull plate who carried a lot of stress. This runner was expecting a child andbuyingahousewhileworkingfull-timeandrunning120milesaweek,“butnotrunningthatwell,”Jenkinssays.“WewenttoIrelandfortworacesinfourdays.Thefirstrace,hewasfarandawaythelast[oftheteam].Wespentthenextthreedays touring Ireland, eating, drinking, partying, not sleeping—burning thecandleatbothends.Inthesecondrace,hewasthefirstofusacrossthelinebyagood littlebit.Aspoorpreparationas thatwas fora race, thatwaseasier thanwhathewasdoingathome!”

Findingways tocopewithbothphysicalandpsychological stresscanhelpyouintegratetheworkoftrainingbetter,keepingyousafer,morebalanced,andmore pleasant to be around. In this chapter, we’ll take a big-picture view ofstress.

PHYSICALANDPSYCHOLOGICALSTRESSHans Selye, who began modern thinking on stress, subdivided stressors intoeustress,orpositivestress,anddistress,ornegativestress,aswesawinChapter1.Physically,youneedpositivestresstocreateadaptations;psychologically,youneedthechallengeofpositivestresstoperformatyourbest.(Thinkofwritingaterm paper under deadline, delivering a speech, or running a race with bigstakes.)Whenyoucannolongeradapttoandrecoverfromthestress,however,ithasbecomenegativestress,which takesa tollon thebody.Ultimately,yourbody can’t distinguish between physical stress and mental stress, and it all

becomesprocessedinthesameway,withelevatedcortisolandadrenalinelevels;increasedheartrate,bloodpressure,andmuscletension;andahostofproblemsfromstomachupsettoheadachestotroublesleeping.

Asathletes,we’refamiliarwithphysicalstress,andweevenactivelyseekit.Thisbookaims tohelpyoubalance thephysical stressyouapplywithcarefulattention to rest and recovery. But we must account for stressors from areasoutsidethephysical,sincetheywillhaveadirectaffectonyourrecovery.

Notall stress isbad.Sportpsychologist JackRaglinsays,“A lotofpeopleconsiderthestressofcompetitioncanbeasourceofstressthatputsathletesovertheedge.Ourresearchcontradictsthat.Contrarytotraditionalbeliefs,30to45percent of athletes require high levels of anxiety to perform best. Relaxationexercisesforthemcanbecounterproductive.”Anexceptionhereisdwellingontheraceandfeelingsignsofphysicalstressfarfromtheraceitself.However,inthefewdaysleadinguptotheevent,someanxietyistobeexpected,anditcanevenhelpsharpenyouforperformance.

BEAWAREOFTHESOURCESOFYOURSTRESSPsychologicalstresscancomefromyoursportorfromotherareasofyourlife.We’re used to the psychological stress before a race and the stress thataccompaniesworkouts:theapprehensionandfearofpain,thecarethatmustbetaken tobesureenough time isallotted for theworkoutand thatequipment islinedup,thestressofworkingtoachievecertainbenchmarksintheworkout,thestress ofmissing them. But we sometimes fail to see how all our stressors—manyofwhichcomefromfarbeyondthetraininghours—haveadirecteffectonourrecoveryandthereforeonourtraining.

Thesevariousstressors inyour lifehaveacumulativeeffect thatyoumustkeep in mind as you plan your training and recovery. When you have a bigdeadline at work, the extra stress will affect your training both directly andindirectly. In a direct manner, it may mean you have less mental energy forworkouts or that you throw yourself into your intervals as a source of stressrelief.Indirectly,youmaybegettinglesssleeporspendingmorehoursatyourdesk,whichmaybringwithittightnessinyourhipflexors,chest,shoulders,andneck, all of which can change your form in workouts. The stress of a movecarrieswithitnotonlytheemotionalcomponentsbutalsotheveryrealphysicalstressofpacking,liftingheavyobjects,climbingstairsrepeatedly,bendingover

boxes to unpack, and the sundry other tasks that accompany moving. Payattentiontotheseconglomeratestressorsandtohowyourespondtothem.

Agreatersenseofawarenessofyourresponsewillyieldinterestinginsightsintoyourbehaviorpatterns,manyofwhichwillaffectyourrecovery.Whenyouarefeelinganxiousaboutsomethingthatappearstobeoutofyourcontrol,youmaytendtocontrolthingsyoufeellikeyoucancontrol.Formanyathletes,thatmeanstrainingmore.Sayyoucouldn’tmakeyourtargetpaceinaworkout.Thiscan create anxiety about your state of fitness, something you think you cancontrolbyrepeatingtheworkoutthenextday.Notso!Often,exactlywhatyouneedinsuchasituationislessworkandmorerecovery.

FINDABALANCELookforabalancebetweenyourcommitmentstoyourtraining,homelife,andworklife.Therewillbecyclesandseasonsinwhichoneismoreimportantthantheothers.Thewinterholidaysareatimewhenyourfamilymaydemandyourfocus.Dependingonyourjob,therewillbecyclicaldutiesatwork—theendofafiscalyearorcollegesemester,thedeadlineforamajorproject.Andyoursporttrainingprobablyfallsintoaseasonortwo,withcompetitionsgroupedaroundaspecificpointonthecalendar.

Mapping out these obligations can be very helpful as you work towardbalanceandstressreduction(seeFigure7.1).Give thismap thesamecareyouwould give your own annual training plan. Is there a period in the yearwhenyou’llbepackingachildforamovetocollege?Notethat.Isthereatimewhenyourpartnerhasaparticularlystressfulworkseason?Notethat.Travelbothforworkandforfamilyshouldgoonyourlist,too.Dependingonhowsophisticatedyou’dliketoget,thismapcanbedonewithcoloredpensandpaper,oritcanbea spreadsheet or go right into a calendar application. How you do it isn’timportant.Whatmattersisthatyoulookatthebigpicture.

Sports psychologist Kate Hays had a patient whomade just such a chart,creatingaretrospectivegraphmapping thestressors inhiswork lifeversushisracetimes.Hecouldthensee,Hayssays,“adirectconnectionbetweenthehighpointsof thestressfulworkseasonandpoor times.”Basedonwhathesaw,heshiftedhis focus from triathlon toduathlon,quit his job, and tookanother jobthatdidn’thavesuchcyclicallybusytimes.

While your own reaction might not be as drastic as changing sports andquittingyourjob,youwillprobablyseesomestepsyoucantaketobringthingsmoreintobalance.CoachGordoByrnadvises,“Ifsomeoneneedstocranktheirtrainingstressup,theworkstressneedstogodown,andthefamilyneedstobuyin. Otherwise, there’s disharmony in the athlete’s life. You won’t be able torecoverwhenyou’renotmeetingyourobligationstoyourworkandfamily.”

Dependingonthedetailsofyourhomelife,youmightalsoneedtoschedulea period where you have greatly reduced stress. If you find time with yourfamilyrelaxing,fantastic;iffamilytimehasitsownstressors,beawareofthat.Thegoalisnotsimplytoreplacestressfromoneareawithstressfromanother.Itistogiveyoursystemachancetocyclebetweenstressandrest,betweenworkandrecovery.Justasyougetweekendsofffromwork,youshouldgetsometimeoff from coping with stress—be it from training, your career, or yourrelationships.

MANAGINGSTRESS

SayNoOnceyouhaveabig-pictureviewofthestressinyourlife,youcanworktofindways to reduce it. The number-one tool is learning themagic word “no.” Somanyofusareovercommitted,jugglingdozensofobligationsacrossthecourseofanygivenday.Itcanbeincrediblytoughtosaynotoaninvitationtoserveonacommitteeatwork,tovolunteeratyourchildren’sschool,tojoinagroupforaride.Butoftenthatisjustwhatisneededsothatyoucanbestmanageyourotherobligationswithoutdrainingyourselfcompletely.

I don’t mean that you should say no to everything; in fact, that mightencourage you to focus too obsessively on your training. Instead, prioritize.Chooseonly themost important commitmentsor those thatgiveyou themostjoy or best use your talents and experience. When you are overcommitted,you’redilutingtheserviceyoucanofferothers,becauseyouarenotfullypresentwhenyouarenotrestedenoughtofocusonthetaskathandoryouarealreadythinkingthroughwhat’snext.

GoalCheckTheconstructionofagoodannualtrainingplanstartswithagoal-settingsession.When you find yourself feeling stressed, return to those goals you have set.Ideally,youhavegoalsthatarereasonable,reachable,andquantifiable—thatis,theyfollowtheSMARTacronym:specific,measurable,attainable,realistic,andtime-dependent. You probably also have goals for work and relationships,whether or not you have put them into words. Perhaps you are aiming for apromotion or to reach a sales figure. Perhaps you want to start your owncompany.Maybeyouwanttogetmarriedorhaveachildorsendyourchildtocollegeoutofstate.Eachofthesegoalscarriesstresswithit.Someofthestressis useful;much of it is not.When anxiety and a sense of being overwhelmedcreepin,stopandreconsideryourgoals.Areyourcommitmentsintheserviceofyourgoals?Ifnot,howcanyouchange things?Sometimesdoing thispromptsyoutoreviseyourgoal,whichisgood—thegoalshouldnotbesetinstone.

When you are very clear on your goals, every decision is easier tomake.You’llsimplyaskyourself:Doesthischoicealignwithmygoals,ornot?Whenyoufindittoughtomakeupyourmind,revisityourgoals;theymayneedsomerevision.

ThinkAheadAsyou realignyourgoals andprioritizewhatneedsyour attention,youmightseethingsthatyoucandoeasilynowtomakethingssmootherdowntheroad.For example, JeffBrown, psychologist for theBostonMarathon,which is runthethirdweekinAprileachyear,suggeststhatrunnersgettheirtaxesdoneearlyso that theycanfocusonrelaxingbefore the trip toBoston.Hesees timingascritical,especiallywhenathletestravelforapeakevent.“Youdon’twanttogetmarried twoweeks after themarathon, or have some othermajor project,” hesays. “Those stressors may have an impact on performance, especially whenjuggling travel plans. Some athletes I’ve worked with simply overloadthemselveswithtravel, theirmarathonperformance,sightseeing,andmanaginghomefromadistance.Focusingonthepriorityofthetripiskey.”Overextendingyourselfwillinterferewithyourrecoveryatbestandcanleadtoillnessatworst.

CategorizeBeforemajorraces,Ihavemyathletesfilloutadetailedraceplan.Ithelpsthemthinkaheadtomanagetheirequipment,nutrition,andpacing.Italsogivesthemachance to state their racegoals—aconservativegoal,a statedgoal,a radicalgoal,andasupersecretpie-in-the-skygoal.Defining thesecategoriesgivesmyathletesachancetoreflectontheirtrainingandtheirabilitiesunderarangeofrace-daycircumstances.

At theendof the raceplan, I ask theathletes tomakea listof their fears,worries, and concerns about the race. They then label these as either “in mycontrol”or“outofmycontrol”andwriteoutaplanforhowtocopeshouldanyof these fears come to pass. I’ve seen everything from sharks to flat tires toblisterstobadattitudesshowupasfears,andIknowfrommyathletes’feedbackthat simply naming these fears and creating a plan to deal with adverseconditionsbuildsconfidenceandreducesstress.

Suchlistingisn’tconfinedtoaraceplan.Youcandothesamekindofthingforyourlifeingeneral.Articulatewhatyourfearsare—writingthemdowncanbe especially useful, as things often seem vastly less scary, even silly, whenwrittendownonpaper—andcategorizeeachas“inmycontrol”or“outofmycontrol.”Constructaplanfordealingwiththethingsthatscareyou,shouldtheyevercometopass.You’llfindthatthistaskhelpsyoufeelasifyoucanhandlealmosteverythingthatcomesyourway.Ultimately,onethingisalwaysinyourcontrol,nomatterhowdirethesituation:yourattitude.

RelaxThe restorative yoga poses and themeditation and breath-awareness exercisesoutlinedinChapters16and17ofthisbookwillhelpyourelaxandrecoverfromtraining stress. Beyond that, they will give you tools for coping when stressmeetsyouinreallife,whetherit’sthestressofatrafficjam,amajormeeting,anargumentwith a lovedone, or a race that’s tough. In eachof these situations,returntodeep,fullbreaths,andrelaxeverywhereyoucan,growingasefficientaspossiblebyusingenergyonlywhere it’sneeded.Thatmightmean relaxingyour jawin traffic,yourhandsin themeeting,yourshoulders in theargument,andalloftheaboveinyourrace.

QUICKTIPSTakealookatthebigpictureofyouryear,markingstressfultimesduringyourtraining,work,andfamilylife.Manageyourstressorsbylearningtosaynotoprojectsthatspreadyoutoothin.Haveaclearsenseofyourgoalsandcomebacktothemoften.

GetHelpA session or series of sessions with a counselor can teach you skills formanaging stress and can go a longway toward helpingyouput your goals inperspective.Asportspsychologistcanhelpyouwiththis,and,frankly,visitingasports psychologist may be easier to wrap your brain around than visiting ageneralclinician.

Depending on your needs, your sports psychologist can teach you mentalskills for competitionand for life ingeneral.PsychotherapistMarvinZauderersays,“WhenIworkwithathletesongoalsetting,I’mnotjustworkingongoalsforthingsyouwanttoachieveinyoursport.Goalscanhelpyouputsportintheright place in your life.”Doing so creates a healthy balance between training,work,andrelationships.

ONEOFMYcoachingclients,Tara,hasastrictruleonsleep.Ifshedoesn’tgetsixhoursof sleep in thenight, shewon’t run thenextday, reasoning that runningtireddoesmoreharmthangood.Thisisafantasticpolicytoimplementbecausethe truth is that many of us try to get by on far too little sleep. As physicaltherapistBrianBeattysays,“Mostpeople’srecoveryplanisfivehoursofsleepandalotofcoffee.”

Yoursleepaffectsnotjustyourrecoverybutalsoyourabilitytoperformtoyour potential in workouts. When you don’t get adequate sleep, your motorresponse is dulled, which can compromise your form or ingrain inefficientneuromuscular patterns—bad habits. Research at Stanford University (Mah2008)showsthatathleteswhogetplentyofsleepdemonstrateimprovedabilityat sprinting, faster reaction times, and improved moods. Anecdotal evidencebearsthisout.EliterunnerTeraMoody,whohasahistoryofinsomnia,findsthatsleep is critical to her recovery. “When I get nine hours of sleep, I feel likeSuperwomanandmyworkoutsareamazing,”shesays.“IfI’mnotsleepingwell,

Ihavetotakeextrarecoverydaysbetweenworkoutsandeverythingfeelsalotharder.”

Therearefurtherimplicationsforathletesoftheimportanceofsleep:KarineSpiegelandcolleagues (1999)have shown that evenaweekofcurtailed sleepcauses adverse effects on glucose uptake and cortisol levels (engaging thesympathetic nervous system). If your glucose uptake is inhibited, you are lessabletorefuelbefore,during,andafteryourworkouts.Whilethereisnotmuchfurtherscientificstudyinto thepreciseeffectofsleeponathleticrecovery(seeSamuels 2009), there is agreement among athletes, coaches, and physiologiststhat sleep matters. You’ll need to pay attention to your own sleep habits todeterminewhatistheoptimalamountforyou.

Becausedisturbedsleepcanbeastrongindicatorofovertraining,it’scriticaltokeepaneyeonyoursleephabits.Itmightmeantrackingthenumberofhoursyousleepaswellasthequalityofyoursleep,andyoumightalsonotehowalertyoufeelduringtheday.Ifyouseeadeterioration,setasidetimetorepayyoursleepdebt,droppingaworkoutortwoifnecessarysoyoucansleepin.

WHATHAPPENSDURINGSLEEPAsyousleep,youprogressthroughfourstages:threenon–rapideyemovement(NREM) stages, and one rapid eyemovement stage (REM sleep) (see Figure8.1).

Stage NREM1, light sleep, involves a relaxation of your muscles andslowingeyemovements—it’stheperiodinwhichyoudriftintoandoutofsleep.In stage NREM2, your eyes stop moving, and your brain waves slow. StageNREM3includestheveryslowbrainwavescalleddeltawaves;youareindeepsleep. Your endocrine system releases hormones, including growth hormone,whicharecriticaltoyouradaptationtotraining.REMisthefourthstage,oftencoming 70 to 90 minutes into the cycle. During this period, you consolidatememories and ingrain skills, which are obviously important for your athleticperformance.AfullcycletakesanhourandahalftotwohoursandthenrepeatsNREM2,NREM3,andREMsleep.Asthenightwearson,theamountofREMsleep increases, and the time spent in stage NREM3 decreases. We needadequateamountsofalltypesofsleeptofunctionwellandtorecoverfully.

HOWMUCHSLEEPTOGETIn an idealworld, you’d fall asleep about 20minutes after climbing into bed.Noddingoffquickercanbeasignofsleepdebt.Then,ideally,you’dsleepuntilyouweredonesleeping,whichwesometimescallbeing“sleptout.”Formanypeople, being sleptout takes slightlyover eighthourspernight, enough to letyouwake upwithout needing an alarm. If you do not get enough sleep eachnight,you’ll accrue“sleepdebt,” forwhichyourbodywill eventuallydemandrepayment.Plentifulsleepshouldbeakeyfeatureofyourrecoveryplan.

Intimesofheavytraining,besuretoblockoffextratimeforsleepaspartofyour stress-management plan, inwhich you balance your obligations towork,family, and training. When training is heavy, ideally your workload will belighter, and your family will understand your need for more sleep. Oneconventional rule of thumb, especially useful for runners, will help you get asenseofwhatworks:Ifyouarerunning60milesaweek,youshouldaimtogetanextra60minutesofsleepeachday.Expressedintimeunits,ifyou’retraining10 hours a week, an extra hour of sleep daily should improve your recovery.Likewise, ifyou’re training15hoursaweek,anhourandahalf is inorder;aloadof20hoursaweekwouldsuggestyougettwohoursbeyondthestandardeight.While increasingsleepthismuchmaynotberealistic, itdoesencourageyoutovaluesleep.

NAPPINGMyowncoach,JoanNesbitMabe,ranthe10,000atthe1996Olympics.Shehaslonghadadailynapping ritual,whichshe thinksmadeabigdifference inherabilitytorecoverandtofit12workoutsintotheweekduringherdaysasaneliterunner.“That’stwelveworkdayswithonlysevennightstosleep,”shesays.“Iusednappingtocollapsetwelvedaysintoseven,kindoflikethetesseractinAWrinkleinTime.Everyworkoutwasprecededbysleep,beitafullnight’ssleeporanafternoonpowernap.Ineversawsleepingaslazy,butsmart—andsortofsneaky, because I found away to speed recoverywithout using performance-enhancingdrugs.”

Dependingontheamountoftimeyouhave—andwhetheryouarecarryinganysleepdebt—thelengthofyournapmayvary.Ashortnap—say,20minutes—willgiveyouaperiodofNREM2sleep,whilealongernapofanhourandahalformorecantakeyouthroughtheREMcycle.Thereisaperiodbetweentheshorterandlongernap,somewherearound45minutesofsleep,inwhichyoucanfind yourselfwaking groggier than youwerewhen you started, so plan aheadwhenyouliedown.Ifyoucanget into thehabitofnapping,you’ll learnwhatthebestparametersareforyou.Noticealsowhenyourbodyfeelsreadytonap.Dependingonyourowncircadianrhythm,youmightfindearlyormid-afternoonthebesttimeforarest.Don’tletyournapgrowsolongthatyoucan’tdriftoffeasilyatbedtime.

HOWTRAVELAFFECTSSLEEPTravelaffectssleephabits,especiallyifyoumoveacrosstimezones.Thechangein environment alone can keep you awake or disturb your sleep, and that’scompounded when your internal clock doesn’t mesh with the time at yourdestination. Do what you can to create a restful environment for sleep (asoutlined below), and be sure you head into any travel, especially travel for arace,aswellrestedaspossible.

Moving across time zones, figure that you’ll need a day per time zone toadapt. Ifyou’re traveling from theEastCoast to theWestCoastof theUnitedStates for a race, or from theWestCoast toHawaii, arriving three days earlywouldbeagoodplan.Westwardtraveliseasierbecauseyouwon’thavetowakeupanyearlier thanusual.Travelingeast, conversely, isharderon thebody, as

you’ll need to wake up earlier than you’re used to. Opening the blinds andgettingsunlightwillhelpyouadaptbyresettingyourinternalclock.

SETTINGUPBETTERSLEEPKeepingaroutinewillhelpyouregulateyoursleepbetter.Aimtogettobedatthesametimeeverynightandtowakeuparoundthesametimeeverymorning.Thisholdsonweekends,aswell.Yourbedroomshouldbequiet,cool,anddarkandusednotasadenforreadingandwatchingtelevisionbutasasanctuaryforsleep.

Whatyoudointhefewhoursbeforesleepaffectsyourabilitytounwindandto stay asleep. If you have a late-dayworkout, don’t let it creep too close tobedtime so that you aren’t still jacked up when it’s time to lie down. Avoidcaffeine after lunchtime; its effects can linger for hours. And even thoughdrinkingalcoholmighthelpyoufeelrelaxedordrowsy,itcaninterferewiththequalityofyoursleep.

Arelaxing,unwindingritualcanhelpprepareyouforbed.Takethehalfhourbeforeyouget in bed to enjoy a cupof herbal tea (chamomile is a traditionalchoice, considered soporific), soak in awarmbath (perhapswithEpsomsalts;seeChapter12),doafewrestorativeyogaposes(seeChapter16),or focusonyourbreathingandmeditate(Chapter17).Exactlywhatyoudoislessimportantthantheceremonyofdoingit.Intime,you’llassociatethisritualwithbedtime,anditwillcueyoutofallasleep.

If you have trouble sleeping and are considering using sleep aids—evenmelatonin,soldasadietarysupplement—talktoyourhealthcareproviderand,ifyou have one, your coach. You’ll want to check that any substance you’reconsideringtakingisbothsafeforyouandnotabannedsubstanceontheWorldAnti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) list. Your coach should hear about yoursleeping problems, too, because theymay be a sign that you are carrying tooheavya training load.Tweakingyour trainingplancanhelpyoubalanceworkandrest.

Reducing life stress will also help you sleep. See Chapter 7 for more onstressreduction.

QUICKTIPSGettingenoughsleepiscriticaltoathleticperformance.

Sleepuntilyouwakeupsatisfied,withoutanalarm—thismightmeanninehoursorevenmorepernight.Napssupplementyournight-timesleepandhelpreduceyoursleepdebt.Aneveningritualcanhelpyousettledownforsleep.

REFERENCESANDFURTHERREADINGLamberg,L.2005.“SleepMayBeAthletes’BestPerformanceBooster.”PsychiatricNews,August19,n.p.Mah, C. 2008. “Extended Sleep and the Effects on Mood and Athletic Performance in Collegiate

Swimmers.”PresentationtotheannualmeetingofAssociatedProfessionalSleepSocieties,Baltimore,MD,June9–12.

Samuels,C.2009.“Sleep,Recovery,andPerformance:TheNewFrontierinHigh-PerformanceAthletics.”PhysicalMedicineandRehabilitationClinicsofNorthAmerica20:n.p.

Spiegel, K., R. Leproult, and E.VanCauter. 1999. “Impact of SleepDebt onMetabolic and EndocrineFunction.”Lancet354:1435–1439.

AFTERMY FIRSTMARATHON, I couldn’t eat normally. The nausea that wasmyconstant companion stayedwithme a full two days, forcingme to cancelmypost-race dinner reservations andmakingwhatwould have been an indulgentroom service meal—potato skins with cheese and a cold beer—completelyunpalatable.Anhour after finishingmy first Ironman, however, Iwashappilyeatingandsippingchampagne.Thedifference?I’dfiguredoutfuelingduringtherace, to the benefit of my post-race recovery. As you may know well frompersonalexperience,therightnutritioncanmakeorbreakyourrace.Thelongerthe event, themore critical it is to figure out how to eat during the race.Butthat’sonlypartofthepuzzle.Youalsoneedtolearnthebestwaystofuelyourrecoverysothatyouarereadyforthenexttrainingsession.

Proper recovery nutrition happens not only in the immediate postworkoutperiod,butallthetime.Wehearalotaboutthe“glycogensynthesiswindow,”ortherecoverywindow,whichisopenwidestinthefirsttwohoursafterexercise,

andagoodrecoverynutritionplanwillcertainlyaddressthattime.Butnutritionforrecoveryextendsfarbeyondthiswindow;ithappensallday,dayinanddayout.

DAILYEATINGYourbestapproachtorecoverynutritionis,quitesimply,toeatwellallthetime.Ahealthy diet, inMichaelPollan’s now-famousmanifesto from InDefenseofFood, iscomprisedof“food.Not toomuch.Mostlyplants.”Awidevarietyofbrightlycoloredfoods,mostlyvegetablesandfruitsthat,wheneverpossible,areorganic and locally sourced, will provide you with most of what you need.Prepackagedandprocessedfoods—thebars,gels,andpowdereddrinksthattendto line the shelvesofanyathlete’spantry—have theirplace,but it is a limitedplace and pertains to the time immediately preceding, during, and sometimesafterexercise.Eventhen,realfoodisoftenthebetteroption,dependingontheindividual’sconstitutionandtheintensityanddurationofexercise.Forausefulbook on healthy daily eating habits for athletes, see Adam Kelinson’s TheAthlete’sPlate:RealFoodforHighPerformance(2009).

Your diet should include a goodbalance ofmacronutrients (carbohydrates,protein, and fats). The precise proportion of each that works best depends onyourconstitution,sport,andactivitylevelandmustbedeterminedindividually.(Consultwith a registered dietitian specializing in sports nutrition if youneedadvice.)Whileweoftengetintoahabitofeatingthesamethingdayinanddayout, andwhile it can be easy to have aweekly schedule (Wednesday night ispizzanight), varietyensuresweget themost fromour food. InChapter4,we

sawthestrainofamonotonoustrainingload;don’tgetsomiredinhabitthatyouhaveamonotonousdiet.

Eatingawell-rounded,naturaldietwillprovideyourbodywiththeelementsitneedstorecover:carbohydratestosupplyandreplenishenergyintheformofglycogen, protein to deliver amino acids to rebuild muscle fiber, and fats toinsulatethebodyandtocarryvitaminstothecells.Fallshortonanyoftheseandyou’llbeshortchangingyourrecovery.

THERECOVERYSNACKTheimportanceoftherecoverysnack—foodeatenshortlyafteraworkout,andoutside of regular meal times—depends on the context of your training. Ifyou’vefinishedamoderate-intensityrunandwon’tdoanothermoderateorhardworkout for twodays, you’ll probablyget thenutrientsyouneed for recoveryfromyour regularmeals. If, however, you’ve finished a three-hour ride in themorning and have an evening run planned, the recovery snack and its timingbecomemuchmoreimportant.Likewise,ifyou’vefinishedyourpeakeventfortheseasonandareheadingintoatransitionperiodwithnoorganizedtraining,arecovery snack is not critical. But if you’ve finished a long run and havedepletedyourglycogen stores,youneed topayattention togettinga recoverysnackquicklysothatyoucanrestockforthenextweekoftraining.

RecoveryNutritionStartsEarly

Your recovery nutrition actually begins before your workout. You’ll need tocheckthatyouareenteringtheworkoutwithafulltank,sotospeak.Whileyoumay not have full glycogen stores, you’ll want to have enough energy tocomplete the workout: Ideally, you’ll approach the workout with a plan thattrains your body to use the energy sources you’ll need in your race—fat forenduranceworkouts,glycogenforhigher-intensityefforts.Startingyourworkoutwithadeficitwillinterferewithyourrecovery.

Likewise, take in fluid and carbohydrates if your workout is a long one.Doingsowillensurethatyoudon’tcreateamassivedeficit,whichwillbeharderto overcome and will interfere with your recovery. When you deplete yourglycogen supply, you hit the dreadedwall—a condition that can jettison yourrace. Beyond that, it may take a number of days to replenish your glycogenstores.

TimingoftheRecoverySnackThecarbohydratesyouconsumeinthefirst30minutesafterexercisewillleadtohigherglycogenlevelsthanifyouwaitfortwohoursaftertheworkouttobegineatingagain(Ivyetal.1988).Forthisreason,weoftenhearabouta“glycogenwindow,”inwhichwehavetotakeinourrecoverysnackformaximumbenefits.Andwhilethat’strue,it’snotashardandfastassomewouldmakeitseem.Thewindowdoesn’tslamshutat30minutespostexercise.Youhavetwohoursafteryour workout when you can take in that recovery snack. But you’ll still bereplenishing glycogen depleted during amorningworkoutwhen you eat yourlunch,yourafternoonsnack,andyourdinner. In fact, ifyou’remoredepleted,you’llstillbereplenishingyourglycogenstoresthenextday.Don’tgettoohungup on the 30-minute rule, but do remember to pay attention to your recoverysnackafterlongerorintenseworkoutswhenyouneedtorecoverquickly.

CompositionoftheRecoverySnackYour recovery snack should be a mixture of fluids, sodium, carbohydrates,possiblysomeprotein,andnottoomuchfat.Fatcaninterferewithyourbody’sability toprocess thecarbohydrates—and theprotein—inyour recoverysnack.Here’salookatthebreakdown.

FluidsTherecoverysnackneedstoincludefluidtohelpoffsetthefluidlostduringyourworkout.Howwillyouknowhowmuchyou’velost?Byweighingyourselfpre-

and postworkout, ideally nude so that your wet clothing doesn’t skew thepostworkoutmeasurement.Youdon’tneedtodothisforeverysingleworkout,butanoccasionalweighinbeforeandafteryourlongerorharderworkoutswillshowyouhowmuchwaterweightyou’relosing.

You’llneedtoreplacemostofeachpound—or16ounces—offluidyou’velost.TheAmericanDieteticAssociation(ADA)suggestsyoudrinkfrom16 to24ouncesforeverypoundofweightlostduringtheworkout.Hittingthehigherend of this range, 24 ounces per pound lost, will help you rehydrate morequicklyandsetyouupforyournexttrainingsession.Notethatnewthinking—outlined under “Hydration”—says that thirst should be your guide as yourehydrate.

SodiumEven if you are a so-called salty sweater, the concentrationof sodium inyourbloodactually increasesduringyourworkout,becauseyou lose farmore fluidthansodiumasyousweat.Butthislossofsodiumneedstobeoffsetbytakinginsodiumafteryourtrainingsessionsoyoucanrestoreyourpreworkoutbalance.Itcancomefromasportsdrink,butmanysportsdrinksdon’thaveenoughsodium.You can supplement by using table salt as part of your recovery snack or bytaking salt tablets or electrolyte capsules. Sports nutritionist Bob Seeboharrecommends taking in500milligramsofsodiumaftera longorhardworkout.And nutritionist Monique Ryan, author of Sports Nutrition for EnduranceAthletes, explains, “It’s really the carbohydrates and sodium that’s mostimportantpostworkout.Sodiumhelpspull fluid through thesmall intestine.” Italsohelpspullglucoseandwater intoyourcells,so it’s important thatyougetyoursodiumstoresrefilled.Table9.1showstheamountofsodiumper8ouncesofvariousbeverages.

CarbohydratesYour recovery snack should contain somewherebetween1.0 and1.5gramsofcarbohydratesperkilogramofyourbodyweight,with1.2gramsperkilogramofbody weight a common target. (To figure your weight in kilos, divide yourweight in pounds by 2.2.) That’s roughly the equivalent of 0.5 grams ofcarbohydratesperpoundofbodyweight.Eachgramofcarbohydratescontains4calories. To make things easy, see Table 9.2 for your target range ofcarbohydratestoconsumeintherecoverysnack.

Asyoucansee,that’sadecentamountofcalories.You’llbetakingtheminafteraworkoutof90minutesorlonger,though,andyoumustthinkofthemascritical to your recovery, because replenishing the glycogen stores you’ve justdepletedisaprerequisiteforyournextworkouttohaveanyqualityeffect.

ProteinWhilesomestudieshaveshownthatproteinaidsinglycogenuptake,othershavenot supported this finding. Ryan says that the importance of protein in therecoverymeal is overrated because protein doesn’t facilitatemuscle glycogenrecoveryafterendurancetraining.Instead,proteinhelpsmusclesrebuildafteraresistanceworkout.“Youcanaddinsomeproteinifit’sthekindofworkoutthatcouldhavecausedsomemusclebreakdown,”shesays,“butyoudon’twanttheproteintocrowdoutthecarbohydrate.”

Arecentstudy (RowlandsandWadsworth2011) found that femalecyclistsresponded very differently than male cyclists when they ingested a recoverysnackcontainingprotein.Menrespondedbettertomoreproteinintheirrecoverydrink,butsomewomenreportedfeelingmoretiredandsorewhentheirrecoverymeal included a larger proportion of protein. Youmust find the amounts thatworkbestforyouindividually.

If you are adding protein, some amount between 6 and 20 grams isrecommended. Because protein also holds 4 calories per gram, that’s a rangefrom24to80caloriesfromprotein—notalot.Itcancomefromsoy,whey,oraleanmeatsource.

RecoverySnackOptionsChocolatemilkhasbeenpromotedasanidealrecoverydrinkeversincea2006study (funded, in part, by the dairy industry) showed that it aided recovery aswellasorbetterthanthecommercialproductsGatoradeandEnduroxR-4.Itcanbe a very palatable choice, especially after a very long or intense workoutbecauseyoumightnothavemuchofanappetite.Thisiswhenaliquidsnackismostappealing.

For convenience, you might choose a preformulated recovery drink orrecoverybar,andthat’sfine.Whenyoucan,however,aimtoprepareyourownrecovery snack. It gives you a chance to control the ingredients, to includeorganicandlocallysourceditemswheneverpossible,andtocustomizetheflavorandtexturetopleaseyourpalate.

Examplesofasuitablerecoverysnack:

ChocolatemilkChocolatesoymilkBagelwithjam,creamcheese,peanutbutter,orasliceofturkeySmoothie(fruitand/orvegetablesblendedwithcow’smilk;soy,almond,orricemilk;oryogurt)FruitandyogurtCerealwithcow’smilkorsoy,almond,orricemilkFreshjuiceandahandfulofnuts

Withanyof thesesnacks, includewaterorasportsdrink torehydrateyouandconsideraddingsaltorsupplementingwithelectrolytes.

BeyondtheRecoverySnackYourrecoverycontinueswellbeyondtherecoverysnack.You’lldowelltotakeinanother1.0to1.2gramsofcarbohydratesperkiloofbodyweightabouttwohoursafteryourrecoverysnack.Thisoftencomesataregularmealtime—lunchafteramorningworkout,dinnerafteranafternoonorall-daysession—soitcanbe comprised of real, whole foods. Beyond that meal, pay attention to theamountofcarbohydratesyou’reconsumingfortherestofthedayandbesuretotakeinproteinandfat,aswell.

EatingtoReduceInflammationWhile some inflammation is a normal product of training, carrying toomuchinflammation may aggravate overuse patterns, leading to injury, and maycontributenotonlytoinflammatorydiseasessuchasarthritisandlupusbutalsotoheartdisease, somecancers,andAlzheimer’s.Whatyoueatcanaffectyourbody’s inflammatory response. Certain foods can help your body combatinflammation:berries,richinphytochemicalsandantioxidants;cold-waterfish,suchassalmonandmackerel,aswellaswalnutsandflaxseed,allofwhicharerichinomega-3fattyacids;spicessuchasgingerandgarlic;andcoffeeandtea.A healthy, Mediterranean-influenced diet high in vegetables, beans, fish, andoliveoilworkswell.

Many books and websites offer details on an anti-inflammatory diet. It’sworth looking into because such diets emphasizewhole grains, beans, healthyfats, andplentyofproduce,which is agreat diet for athletes, regardlessof its

anti-inflammatoryproperties.Duringperiodsofheavy training, take special care to avoid junk foodand

foods high in saturated fat and sugar. (Of course, this is a good policy year-round.)OurWesterndietsaregenerallytooheavyinomega-6fattyacids,whichfeed hormones that promote inflammation, and often too low in omega-3s,whichdotheopposite.Polyunsaturatedvegetableoils,foundinmostprocessedfoods, are a source of omega-6s.While we need both omega-3 and omega-6fattyacids,weneedtheminthecorrectratio—prettymuchaslowaswecangetittowardtwo-to-one,orevenone-to-one.Formoreonomega-3fattyacids,seeChapter10,onsupplements,butaimtogetmostofyournutritionalneedsfromfoodinsteadofsupplements.

HYDRATIONIt’s critical to your performance and your recovery to stay hydrated. Whiledehydration is a natural effect of training and racing, if you get too deep intodehydration, your performance suffers. When you become dehydrated, yourheartraterisestopumpthesmallervolumeofbloodtoyourworkingmuscles.Your effort feels harder. You can develop gastrointestinal problems. None ofthese symptoms aid peakperformance! If youdomore thanoneworkout in aday,or ifanyofyourworkouts takeplace in theheat,youneedtopayspecialattentiontotheamountoffluidyou’reconsuming.

How much should you drink? Should you try never to lose more than 2percentofyourbodyweighttofluidlosses?Recentthinkingsaysno,thatthisismore amarketing line than correct science.AsRossTucker, JonathanDugas,andMatt Fitzgerald explain in The Runner’s Body, your body works hard tomaintain the appropriate osmolality, or balance in the concentration of bodilyfluids.Whenthingsgetoutofwhack,yougetthirsty,andwhenyoufollowyourthirst as a cue todrink,your fluidscomeback into theappropriateosmolality.Drinking too much in order to stick to a predetermined schedule can lead tohyponatremia, an imbalance between sodium and fluid levels that can causeserious problems, even death. Let your thirst be your guide as you work tomaintainhydrationdaytoday.

Theeasiestwaytodetermineyourstateofhydrationisbycheckingthecolorofyoururine.Itshouldbelight-coloredoralmostclear.Yelloworbrownurineindicatesdehydration.(Notethatsomevitaminsupplementswillgiveyoururine

abrightyellowhue.)Thebestbeveragestoreplacefluids lost in trainingandracingwill include

somesodiumtoencouragethebodytoretainthesefluidsforuseinrehydration.Straightwater is oftenpassed through thebodyquickly and released as urine.You might choose instead a sports drink with sodium, chicken or vegetablebroth,tomatojuice,orahomemadesmoothiewithsomeaddedsalt.

Payingcloseattentiontoyournutritionandhydrationwillensureyou’refuelingyourbodywitheverythingitneedstorecoverproperly.

QUICKTIPSRecoverynutritionis,quitesimply,goodnutritionallthetime.Emphasizevarietyinyourdiet.Abalanceddietcanhelpcombatsystemicinflammationandloweryourrecoverytimes.Drinktothirst,duringexerciseandallday.

REFERENCESANDFURTHERREADINGAmericanDieteticAssociation.2009.“PositionoftheAmericanDieteticAssociation,DietitiansofCanada,

and theAmericanCollege of SportsMedicine:Nutrition andAthletic Performance.” Journal of theAmericanDieteticAssociation109:509–527.

Ivy,J.L.,A.L.Katz,C.L.Cutler,W.M.Sherman,andE.F.Coyle.1988.“MuscleGlycogenSynthesisAfterExercise:EffectofTimeofCarbohydrate Ingestion.”JournalofAppliedPhysiology64:1480–1485.

Karp, J. R., J. D. Johnston, S. Tecklenburg, T. D. Mickleborough, A. D. Fly, and J. M. Stager. 2006.“Chocolate Milk as a PostExercise Recovery Aid.” International Journal of Sport Nutrition andExerciseMetabolism16:78–91.

Kelinson,A.2009.TheAthlete’sPlate:RealFoodforHighPerformance.Boulder,CO:VeloPress.Pollan,M.2008.InDefenseofFood.NewYork:Penguin.Rowlands, D. S., and D. P. Wadsworth. 2011. “Effect of High-Protein Feeding on Performance and

NitrogenBalanceinFemaleCyclists.”MedicineandScienceinSportandExercise43,1:44–53.Ryan,M.2007.SportsNutritionforEnduranceAthletes.Boulder,CO:VeloPress.Seebohar,B.2004.NutritionPeriodizationforEnduranceAthletes.Boulder,CO:BullPublishing.Tucker,R.,J.Dugas,andM.Fitzgerald.2009.TheRunner’sBody.NewYork:Rodale.

SUPPLEMENTS ARE DESIGNED to cover deficiencies in your diet. If you eat avaried,healthydietrichinfruits,vegetables,wholegrains,andleanprotein,youshouldbe settingyourselfup formaximumrecovery. (Ifyouareunsureaboutwhether you’re eating right, have a sports nutritionist analyze your diet.) Butbeyondwhole-foodsnutrition,afewsupplementsmayenhanceyourrecovery.Inthischapter,we’lllookatthemostbeneficialsupplements,aswellasthingsyoumightbeusingnowthataren’tworthyour timeandmoney—or, in thecaseofnonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), can even compromise yourhealth.

Ifyouareaccustomedtosupplementing,itmayhavebeenawhilesinceyougave thought to what you are taking and why. Because reducing stress andsimplifyingyourlifewillhelpyourrecovery,spendamomentconsideringwhyyouuseeachsupplementinyourarsenal,whetherit’sworkingforyou,whatitsdrawbacksmightbe(whetherinpricing,maintenance,orsystemupset),andhowit serves your athletic and personal goals. You might find a simpler regimen

worksjustaswell,oryoumightrecommittoyourcurrentchoices.Justbesureyouarenotusingsomethingfromabottletocountertheeffectsoftoolittlesleepandtoomuchstress.

Supplements are not subject to Food and Drug Administration (FDA)approval. Many have not undergone the rigorous clinical testing required forFDA-approveddrugs,andproducersarenotrequiredtosubstantiatetheirclaimsabouttheirproducts’effectiveness.Supplementproductionisnotregulatedwithfederaloversight,socontaminationisalwayspossible.Asacompetitiveathlete,you are ultimately responsible for what you ingest, and if you are subject toWADAdrug testing, youmust beparticularly rigorous and careful aboutwhatyouallowtocrossyourlips(oryourskin,ifyouusetopicalcreamsandbalms).It’s best to talk to your coach and your health care providers—including yoursportsnutritionist—beforeusinganyofthesupplementsdescribedhere.

MULTIVITAMINSANDMINERALS

Ifyou’reeatingavarieddietfullofplant-basedfoodsandyourweightisholdingsteady,you’rereceivingadequateamountsofvitaminsandmineralsandhavenoneed for a dailymultivitamin andmineral supplement.But if you are limitingyour food intake or do not eat certain foods for ethical or personal reasons, amultivitaminmayhelpensureyougetadequateamountsofBvitamins;vitaminsC,D,andE;betacarotene;andselenium(AmericanDieteticAssociation2009).Another exception would be mineral supplementation (calcium, iron,magnesium,andzinc)forathleteswithahistoryofanemia,especiallythosewhodon’teatredmeat.Ironsupplementationshouldhappenunderthedirectionofahealthcareprofessionalbecausetakingtoomuchironcanbeveryharmful.

ANTIOXIDANTSAhealthydietincludingavarietyoffruitshouldgiveyouplentyofantioxidants,which help combat damage from free radicals released during exercise.However, supplementation can ensure you’re doing what you can to combatinflammation. A recent study (Neubauer et al. 2010) shows that increasedantioxidantconsumptionafterenduranceeventscanaidinrecoverybyreducingthedamagefreeradicalsdotothemuscles.

Avarieddiet rich in fruits andvegetableswithbright colorswill giveyouplentyofdietaryantioxidants.Ifyouneedtosupplement,youcanturntoredandpurple juices, such as grape juice, tart cherry juice, pomegranate juice, eithergenericorbranded(suchasPOMxRecovery),andaçaijuice.

A study by Kerry Kuehl and colleagues (2010) showed that drinking tartcherryjuicebeginningtheweekbeforearelayracewhereeachrunnercoveredabout14milesledtosignificantlylesspainaftertherace.Inasimilarstudyforthemarathon distance,GlynHowatson and colleagues (2010) testedmarathonrunnerswhohaddrunkcherryjuicefortheweekofamarathon,beginningfivedaysbeforeandcontinuingtwodaysaftertherace.Subjectsassignedtothetestgroupdrank8ounces in themorningandanother8 in theafternoon.After therace, subjects were tested for strength, signs of inflammation, and amount ofantioxidants in their blood, and the group that had drunk cherry juice showedsignificantly bettermarkers of recovery than did the control group. To followthis protocol at home, look for a product that contains 100percent tart cherryjuice,notablendofcherryandanotherjuice.Iftheflavoristoostrongforyou,mix it intoasmoothie—perhapswithsomeyogurtandeither flaxseedsor flax

oil,toboostyouromega-3consumption(seethefollowingsection).Other juices, such as pomegranate or açai,mayhelp, too.The researchon

suchproductsisongoing,socheckthemostcurrentresultsonamedicalresearchdatabasesuchasPubMedbeforemakingyourdecisiontosupplement.

ESSENTIALFATTYACIDSEssentialfattyacidsarecalled“essential”becausewemusttaketheminthroughour diet; our bodies don’t generate them on their own.We need both alpha-lineolicacids(ALAs),fromomega-3fats,andlineolicacids,fromomega-6fats.But the typicalWesterndiet contains far toomuchof theomega-6 fats,whichcanpromoteinflammation,inproportiontotheomega-3fats,whichcancombatinflammation.Thebestapproachistocorrectthisimbalancebyconsumingmoreomega-3 fatty acids from fatty cold-water fish such as salmon, mackerel,sardines,andherring,andfromplantsourceslikeflaxseedandwalnuts.

A second approach is to supplementwith omega-3 intake from fish oil orflaxseedoil.You’llfindvariousfishoilsupplementsonthemarket.Lookforonethat contains both eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid(DHA);thesearetheomega-3fatsyourbodyneeds.Examinethesourceofthefishoil—isitfromcold-waterfishlikesalmonandanchovies?Ifethicalfarmingmatters to you, you’ll want to investigate the farming practices. Is thesupplement pure and fresh, and can the producer cite a third-party tester toguarantee these claims? (It seems safest to choose an independently inspectedproducer.) Is it inacapsule form,and ifso,what is thesourceof thecapsule?(Vegetarianswon’twantagelatincapsule.)

Krilloil,madefromsmallmarinecreatures,containsEPAandDHAaswelltheantioxidantastaxanthin.ThereissomeconcernaboutdepletionofAntarctickrill, so if you want to support sustainable farming, do your research on thesource of your supplement if you choose krill oil. Thosewho do use krill oilreportthere’slessofthefishyburpingthatcanbeassociatedwithfishoil.

Ifyoudonoteatfish,lookforflaxseedorflaxseedoil.Bothcontainalpha-lineolic acid, which your body will synthesize into EPA and DHA, at somemetaboliccost.(EatingfishortakingfishoilsupplementswillbeamoredirectsourceofEPAandDHA.)

TheWorldHealthOrganizationrecommendshealthyadultsconsume0.3–0.5gramsofEPAandDHAperday,andalargeramount—aroundagram—ofALA.

Readthelabelonyourfishoilsupplementtofindhowmuchyou’dneedtotaketo reach that range.Themoreconcentrated, thebetter. Ifyouchoose flaxseedsinstead,youcaneatatablespoonofseedstoreceiveaboutateaspoon’sworthofoil.Eithercontainsabout2gramsofALA.

Storage for omega-3 supplements can be tricky. Because flaxseed oil ishighlyunsaturated,itshouldbekeptcoldandshieldedfromlight,andpackagecontentsshouldbeconsumedwithinafewweeksofbeingopened.Ifflaxoilisheated,itlosesitsbeneficialproperties.Ifapackagegoesrancid,itcanleadtoillness,andinsomecircumstancesitcanchangeintotransfat.

Ifyouaregoingtouseflaxseeds,you’llwanttogrindthemsothattheycanbeprocessedbyyourbody(insteadofleavingyoursysteminthesamestatetheyentered,orworse,massingtogetherandclogginguptheplumbingentirely).Youcangrindflaxseedsinacoffeegrinderorwithamortarandpestle.Grindseedsasyou’llbeusingthem,orgrindawholebatchaheadoftimeandstoreitinthefreezer.

PROTEINSUPPLEMENTSMarketerstrytoconvinceathletesthattheyneedproteinpowdertohelprebuildmusclesduringrecoveryperiodsbetweenworkouts.But theaverageWesterner—eventheveryathleticone—isalreadyeatingmorethantheamountofproteinrequired per day.And aswe saw inChapter9, studies are inconclusive aboutwhether adding protein to the recovery snack actually helps with glycogenuptake.There’sreallynoneedtosupplementwithproteinpowders;eatingleanproteinfromhealthysourceswillsuffice.

PREPACKAGEDRECOVERYSUPPLEMENTS

PostworkoutBeveragesWe’ve seen the importance of the recovery snack, especially following longerworkouts. Many companies market prepackaged recovery drinks and drinkmixes.Whenyoudon’thavethelogisticalabilitytomakeyourownfood,thesecancomeinhandyasapostworkoutsnack.So,however,cananyrangeofnon–recoveryspecific items, fromSlim-FastandEnsure shakes topremixedyogurt

smoothies.Letyourpalate,yourbudget,andyourexperiencebeyourguide.

RecoverySupplementsBeyond the snack, some companies offer capsules to deliver branched-chainaminoacids(BCAAs)consistingofleucine,isoleucine,andvaline;glucosamine;and other ingredients with the goal of targeting recovery. Examples includeWicked Fast Sports Nutrition’s Recover-Ease and Hammer Nutrition’s RaceCaps. Studies are inconclusive about their benefits, as youwill see below.Doyourown thoroughresearch inconjunctionwithyourhealthcare team.Again,be sure you are getting quality training, food, and sleep and that you aren’treachingforabottletomakeupfordeficienciesinyourself-care.

OTHERSUPPLEMENTSIt can be very difficult to separate marketing from reality when researchingsupplements because producers canmake claims about their products that arenot clinically proven.According to theAmericanDieteticAssociation (2009),onlyafewsupplementsmarketedasergogenicaidsactuallyperformasclaimed.Theyarecreatine(usefulformuscularrecoveryforsprintersandweightlifters;lessusefulforenduranceathletes),caffeine,sportsdrinks/bars/gels,andproteinsupplements. (Remember, a good dietwill deliver sufficient protein.)None ofthemareespeciallyusefulforday-to-dayrecovery.

In the following sections I discuss some commonly used supplements thatarenotspecificallyproventoworkforrecoverybutthatmaybeworthatryinconsultationwithyourcoachandhealthcareprovider.

AminoAcidsWhileproteinsupplementationisprobablyunnecessary,theremaybebenefitstoconsumingBCAAsbeforeandafteryourworkout.BCAAshavebeenshowntoreducedelayed-onsetmusclesoreness(DOMS)andtoimproveimmunefunction(Negroetal.2008).Thelattercanbeausefulbenefit:Athletesinheavytrainingaresusceptibletoinfectionbecausetheirimmunesystemsaresuppressed.

Similarly, supplementing with the amino acid glutamine can boost theimmunesystem,althoughadietwithadequateproteinconsumptionshouldgiveyou plenty of glutamine. Athletes with overtraining syndrome exhibit lowplasma glutamine levels (Rowbottom,Keast, andMorton 1996), but that does

notdirectly imply that supplementingwithglutaminewillpreventovertrainingorenhancerecovery.

Asupplementprotocolforaminoacidsmightincludeadding5–10gramsofBCAApowder toyourbreakfastandyourpostworkoutsnackeachday,and/oradding5gramsofglutaminetoyourpostworkoutsnack.

GinsengAnotherpotential immunesystembooster isginseng.Itcanalsohelp thebodyadapttostress,whichhasobviousbeneficialapplicationsforyourrecovery.Butitseffectsonperformanceandrecoveryhavenotbeenconclusivelyproven(see,e.g.,Engels,Falhman,andWirth2003),anditiscomplicatedtosecureaqualitypreparationandthentofollowthenecessaryprotocolofcyclicaldosing.Focusyour attention instead on smart training, adequate rest, and whole-foodsnutrition.

PHARMACEUTICALPRODUCTSPharmaceutical products are not supplements andwill not aid in your generalrecovery.Ifyouneedtotakeover-the-counterproductstodampenyourpainsothatyoucancontinue training, consider it a red flag.That’s a sign it’s time tovisityourhealthcareprovidertoinvestigatetherootoftheproblem.Perhapsit’sanoveruse injury thatwould respondquicklywith restorcorrectiveexercises.Bettertogetananswerimmediatelythantoattempttotrainthroughaproblemthat could wind up seriously damaging your body and jettisoning your raceschedule.

Manyathletesreachfornonsteroidalanti-inflammatorymedicationssuchasAdvil (ibuprofen) and Aleve (naproxen) when they feel the aches and painsassociated with training. If you find your hand on the bottle, stop and askyourselfwhyyou’retakingthemedication.Whathurts?Isthepainrelegatedtoaparticulararea?Ifso,whenwastheonsetofthepain?Canyouseeareasonforthepain:adrasticincreaseinmileage,afall,overwornrunningshoes?Itmaybetime to work with a professional to get to the root of your pain, instead ofmaskingitssymptoms.

Taking NSAIDs in large dosages can actually interfere with your body’sabilitytorecoverbyslowingyourhealingtime.OveruseofNSAIDscanleadtoa host of problems, from gastrointestinal trouble to kidney problems, as your

doctorwilltellyou.ByblockingtheCOXenzyme,theyincreasethelikelihoodofstomachupset, includingnausea,andofdiarrhea.AndprescriptionNSAIDsthatactasCOX-2inhibitorscanincreaseyourriskofheartattack.Speaktoyourhealthcareprofessionalaboutanymedicationsandsupplementsyouingest.Takecare before using any over-the-countermedication tomaskwhat your body isexperiencing.

QUICKTIPSBewaryofany“miraclecures”andaimtogetyournutrientsfromrealfood.Increasingtheamountofomega-3fattyacidsyouingestcanaidyourrecovery.Juicesrichinantioxidantssuchastartcherryjuicearealsopromisingforrecovery(andtasty).NSAIDsarenotarecoveryaid;infact,theycaninterferewithyourbody’snaturalrecoveryprocess.

REFERENCESANDFURTHERREADINGAmericanDieteticAssociation.2009.“PositionoftheAmericanDieteticAssociation,DietitiansofCanada,

and theAmericanCollege of SportsMedicine:Nutrition andAthletic Performance.” Journal of theAmericanDieteticAssociation109:509–527.

Engels,H.J.,M.M.Fahlman,andJ.C.Wirth.2003.“EffectsofGinsengonSecretoryIgA,Performance,andRecoveryfromIntervalExercise.”MedicineandScienceinSportsandExercise35:690–696.

Howatson,G.,M.P.McHugh,J.A.Hill,J.Brouner,A.P.Jewell,K.A.vanSomeren,R.E.Shave,andS.A. Howatson. 2010. “Influence of Tart Cherry Juice on Indices of Recovery Following MarathonRunning.”ScandinavianJournalofMedicineandScienceinSports20:843–852.

Kuehl,K.S.,E.T.Perrier,D.L.Elliot,andJ.C.Chesnutt.2010.“EfficacyofTartCherryJuiceinReducingMusclePainDuringRunning:ARandomizedControlledTrial.”JournaloftheInternationalSocietyofSportsNutrition7:17.

Negro, M., S. Giardina, B. Marzani, and F. J. Marzatico. 2008. “Branched-Chain Amino AcidSupplementation Does Not Enhance Athletic Performance but Affects Muscle Recovery and theImmuneSystem.”JournalofSportsMedicineandPhysicalFitness48:347–351.

Neubauer, O., S. Reichhold, L. Nics, C. Hoelzl, J. Valentini, B. Stadlmayr, S. Knasmüller, and K. H.Wagner.2010.“AntioxidantResponsestoanAcuteUltra-enduranceExercise:ImpactonDNAStabilityandIndicationsforanIncreasedNeedforNutritiveAntioxidantsintheEarlyRecoveryPhase.”BritishJournalofNutrition104:1129–1138.

Nieman,D.C.,D.A.Henson,S.R.McAnulty,F.Jin,andK.R.Maxwell.2009.“N-3PolyunsaturatedFattyAcidsDoNotAlterImmuneandInflammationMeasuresinEnduranceAthletes.”InternationalJournalofSportsNutritionandExerciseMetabolism19:536–546.

Rowbottom,D.G.,D.Keast,andA.R.Morton.1996.“TheEmergingRoleofGlutamineasanIndicatorofExerciseStressandOvertraining.”SportsMedicine21,no.2:80–97.

Warden,S.J.2010.“ProphylacticUseofNSAIDsbyAthletes:ARisk/BenefitAssessment.”PhysicianandSportsMedicine38:132–138.

LIKE MANY RECOVERY techniques, the effective application of cold and heatdepends on the individual athlete. Studies have returned conflicting results ontheeffectivenessofvarioustreatments—theimportanceofthetemperatureofthecold or heat applied, the amount of time spent in temperature therapy, andwhether there is a difference between dry heat andmoist heat’s effect on thebody—and on the exact processes at play during heat and cold therapy.Regardless of the spotty and sometimes contradictory research,many athletesreport a benefit from using cold and heat for recovery. Thus, you shouldexperiment to find what works best for you. Your personal reaction to andappreciationof thesemethodswilldeterminewhether theyenhance thequalityofyourrecovery.

Ingeneral,iceisusedtocombattheinflammationincurredintraining,bothgenerally,fromrepetitivepounding,andspecifically,fromacutetraumasuchasacrashora tackle.Whensoft tissuesare inanacute stageofdamage, addingheatwillonlyaggravatethisinflammation.Coolingthetissues,whetherthrough

astayinacoldbathordirectapplicationofanicepack,willcombatexcessiveinflammationandpreventorminimizeedema(swelling).Subsequentremovalofthecold stimulus thenencourages renewedblood flow to thearea,bringing inoxygenandcellularchemicalstospeeduprecoverywhileremovingthenegativeby-products of exercise and inflammation. Physiologist Stephen McGregorexplains that ice baths knock out inflammation caused by impact, especiallyduringrunning.Icebathscanalsohaveananalgesiceffect,repressingthesenseofpainassociatedwithinflammation.

Spendingtimeinawarmenvironment,however—eitheradryonesuchasasauna or a wet one such as a steam room or a whirlpool—can increasecirculation and loosen stiffmuscles.Awarm roomor bath can feel nurturing,too,encouragingrelaxationandenablingtheparasympatheticnervoussystemtofacilitaterecovery.

COLDColdisusedtocounterinflammation,toencouragevasoconstriction(tighteningin the blood vessels), and to numb pain. It has its place in recovery from thegeneraltraumaoftraining,aswellasinrecoveryfromaspecificinjury.Ifyouhaveaninjurythatrequiresicing,checkbackinyourtraininghistorytoconsiderwhereyoumightbeoverdoingitandgiverecoveryextrafocus.

IceBathMany athletes swear by the postworkout ice bath, which they theorize helpsreduce inflammation and move waste products from the muscles. Studiessuggest thatacoolbathmaybe justasbeneficialasan icyone,with55 to60degreesFahrenheitanidealtemperature.

Ifyouliveneartheocean,aquietriver,orastream,youmayhaveanaturalcoolbathhandy(seeFigure11.1).Manytriathletesrevisitthebodyofwatertheyracedinaftertheeventtohelpcooldownthebody’scoretemperature.

Takingacoolbathtoreduceinflammationandhastenrecoverybuildsonthispractice. Ultrarunner Charlie Engle remembers, “InMonterey, California, ourlongrunstartedandfinishedinCarmelBeachat thebottomofOceanAvenue.Attheendofeveryrun,Iwalkedintothewateruptomywaistandstoodfor5minutes. That’s coldwater, in themid-50s,more than cold enough. There’s aspiritualaspect,thanksforthegiftoftheday.”Ifyouhaveaccesstoanoutdoorpoolintheoff-season,youcansubmergeyourlegsuptoyourhipsforthecool-batheffect.

In late 2010,Nike unveiled the “SpaceCabin,” a cryosauna that creates asmall,coldspacetocooltheskindown.Otheroptionsabound.Someprograms,such as that at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, have icewhirlpools.Headcross-countrycoachPeterWatsonsays,“Wehaveagreat icebathintheindoortrack,48degreesallthetime.Itseats24people.Sunday,weget back from ameet, they hang out in the ice bath. It’s awhirlpoolwith tenjets.”Butyoudon’tneedafancyicewhirlpool;youcangoverylow-tech.Eliterunning coach Greg McMillan had an inspired and unusual solution for hisathletes:“Weboughtahorsetroughthat’sabout6feetlong,sowhenathletesaresittinginitwiththewatercomingtoabovetheirhipbones,theirlegsarelong.Itgets the entire running musculature.” He prefers 50-to 55-degree ice water,whichheusestofillthetub.

PhysicaltherapistandultrarunnerNikkiKimballsaysthetimingiskey.“Theicebathshouldhappenassoonpostworkoutasitcan.Certainlywithinanhour.Itry togoforabout15minutes,but if it’schillyoutandI’minariverand justupstreamthere’ssnow,maybeI’lldo10minutes.”

Whenisanicebathuseful?Irecommenditafterahardorlongworkoutthathascreatedtraumainyour legs.Workouts thatcall for icebaths, in theruleofthumbIusewithmyathletes,includelongrunsoftwohoursorlonger,ora90-plus-minute runwith intensity.Youmight find a different approachworks foryou. Physiologist StephenMcGregor suggests that ice baths serve a use afterrunning but are not important after nonimpact workouts such as cycling. Hesays, “If cyclists are so sore that they need an ice bath, a goodmassagewillprobablydomore.”Inflammationisanaturaleffectofthetrainingprocess,andit’snecessaryforhealingtooccur.Thegoaloftheicebathistocombatexcessinflammation that will hamper training and to reduce the pain in themusclesafteraworkout.

Tocreateacoolbathathome,drawashortbathofcooltapwater,sitdown,andthenadd ice tocool thewaterfurther.Yourhomefreezer’s ice-makermaynot hold enough ice at any one time to get the bath’s temperature below 60degrees;alargebagortwoofpurchasedicewillbettersuitthepurpose.You’llknowyougottherightamountoficerightwhenthere’sstillicefloatinginthetubafteryourbath.After the2010BostonMarathon,myathleteStaceycalledroomserviceforiceandhadtosendthewaiterbackformorewhenhearrivedwith a small silver bucket suitable for chilling champagne!Youwant amuchbiggeramount.Inthesamehotelin2008,Ihobbledrightfromthefinishlinetothe icemachine, transferredmywarm-upclothes frommy largedropbag intomymylarblanket,andcompletelyfilledthedropbagwithice.Roomserviceisfordeliveringhotchocolate—agreatdrinktoenjoyinthetub.

For comfort and relative warmth, cover the upper part of your body in atowelorahoodedsweatshirt.Bringalongdistractions—aphone,theradio,oramagazine—to help the time pass, or take this as an opportunity to strengthenyour mental focus by paying close attention to the discomfort of the cold,exploringthesensation.Eatingyourrecoverymealcanalsopassthetime,andifyouchooseahotcupofcocoaorawarmbowloflentilsoup,you’llfindthebatheasiertobear.

The intensity of sitting in the cold usually grows for a fewminutes.Yourbody is respondingbyconstricting thebloodvessels,moving fluid away fromthe skin and toward the core. This movement helps combat excessive

inflammation. After a fewminutes in the coldwater, youmay become numbenoughtostayfor10to15minutes.Thereisnoneedtoremainlongerthan20minutes;dependingontemperature,shortermightbebetter.Onceyouleavethebath,youcaneithermovestraightintoahotshower—aformofcontrasttherapy,describedbelow—orletyourskintemperaturenormalizeandthenshowerabout45minuteslater.Thisbreakwillallowyourtissuestostabilize,returningtotheirusual hue and sensitivity. Table 11.1 shows guidelines for ice bath time andtemperature.

DirectApplicationofIce

Ice is a common treatment to reduce inflammation associated with the acutephaseofan injury.Thestandardprotocol is toapply ice for10 to15minutes,and sometimes to repeat applications after 20minutes off, up to three times aday. Longer application of ice can begin to freeze the tissues—effectivelycreatingfrostbite.

CoachPeterMagill prefers local application of ice to an ice bath, arguingthattheicebathcaninterferewiththenecessaryinflammatoryresponse.Ifyoufinish a run and have even minor soreness that feels out of the ordinary, headvises,“geticeonitrightaway,withinabout15minutesbeforeyourbodyhasa chance to react to the irritation by creating more inflammation.While youcan’thaverecoverywithoutminorinflammation,it’sasnowballeffecttomajorinflammation.”Theminor inflammation is part of the natural healing process,butmajorinflammationcanequatetomajorsorenessandpainandcanindicateaseriousinjuryrequiringmedicalattention.

Ifyoufindyourselfwithsorenessthatneedsiceorwithanincipientinjury,checkyourtraininglogforsignsoftoomuchintensity.Youmayneedtoadjustyourtrainingtoalleviatestressonyourbody.Ifyoudochoosetoice,herearesomewaystomakeacomfortablecoldpack:

1. Freezeapapercupfullofwater.Rubyoursorespotswiththeice,effectivelygivingyourselfanicemassage.Astheicemelts,peelthepaperback.Sincetheiceisconstantlymoving,theriskofdamagingyourskinislow,butbecareful.

2. Usefrozenvegetables(smallpeasworkwell)orfrozenriceinabag.Theywillconformaroundmostjoints.Layathintowelbetweenthebagandyourskinforprotectionfromfrostbite.

3. Createaslurryofonepartrubbingalcoholtothreepartswaterinazippableplasticbag.(Youcanexperimentwiththeratio,dependingonfreezertemperatureandyourpreferencefortheviscosityoftheice.)Thealcohollowersthesolution’sfreezingpointsothatitstaysliquidinthefreezer.Thispackisespeciallygoodforwrappingknobbyareassuchaskneesorankles.Becausethesolutionwillnotwarmupasquicklyasvegetables,youwillneedtobecarefultoprotectyourskinfromfrostbite.

HEAT

Manycultureshavelongusedheatedroomsandbathsfortherapeutictreatment—thinkofRomanbaths,Finnishsaunas,andJapanesebathhouses. Inaheatedenvironment, blood flow to the skin is increased, along with perspiration.Athletesalreadyachievethiseffectthroughexercise,andathletesoftenexistinastateofsemidehydration,socaremustbetakenwhenaddingheatintheserviceofrecovery.Athletesshouldalsoavoidaddingheattoalreadyinflamedmuscles.Afteranintenseworkoutorrace,coldismoreappropriate.Still,ashortstayinawarmenvironmentcanfeelnurturingandrelaxing,thushasteningrecovery.

SaunaSpendingtimeinthesaunacanbebeneficial:Ithasbeenshowntoreducebloodpressure in hypertensive subjects and to help those with respiratory diseases.Onestudyonathleteshasshownthata30-minutevisittothesaunadidnotseemtoinfluencestrengthbutdidreducemuscularendurancetestedafterthesauna.Ifabrief(under20-minute)triptothesaunaisapleasant,relaxingexperienceforyou, itwillenhanceyour recovery.Treat stays inaheated roomasyouwouldstretching: schedule them for after a normal workout or visit the saunaseparately, at another time of day. Avoid heat entirely after particularlydemandingworkouts because your bodywill already be busy copingwith therecovery process andmaybe dehydrated. Further application of heat can thendelayyourrecovery.

Depending on the facility you use, the sauna may be at 180 degreesFahrenheitorevenhotter.Takecaretomonitoryourresponse,andmoveoutofthesaunaforbreaksoften.Besuretostayhydratedduringandafteryourvisit.

SteamRoomThesteamroomisoftenheatedto112degrees,withveryhighhumidity.Thosewith respiratory conditions such as asthmamay respondwell to the humidity;othersmay find the steam roomoppressive.While the temperature in a steamroom is lower than that in a sauna, it is sufficient to begin increasing coretemperature.Stayforonlybriefperiods,nomorethan20minutes.

WhirlpoolAwhirlpool,orhottub,combineswarmtemperatureswiththebenefitsofwatertherapy. The hydrostatic pressure ofwater is beneficial for reducing swelling,and the movement of water over the body will relax both muscles and mind

while increasing circulation. Take care, however, not to add heat to alreadyinflamedtissue,asheatwillonlyfeedtheinflammation,slowingyourrecoverytime.

WarmBathSome athletes prefer the warm bath to the ice bath. Matt Dixon, coach toprofessionaltriathleteChrisLieto,says,“Iamnotafanoficeatall(exceptforspecific injuries), as it leads to tighteningof themuscles.Postworkouts,manytake ice baths to prevent swelling. I find the negatives often override thepositives,withtightmusclesfollowing.IpreferawarmbathwithEpsomsalts.”Ultrarunner Jennifer Van Allen, an editor at Runner’s World magazine, says,“Epsomsalts:I’mahugebeliever.Ialwayssoakmyfeetafteralongrun,afterhard races.Really hotwater. I hate to be cold.” (SeeChapter12 formore onEpsomsalts.)

Awarmbath—coolerthanthe100-plus-degreewaterofawhirlpool—canberelaxingand iseasilycreatedathome.UltrarunnerKeithStrawsays,“I loveanicehotbathwhiledrinkinganicecoldbeer!Completerelaxation—thehotbathand the cold, bubbly beer.None of that painful stuff!”CoachGregMcMillanjokes,“That’swhatNewZealanderscallicingfromtheinside.”

DirectApplicationofHeatAheatingpadorwarmpackcanbeacomfortforsoremuscles,especiallyintheback,neck,andshoulders.Beforeapplyingsuchheat,considerthecauseofthesoreness. Ifyourmuscleshavebeenoverworkedandmaybe inflamed,addingheatmayonlyexacerbatethesituation,compoundingyoursorenessandslowingyour recovery. If you’re feeling stiff or would like to warm up the musclesbefore a massage, whether self-massage, professional massage, or massageperformedbyafriend,someheatmayhelpsetthestageforbetterrelease.

There are two types of heat that can be used to warm themuscles.Mostheatingpads,despitewhattheirlabelsmayclaim,providedryheat.Heatingpadsare easy to use and convenient forwarming the back. It’s difficult, though, tomakeaheatingpadconformtocertainareasofthebody,includingtheneckandshoulders. Here, a gel pack or a steamed towel is more useful. They providemoistheat,whichmanypeopleprefer.Aswithothermodalities,determinewhatworksbestforyou.Besurethatthetemperatureisnottoohot,andstopuseafter20minutes.Youmayneedatoweltoactasabufferbetweenyourskinandtheheatsource.Paycloseattentiontothesensationtoensurethatitremainssafely

pleasant.

QUICKTIPSUsecoldtocombatinflammationcausedbytraining.Heatcanloosenstiffmusclesandincreasecirculationbutcanalsoaggravateexistinginflammation.Afterlongorhardworkouts,aimtospend10to15minutesinanicebathof50to60degrees.Eatingawarmsnackintheicebathwillmakeitmorecomfortableandwillhastenyourrecovery.Afrozenslurryofrubbingalcoholandwaterina1to3ratio,mixedinasealablebag,makesahandyicepackthatconformstoknobbybodyparts.Whendirectlyapplyingheatorice,useatowelasabuffertoprotectyourskinfromburnsorfrostbite.

ALTERNATINGCOLDANDHEATContrast therapy (alternating between heat and cold) is a common recoverytechnique, with athletes spending a few minutes in cold, moving to heat,returningtocold,andrepeatingforafewrounds,usuallyfinishingwithcold.Itproduces an appreciable response in the body because athletes can feelvasoconstriction and vasodilation—the pumping of the blood vessels, whichconstrictanddilate—astheymovefromcoldtohotandbackagain.

Some studies suggest that contrast therapymight counteract recovery. Forexample, a 1989 study of Finnish swimmers showed that alternating heat andcold reduces plasma volume (that is, leads to dehydration) and elevates stresshormones in the body (Kauppinen 1989). This is the opposite of what we’researchingforwithrecovery.Butthepracticeisstillpopular,andaswithseparateapplicationsofcoldandheat,anecdotalevidenceshowsthatcontrasttherapycanbe very effective. If you enjoy alternating heat and cold, you should schedulesuch contrast therapy after a workout and keep it separate from your keyworkouts. If you take care to stay hydrated, you might find contrast therapybeneficial.

REFERENCESANDFURTHERREADINGHedley,A.M.,M.Climstein, andR.Hansen. 2002. “TheEffects ofAcuteHeat Exposure onMuscular

Strength,MuscularEndurance, andMuscularPower in theEuhydratedAthlete.”Journal of StrengthandConditioningResearch16:353–358.

Kauppinen, K. 1989. “Sauna, Shower, and Ice Water Immersion: Physiological Responses to BriefExposurestoHeat,Cool,andCold,PartI:BodyFluidBalance.”ArcticMedicalResearch48:55–63.

Poindexter, R. H., E. F. Wright, and D. F. Murchison. 2002. “Comparison of Moist and Dry HeatPenetrationThroughOrofacialTissues.”Cranio20:28–33.

Sellwood, K. L., P. Brukner, D.Williams, A. Nicol, and R. Hinman. 2007. “Ice-Water Immersion andDelayed-OnsetMuscleSoreness:ARandomizedControlledTrial.”BritishJournalofSportsMedicine41:392–397.

ATHLETESAREALWAYS looking for thenext tool to improve theirperformance.While getting quality sleep, reducing stress, and improving nutrition hold thekeytorecoveryandsuccessasanathlete,it’stemptingtodropafewdollarsontoolsthatpromisetogiveyouanedgeonthecompetition.

COMPRESSIONSOCKSInthischapter,we’lllookateasilyaccessibleproductsthatareusedexternallytoenhancerecovery.Apopularhomeremedyiscompressionsocks,whicharealltherageamongenduranceathletes.You’llseethemgracingthecalvesoffront-andmidpack runnersatmostmajor races.These items, availableatdrugstoresandspecialtyshops,raceexpos,andonline,canbeusedathome.

WhatCompressionSocksDo

Compression socks, tight knee-high socks made of compressive fabrics, aredesignedtoimprovevenousreturnbyenhancingthenaturalpumpactionofthecalfmuscles.Manycompaniesmanufacturesocksforuseduringexerciseaswellassocksforuseduringrecovery(seeFigure12.1,theRecoverySock).Theycandiffer in the location of compression and in thematerials used. For example,ZootSports’sActiveCompressRxsocks,designedforuseduringexercise,offergreater support around the outer edges of the muscle, while their RecoveryCompressRxsocksputhighercompressionoverthebellyofthecalfmuscleandlessoverthebonyshinarea.

Theapparelcompany2XUmakesbotharacesockandarecoverysock.Thefabric for their race sock offers greater moisturemanagement and cushioningalongthebottomof thefoot,while therecoverysock“isdesignedsimilar toabusiness sock, for greater versatility of use,” according to 2XU’s Brett Voss.Zensah’s Suzanne Kerpel says, “Our seamless compression products can bewornasactiveandrecoverygear.Allofourproductsaregreat forusebefore,during,andafter.”

Compressiongarmentsfor thelowerlegcomeintwostyles:fullsocksandcalfsleeves,whichleavethefeetuncovered.Shouldyouworryaboutthesleevestrapping fluid in your ankles and feet? Chris Bohannon, a physiologist and

managerforZootSports,arguesthat“calfsleevesaren’tarecoverygarment.Ifwestudycompressionasawhole,weknowperfectcompressionisfromthefootup—youhavetohaveafoot,otherwisewegetpoolinginthefoot.”ProtriathleteAlexMcDonald,MD, shares that opinion: “The calf sleeve can result in footedema and less venous/lymph return.”Othermedical professionals agree. Forrunning, sleeveswork fine, since the action of runningwill recirculate fluids.But beware running in the sleeves if they hit right at your ankle. WhenultrarunnerCharlieEnglehadtendonitisinhisankle,hefoundthesleeveshitatjust the wrong point for his running stride. He said, “I put on compressionsleeves, and where that thing stopped, it compressed. The tendon movingthrough the sheath, as it became swollen inside, made things worse, itexacerbatedthesituation.”

The material in compression garments can be uniformly compressive orgraduated, so that the pressure is firmer at the bottom and lighter at the top.Thesearethesocksgenerallyusedbyathletes.Thedegreeofcompressionalsovariesinthesocks.Over-the-countersocksfromthedrugstorewillapply10–20mmHg of pressure; medical-grade prescription socks will go to 50mmHg orhigher. Most socks marketed to athletes fall somewhere in between. Forgraduatedsocks,apressureofover18mmHgatthefoot,decreasingtowardthecalf,isneededtoimprovevenousreturn.Morecanwork,butifthereistoomuchpressure,itcanbegintoimpairbloodflow—workingcountertoitsintendeduse(Lawrence and Kakkar 1980). The amount of compression you receive willdependnotonlyon theproductyouchoosebutalsoon theway it fits.Asockthat’salittletoobigwillofferlesspressure.

While studieshave focusedon subjectswearing thecompression socks formanyhoursatastretch,thisisn’tfeasiblefortheaverageathlete,norwoulditbecomfortable, especially in warmer weather. Instead, if you are going to trycompressionsocks,aimtowearthemforafewhoursintheafternoonoreveningfollowing a hardworkout.And if you are traveling,wear the socks but bringanotherpairofregular,noncompressionsocksincasetheygrowuncomfortable.

Data on how long towear the socks are inconclusive. Bohannon suggeststhis rule of thumb:Wear your socks for twice as long as the workout you’rerecoveringfrom.Thusa90-minuteruncouldbefollowedbyathree-hourstintinsocks,andyoumightsleepinyourrecoverysocksortightsfollowingafour-orfive-hourride.

Expectyourcompressiongarments tomaintain theircompressionforaboutsixmonths,dependingonhowoftenyouwearandwashthem.Intime,theywill

loosen. Some experts suggest 50 washes as a reasonable amount of wear toexpect,whileotherssuggesthavingapair for training,apair for racing,andapairforrecoveryandreplacingthemallonceayear.

A few companies market compression garments for the upper and lowerbody. Recovery tights can beworn for a few hours or overnight.Upper-bodygarmentsarealsoonthemarket.Whiletheyaren’tfast-sellingitems,Bohannonsaysthatswimmersandwheelchairathleteshaveembracedthem.

Finally, some products combine compression and ice. Dave Strassburg,creatoroftheStrassburgSockusedtotreatplantarfasciitis,offersasleevethatcontains pockets for ice. Sold under the Runner’s Remedy label, there aremodelstargetingtheAchilles’tendon,thearchofthefoot,andtheshins.Ifyoufind you have to ice specific areas in your body regularly, or if your painbecomeslocalizedtoaspecificjointoreventoonlyonesideofyourbody,it’stimetolookfurtherintotherootoftheissuebyinvestigatingyourtrainingload,yourattentiontorecovery,andyourbiomechanics.

EffectivenessofCompressionSocksThe scientific literature on the benefits of using compression socks duringexerciseisinconclusive.Whilea2009study(Kemmleretal.2009)shows thatwearing compression socks during exercise can be helpful, a 2010 study(Sperlichetal.2010)showednoeffect.

Buthoweffectiveare thesocks for recovery?Thisquestion reallyhas twoparts. First, does wearing compression socks during exercise affect recoveryafterward? And second, does wearing compression socks after exercise affectrecovery?

Regarding the first question, the answer is probably. Dr. Ajmol Ali ofMasseyUniversityinNewZealandconductedastudyofrunnerswearingknee-highgraduatedcompressionsockswhile runningbotha shuttle run (back-and-forth agility sprints) and a 10K, and found that the group wearing the socksreportedsignificantlylessdelayed-onsetmusclesorenessthanthecontrolgroup,whodidnotwear the socks (Ali,Caine, andSnow2007).Thishas interestingimplicationsforrecovery:Anathleteexperiencinglessmusclesorenessaftertherunshouldbereadyforanotherrunsooner.

Another study points to the same conclusion. Elmarie Terblanche andMarlizeCoetzee(2007)ofStellenboschUniversityinSouthAfricaconductedastudytestingtheeffectofcompressionsocksonmaximalexerciseperformanceandlactaterecoveryrateafterexercise.Theyfoundthesockstohavenoeffect

onperformance,but the subjectswearingcompressionsocksexhibiteda fasterlactate recovery rate after exercise. Of course, thinking on lactic acid haschanged in recent years, and it is now thought not to have an effect onpostexercise soreness. Itwill leave the bloodstream on its own shortly after aworkout—even after a high-intensityworkout, blood lactate is back to restinglevelswithin90minutes.Thus,bloodlactatelevelsmaynotbeimportant.

Thesecondquestioniswhetherwearingrecoverysocksafteraworkoutwillenhancerecovery.Onthissubject,afewstudieshavebeenconducted.VanessaDaviesandhercolleagues (Davies,Thompson,andCooper2009)conductedastudy on netball and basketball players, measuring the effects of wearingcompression tights for 48 hours after plyometric exercises. They found aninsignificanteffectonperformanceforthecontrolgroup.Interestingly,thegroupwearingthetightsreportedlesspain,andmanyof thesubjectsadoptedregularuseofcompressiongearaspartoftheirtraining.

Anecdotal evidence certainly supports the use of compression socks forrecovery. Many elite athletes swear by them. Runner Nate Jenkins says thatwhile he’s tried the socks in workouts and hasn’t noticed any difference inperformance,theyworkwellforrecovery.“Iputthemonrightaway,whilethesnack’s in the blender,” he says. “I’ll keep them on for two to four hours.”UltrarunnerJamieDonaldsonsays:“Ialwayswearcompressionsocksduringanultra and after. I feel that they increase circulation frommy legs back tomyheart.Ineverhaveswellingandhaveminimalsoreness.”

Physiologist StephenMcGregor says thatwhile some of themarketing forcompression socks is simply that—marketing—they are useful for those whocan’t get off their feet after workouts. “If you have a life and have to walkaround,” he says, “compression clothing will help return the blood forprocessing.”

Thesocksarealsousefulfortravel.U.S.OlympianbronzemedalistShalaneFlanagansays,“WheneverIflyinternationally,Iusecompressionsocks.Ithelpsmy legs.”Many of the athletes I talked to echoed Flanagan. Iwear the socksmyselfduringwinter travel,whenIcanhide themunderpants; in thesummertheyaretoowarm.

The bottom line: if you enjoy wearing the socks, do. They are useful forrecovery.Reconsider,however,whether theyareworthwearing ina race. Inatriathlon, the amount of time it takes to don them might not be worth anypotentialspeedgainedbywearingthem.

CREAMSBen-Gay, Icy-Hot,Biofreeze,Perform,Prossage, andChineseWhiteFlour areallexamplesofcreamsandlinimentsthatathletesapplytomuscles(Figure12.2)

Usually,theyareusedforminorachesandpainsandthereforeintendedtobemoretherapeuticthanusedpurelyforrecovery.Theireffectisusuallytoconfusethenerveendingsanddrawattentionaway from theoriginal issueand towardthe skin. Many of these products contain wintergreen oil, so take caution inapplying them. The oil’s active ingredient, methyl salicylate, carries anti-inflammatorypropertiesbutcanbefatalinveryhighdoses.

Massagingsuchcreamsintotheskincanbepleasant,asanymassagecanbe.You might have an equally or more pleasant experience massaging scentedlotion into your skin, without any of the tingling or burning associated withmedicatedlotions.Lavender lotionsmellsnice, forexample,andaromatherapypractitionerssaythescentoflavenderisrelaxing.

Arnica is a homeopathic remedy available at natural-foods stores in bothcream and gel format. A few randomized, double-blind studies suggest thatarnicaspeedshealingfrombruisesandminorswelling,whileotherstudiespointtoaplaceboeffect.Applicationofarnicaforminorachesisn’tgoingtohurtyou,

butanypainthatgoesbeyondslightmusclesorenessorisspecifictoonesideorareaofyourbodyisasigntobackoffyourtrainingandtoconsiderconsultingamedicalprofessional.Similarly,ifyouhavepainthatpromptsyoutorepeatedlyapplyBen-Gayorothertopicalbalms,youshouldvisitamedicalprofessionaltohavethecauseoftheinjurydiagnosed.

A final word of caution: As with supplements, you must be very carefulabout applying products to your body. Many are not covered by governmentregulation and may contain substances on theWADA banned list. If you aresubjecttodrugtesting—orsimplyconcernedaboutyourwell-being—becarefulwitheveryproduct,whetheryouingestitoruseittopically.

EPSOMSALTSWhenitcomestoEpsomsalt(magnesiumsulfate)baths,itmaybethebathitself—not the salts—that has the effect. The hydrostatic pressure of the water onyour body helps reduce swelling, and the feeling of floating in a bath can beheightened, if only incrementally, by the addition of salt. A warm bath isrelaxing,andaddingEpsomsaltsorapricier,scentedversionofbathsaltswillenhance the experience. The ritual of drawing and soaking in awarm bath—possiblywithlowlighting,candles,andsoftmusic—isrelaxingandrestorativeinwaysbeyondthearguablebenefitsofaddingEpsomsalts.

Magnesium sulfate is said to have anti-inflammatory properties, thoughsimply soaking in it would be an indirect way to receive those benefits, andabsorption andmetabolizationwould depend on the athlete. Somemagnesiumfrom the Epsom salts is absorbed through the skin. A 2006 study by Dr.RosemaryWaring showed thatmagnesium sulfate levels increased in subjectswhotookhotbathswithEpsomsaltsfor12minutesatatime.

ThebottomlineisthatsoakinginEpsomsalts,acuportwotoabath,won’thurt you. If you buy the generic salts at your drugstore, it won’t affect yourwalletmuch, either; they cost only a few dollars per gallon. If you enjoy thescentof ablendedbath salt, you can splurgeon a commercial productormixyourownsaltsbyaddingdriedlavenderorrosebuds,availableatmostnatural-foodsstores,toEpsomsalts.

QUICKTIPSLookforgraduatedcompressiongarments,suchassocksthataretighter

attheankleandlooserthroughthecalf.Replaceyourrecoverycompressiongarmentssomewherebetween50washingsand12monthsofuse.Ifyouhaveachesthatkeepyoureachingfortopicalcreamslikeben-gayorarnica,besureyouhavetherightbiomechanicsandwork/restratio.Whileepsomsalts’effectonrecoveryisunclear,it’srelaxingtotakeawarmbath.

REFERENCESANDFURTHERREADINGAli, A., M. P. Caine, and B. G. Snow. 2007. “Graduated Compression Stockings: Physiological and

PerceptualResponsesDuringandAfterExercise.”JournalofSportsSciences25:413–419.Davies, V., K. G. Thompson, and S.-M. Cooper. 2009. “The Effects of Compression Garments on

Recovery.”JournalofStrengthandConditioningResearch23:1786–1794.Kemmler, W., S. von Stengel, C. Köckritz, J. Mayhew, A. Wasserman, and J. Zapf. 2009. “Effect of

Compression Stocking on Running Performance in Men Runners.” Journal of Strength andConditioningResearch23:101–105.

Lawrence,D., andV.V.Kakkar.1980. “Graduated,Static,ExternalCompressionof theLowerLimb:APhysiologicalAssessment.”BritishJournalofSurgery67:119–121.

Sperlich,B.,M.Haegele,S.Achtzehn,J.Linville,H.-C.Holmberg,andJ.Mester.2010.“DifferentTypesofCompressionClothingDoNotIncreaseSub-maximalandMaximalEndurancePerformanceinWell-TrainedAthletes.”JournalofSportsSciences28:609–614.

Terblanche,E., andM.Coetzee. 2007. “TheEffect ofGradedCompressionSocks onMaximalExerciseCapacityandRecoveryinRunners.”MedicineandExerciseinSportandScience39:350.

Waring, R. H. 2006. “Report on Absorption of Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salts) across the Skin.”Available athttp://www.epsomsaltcouncil.org/articles/report_on_absorption_of_magnesium_sulfate.pdf.

INCONTRAST to thehome-use itemsdescribed inChapter12,otherdevicesareusedmainlyinclinicalsettings.Ultrasoundandelectrostimulationareprimarilyused in rehabilitatingafter injury, although someathletesuse them forgeneralrecovery.

ULTRASOUNDStudiesare inconclusiveabout thebenefitsofultrasoundfor therapeuticuse inrecovering from sports injuries (Anderson n.d.). A 2004 study (Wilkin et al.)showed that ultrasound does not speed muscle recovery after a contusion.Indeed, it might lead an athlete into returning to workouts too soon, becausemuscles feel better following ultrasound treatments. Apart from crashes andfalls, endurance athletes don’t suffer contusions during training, but the study

argues against the use of ultrasound for simple muscle recovery. Still, someathletes enjoy theultrasoundmachine. If you findyourself turning to it often,you should consider whether you are developing an overuse injury. Examineyourtraininglogforsignsofoverdoingit.

ELECTROSTIMULATIONE-stimdevicessuchastheGlobusandtheCompexconsistofacentralunitandwiresthathooktoelectrodes(seeFigure13.1).

Theathleteplacestheelectrodesonmusclegroups,andthentheunitsendselectricalstimulationintothenerves,forcingthemusclestocontract.Essentially,it’s a passive form of active recovery. The “active recovery” programs on theunitspurporttoreleaseendorphins,relaxthemuscles,andincreasebloodflow,thuseliminatingtoxinsfaster.(Note:asyou’llreadinChapter14,onmassage,“toxins” is acatch-allword,andmany thingsweconsider“toxins”arepartofthenaturalprocessofexertionandrecovery.)

A.Grunovasandcolleagues(2007)testedelectricalstimulationasarecoverymodality for endurance athletes and found that, because it “improve[s] bloodreturntotheheart,”itmakesagoodmodalityto“enhancerecoveryandrestoremuscleworking capacity.”Likewise, Italian researchers (Tessitoreetal. 2008)found that futsal players (futsal is a variant on indoor soccer) who receivedelectrostimulation as a recovery modality reported a significantly greaterperception of recovery benefit than those who did not, suggesting that theirenthusiasmforthenextgamewouldbegreater.Thispsychologicaleffectisnotto be discounted. Finally,many elite athletes testify to the effect of electricalmusclestimulation,althoughsomeathletesreportfindingthedevicesdifficulttomanage.EliteagegrouperThomasLaffontsays,“Stimmachinesaredifficulttooperate; they require pads to be placed in specific areas and complexprogramming.”IenjoyedtestingtheGlobusmachine,andmychildrenthrilledtothe sight ofmy quadriceps twitching during its Active Recoverymode, but ImustadmitInoticedlittledifferenceinthequalityofmymuscularrecovery.Themachinesmight servea therapeuticbenefit,but forhealthyathleteswhocouldgofora20-minuteswim,spin,orwalk,actualmovementwouldtrumphavingamachine activate yourmuscles. Still, the time I took to rest on the couch andemphasizemyrecoverybetweenworkoutswaswellspent,regardlessofwhethertheGlobusuniteffectedanychange.

Thebottomlineisthesedeviceshavealotofmarketingbehindthemandnotasmuchscience.Remember, time,sleepingwell,andeatingrightare themostimportantrecoverytools.Ifyouhavethemoneytoaffordane-stimunitandthetimetositwiththeelectrodesinplace,goforit.Butbesureyouarefirstgettingenoughrestandhealthyfoodandthatyouaretrainingwisely.

THENORMATECMVPNormaTec is a compression device originally created byDr. Laura Jacobs forrehabilitationofpatientswithvasculardiseaseandlateradaptedforuseinsportsrecovery. The device consists of sleeves for the limbs (arms or legs) and acomputer-controlled compressor (see Figure 13.2). The athlete rests while thesystemappliesthepatentedperistaltic(wavelikepulse)dynamiccompressiontothelimbtomaximizecirculation.

PhysiologistBillSandssaysthatapartfromsmarttraining,rest,andagooddiet,theNormaTecMVPProisthebestrecoverytoolavailable.Heexplainsthatstatic compression, like that applied by compression garments, is much lesspowerful for enhancing recovery than dynamic compression. Dynamiccompressionhelpspumplymphoutof theswollen,edematous tissueswhere it

accumulates. In addition, he says, peristaltic compression will reduceinflammation. While massage can help, Sands says, “it’s hard to encircle anentire limb with your hands. It’ll make you feel better, but it won’t enhanceperformance.”

Pro triathlete Amanda Lovato says that for recovery after a hard or longworkout,“I’lldo icebathfirst, thenNormaTecboots.Theysqueezeyour legs;you can feel it pulsing. It’s like somebody rubbing your legs out, getting theblood to flow throughyour legs. I’ve never felt so recovered as I dowith theNormaTec boots. I don’t know how I lived without them.” Elite age grouperThomasLaffontagrees.“TheMVPsystemisthebestrecoverytoolI’veused,”hesays.“It isverysimple touse, justputyour legs in thesleevesandpressabutton.Anditfeelsgreat!I’mamazedbyhowwellmylegsrecoverthenextdayafterahardworkout.”Hisroutineistoice10to15minutesaftereveryworkoutandusetheMVPsystemfor15minutestoanhour,dependingonthelengthoftheworkout.

Gilad Jacobs, head of sports products at NormaTec, reports that the U.S.

OlympicCommitteetookover40NormaTecProsystemstothewinterOlympicsin 2010. Teams such as Garmin-Transitions; Ironman world champions CraigAlexander andChrissieWellington; and athletes such asMebKeflezighi,TimDeBoom,SamMcGlone,RyanHall,MattReed,DavidZabriskie,andsiblingsJennaand JarrodShoemakeruse thedeviceaswell.But at almost$5,000, theMVPPro ispricedoutof range formostathletes.With the introductionof theNormaTecMVPin2011,the“babybrother”totheMVPPro,pricingisslightlymoreinlinewiththeaverageconsumer’sbudget:MVPunitscostaround$1,500.Thebiggestdifferenceisincustomizationandprogrammability.Theprosystemcanbe adjustedwith timing and individual pressure in eachof the five zones,whilethenewMVPmodelwillhaveanadjustmentknobforoverallpressure.

Thebottom line: If youhave themeans to useoneof thesemachines, do.Manyathletesfromprostoagegroupershaveravedtomeabouttheirbenefits.

QUICKTIPSScientificproofoftheefficacyofultrasoundandelectrostimulationisscant.Prioritizesmarttraining,goodnutrition,andadequaterestoverexpensivetechnologicalaids.Ifyouhaveareasthatrequireultrasound,besureyoudonothaveanincipientorexistingoveruseinjury.TheNormaTec’speristalticcompressionhasprovenapplicationasarecoverytechniquebutcanbeprohibitivelyexpensive.

REFERENCESANDFURTHERREADINGAnderson, O. N.d. “Heat Therapy and Ultrasound.” Available at

http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/archive/heat-therapy-ultrasound.html.Grunovas,A.,V.Silinskas,J.Poderys,andE.Trinkunas.2007.“PeripheralandSystemicCirculationAfter

LocalDynamicExerciseandRecoveryUsingPassiveFootMovementandElectrostimulation.”JournalofSportsMedicineandPhysicalFitness47:335–343.

Tessitore,A.,R.Meeusen,R.Pagano,C.Benvenuti,M.Tiberi,andL.Capranica.2008.“EffectivenessofActiveVersusPassiveRecoveryStrategiesAfterFutsalGames.”JournalofStrengthandConditioningResearch22:1402–1412.

Wilkin,L.D.,M.A.Merrick,T.E.Kirby,andS.T.Devor.2004.“InfluenceofTherapeuticUltrasoundonSkeletalMuscleRegenerationFollowingBluntContusion.” InternationalJournalofSportsMedicine25:73–77.

MASSAGE ISAPOPULAR therapy for athletes andoneof themodalities that firstsprings tomindwhen you consider recovery.But how, exactly, does itwork?Whatistherightkindofmassagetoget?Whenistherighttimeforamassage?Howcanyou find thebest therapist foryou? In this chapter, I’ll answer thesequestionsandmore.

PHYSIOLOGICALBENEFITSDoes massage work for recovery? If you’ve had a massage, you’ll probablyanswer yes. Many of the benefits of massage are unquantifiable but directlyrelated to your recovery. Massage gives you time away from training, work,familydemands,andthetechnicaldevicesthattetheryoutotraining,work,andfamily. It helpsyou reacha stateofdeep relaxation, and in thisway it carriessomeofthebenefitsofmeditation:loweredbloodpressure,emotionalstability,a

senseofholisticwellbeing.AsPornratshaneeWeerapong,PatriaHume,andGregoryKolt (2005)point

out,massage has a positive effect on the parasympathetic nervous system andthereby enhances recovery. When your parasympathetic nervous system isdominant,youhaveabettersenseofrelaxationandwellbeing,andyourbodyisinanoptimalstateforrecovery.

Scientific research reaches various conclusions about massage’seffectiveness. A study on NCAADivision I basketball and volleyball players(Mancinelli et al. 2006) showed that massage was effective in reduction ofdelayed-onsetmusclesoreness(DOMS).Subjectswereabletoperformbetterontheverticaljumpandagilitytestsaftermassagetoalleviatetheirsoreness.ButasAnthonyBarnett(2006)pointsout,thiscouldbeanegative,becausetheeffectsof DOMS linger even after muscle soreness has faded. An athlete might betempted to return to intense training too soon and wind up injured. Acomprehensive 2008 review (Best et al.) included the studies testing whethermassageisusefulformusclerecoveryafterexercise.Itsaysthatwhiletherearemanyvariablesthathavenotbeenmeasured—thetechniqueandintensityofthetouch,forexample—randomizedcontrolledtrialsdopointtomassageaidinginrecovery. Because the research studies don’t prescribe an ideal timing orfrequencyofmassage,you’llneedtoworkfromyourownexperience.

EffectonCirculationScientific studies have found differing effects of massage on circulation.Recently, a study conducted at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario(Wiltshireetal.2010),showedthatmassageactuallydecreasedthebloodflowtothemuscles.Inthatstudy,subjectswhoreceivedmassageafterexerciseshowedlessbloodcirculationthanthosewhosimplyrested(passiverecovery)andthosewhopracticedactiverecovery.

But massage therapists argue that massage aids in circulation (see Figure14.1),andolderstudiessupportthem.MassagetherapistLeahKangas,whodoesa lot of work with runners, explains, “Blood carries nutrients throughout thebody to heal and repair, and carries away waste products. Massage can helpspeed up this process by increasing circulation to givenmuscles or tendons.”Massagecanalsohelpwithmovementof lymphthroughthebody; themanualworktowardrecirculationofbloodandlymphmayspeedrecovery.Thinkofthelong strokes from the distal parts of your body—your feet and calves, forexample—towardthecenter.

Olderthinkingblamedlacticacidproducedduringexerciseforpostexercisesoreness.Under thatparadigm,massagehelped to remove the lacticacid fromthe muscles. Newer research shows that lactic acid leaves the muscles fairlyquickly after exercise, so it’s not the villain it has been painted to be. In fact,Wiltshire’sstudyshowsthatmassageactuallyslowedtheclearanceoflacticacidfrom the muscles after exercise, by reducing circulation. When you hear thephrase“flushing toxins” inconjunctionwithmassage, think lessaboutmovingoutanyresidualwasteproductsandmoreaboutbringinginthereparativecellsthat will aid in your adaptation and recovery. Toxins are a bugaboo. Manytherapistsusethetermtodescribethenaturalwasteproductsinthebody,oftenwithanadmonishment to“drinkplentyofwater to flush the toxins.”Drinkingwater is generally good advice, especially for athletes, so take that part andignoretherest.

Exactlywhatmassagedoesisstillunclear.PatArcher,anathletictrainerandmassagetherapistandtheauthorofTherapeuticMassageinAthletics,explainsthat massage works, though she admits the precise reasons aren’t clear. “It’seffective,” she said. “We know it helps. We just don’t know exactly the fullmechanism.Theyseemtoberelatedtoreducingmuscle tensionandmanagingtheinflammatoryprocessrelatedtomicrotraumacreatedbytheactivity—it’snotaboutcirculation,andit’snotaboutlacticacid.Itisaboutreducingtensioninthemuscles after exercise.” Archer suggests using specific lymphatic facilitation

techniques, strokes with pressure designed to drain the lymphatic system, inconjunctionwithmassagetoreduceathletes’recoverytime.

RemovalofAdhesionsRegularmassagecanalleviatetriggerpointsandreducecrampingandspasminthe muscles (Figure 14.2). It can also help with the placement of collagen,preventing adhesions that can cause problems in themuscle and allowing forfullerlengtheningandcontractioninthefibers.

Adhesionsformintheconnectivetissue, includingthefascia,asaresultofboth tissue breakdown in training and injury, where they set as scar tissue.MassagetherapistLeahKangasusestheorangeasanillustrationforthefasciaand muscle in the human body. “Each muscle fiber has its own little fascialcasing, just like the tiny little pulp sections of an orange. Then just like theorange is sectioned, individual muscles are sectioned in the same way. Andfinallyjusthowanorangeisallcasedtogetherinthethicker,whitesectionunderthepeel,soareallofourmusclesandorgans.Adhesionsarewhensomeofthesefasciallayersgetstucktoeachother,oradhered.”Inthecaseofanacuteinjury,adhesionsareapositivething,as theyprovidesomestructural integrityaround

theinjurysite.Butscartissuethatdoesn’tbehavelikemuscletissuecanbecomeproblematic, hampering range of motion.Massage helps the scar tissue workmorelikethemusclesortendonsitisrepairing.

BenBenjamin,a sportsmassagespecialist, concurs. “Ifyou’rehealingandyou’removingatthesametime,yourbodyhealsinthepresenceofafullrangeofmotion,”heexplains.Massagecanhelpbyencouragingscartissuetoforminappropriate patterns and then to disappear when it is no longer needed forstructuralsupport.

PersonalAttentionAnexperiencedmassagetherapistwillbeabletoaddressyourspecificissuesinwaysyouwon’tbeabletodoalone,whichallowsforamoretargetedapproachtoyourownphysiologicalneeds.CarolynLevy,amassagetherapistwhoworkswiththeUSAtrackteamandmanyplayersattheUniversityofNorthCarolina,saysherworkismoredirectthanself-massage:“I’mveryawareofhowIneedtoapproachthetissue,thelevelofpressureneeded.Wecangetlazywhenwedoitourselves.Youcan’tgetinspecificplaces.”Whileself-massageisuseful—seeChapter15—itcan sometimesbe toobroadabrush.The roller andother self-massageimplementscan’ttracethemusclefibersinthesamewaythehandsofaskilledmassagetherapistcan.

Withregularvisits,yourmassagetherapistwillget toknowyourbodyandcanletyouknowwhenthingsarechanging.Ifamusclefeelsparticularlytenseor taxed, itmaybea signof incipient injury.Listen toyour therapist.BernardCondevaux, a soigneur (massage therapist, among other things) for USACycling, says massage therapists can be useful sources of outside feedback.“Theycantellyouthingsyou’redenyingtoyourself,”heexplains—thingslikethedevelopmentofanoveruseinjury.

Two-time Hawaii Ironman winner Tim DeBoom swears by the power ofconsistentmassage:

In1994,Iwashitbyacarandbrokemyback.DuringmyrehabIstartedworking with a massage therapist/physical therapist who basicallybroughtmebackfromthedead.Ihavenowbeenworkingwiththesametherapist for16years.She isavitalpartofmy recovery from trainingand racing. I go one to two times a week for a pretty deep tissuemassage.IalsogoinforspotworkwheneverIhaveanylittleniggles.Beingreligiousingettingworkonmybodyandtheconsistencyofusing

thesametherapisthaskeptmefromanyrealdebilitatinginjuries.

BeforehiswininKonain2001,DeBoomgotthego-aheadfromhismassagetherapist,whoobserved that hewas “ready towin.”And indeed he did. Suchobservations can instill that extra drop of self-confidence needed for abreakthrough performance—they’re an example of not only the physiologicalbenefitsofmassagebutthepsychologicalbenefitsaswell.

PSYCHOLOGICALBENEFITS

RelaxationA group of British researchers (Hemmings et al. 2000) studied the effect ofmassage on boxers’ recovery between workouts. The fighters who receivedmassage reported a significantly higher perception of recovery, though thephysicaltestingdidnotbackthemup.Regardlessofanydirectphysicallink,thisperceptionofrecoveryisimportant.Massageconfersfeelingsofrelaxationandwellbeing,whichhasadirect,positiveeffectonathletes’perceivedrecovery.

You’llalmostassuredlyfeelbetterafteranymassage,andperceptionisabigpartofrecovery.Reducingbothmuscularandmentaltensionwillcertainlyhelpyourrecoveryandyourtraining.Takingtimeouttofocusonyourbody,tofocusonyourbreath,andtodosomethingthatcandirectlyenhanceyourrecoveryiswell worth the money. In fact, you may achieve deeper relaxation becauseyou’re paying for it.Themassage table is a great place to really let go, awayfromyour smartphoneandcomputer screen,away from thedemandsofworkand family. It echoes training in thiswaybecause it allowsyoua spaceapart,evenasitrequiresnoeffortfromyouatall.

MassageasTherapyThe relationship between massage therapist and athlete can be a positive,supportive one that nurtures the athlete. This happens both throughcompassionatetouchandthroughtheconversationbetweenanathleteandhisorher bodyworker—evidence DeBoom’s experience. Personally, I spend a goodhalf hour talking to my massage therapist, Pat Kosdan, at our monthly visitsbeforeIevengetonthetable.Sheasksmewhat’sgoingoninmybody,whichusually becomes a conversation about what’s going on inmy life.When I’m

spendingmoretimewriting,mybodyhasdifferentissuesthanwhenIamdeepin a focused training cycle.When I’m stressedwith otherwork or have beenteaching yoga intensives, I have different needs. I truly think of Pat as mytherapist,with noneed to qualify her asmy “massage” therapist, and she is avaluedadviser.

Thisinterpersonalrelationshipisimportantincycling,wherethereisalongtraditionoftravelingwithasoigneurforsupport.CondevauxtraveledtoBeijinginjustthisroleforthe2008SummerOlympics.Herecountscounselingafemalemountainbikerwhoneededsomeonetotalktoaboutherfrustrationswhenherhusbandwasn’tallowedaccesstotheOlympicVillage.“Whensomeone’sonthetable,they’lltalkalot.[Nothavingherhusbandaround]threwheroff.Yes,wedidmassage, but somuchwas working her through the issue.” On the table,Condevauxsays,athletes“cancleartheirchestsandknowitstopsthere.”

Ultimately,thenumberofprofessionalathleteswhoroutinelyuseandfrequentlyeven travel with massage therapists speaks to the importance of massage intraining and recovery. Elite running coach Greg McMillan says, “If I hadunlimitedmoney,I’dhireamasseusetobewithusallthetime.Peoplewhoarewellpaidhaveamasseusewho stretches themoutbefore andafter every run.DeenaKastorwasreallysmart,becauseshemarriedhermassagetherapist!”

TYPESOFMASSAGEThetwomaintypesofmassagetherapyofferedintheUnitedStatesareSwedishmassage and deep tissue massage. These terms can overlap, naturally. Other,complementary approaches tobodywork includemyofascial release;StructuralIntegration; assisted stretching; and Eastern modalities such as acupuncture,acupressure,andReiki.

SwedishSwedishmassagegenerallyuseslighterpressurethandeeptissuemassage.TheprimaryactionsinSwedishmassagearelong,glidingstrokes;kneading;tapping;cross-fibermotions;andgentlerockingofthelimbs.Thestrokesgenerallyworkfrom the body’s outer edges in toward the heart, following the path of bloodflow.

Because Swedish massage is less intense than very deep tissue work, it’sacceptable through most, if not all, of the training cycle. Massage therapistKangas explains, “It’s easy to receive a lot of [Swedish massage] while inintensetraining,andevenleadinguptoandimmediatelyfollowinghardeffortsorevents,ifsomeone’sbeenreceivingtheworkalready.”

DeepTissueDeeptissuemassageworksthedeepertissuesofthemusclesandtheirinterfacewith fascia, the connective tissue binding the body in every direction.(Remember the orange analogy used above.) The pressure of deep tissuemassagewill vary not only based on the therapist’s approach but also on theneedsoftheathletereceivingthemassage.

Deep tissueworkcanbeuncomfortable to receive,and itcan lead tomoresorenessinthemuscles.Forthisreason,youshouldscheduleitfarenoughfromyourpeakworkoutsandracesthatitwillnotnegativelyaffectyourperformance.Fivedaysormoreshoulddo.Besuretocommunicateopenlywithyourmassagetherapistaboutyourexperienceduringdeeptissuemassage.Athletesareusedtoenduringdiscomfort;itisnotinyourbestinteresthere.Ifyouarefightingnottogasp,speakup!MyoneexperiencewithcouplesmassagecameduringatriptoaspaintheNapaValleywithmyhusband.Mymother-in-lawgenerouslysentusagift certificate, and we headed into the therapy room together. Afterward, welookedacrosstheroomateachotherandbothconfessedthatthemassagesweremuch deeper thanwe’re used to receiving. Because of each other’s presence,neitheroneofuswaswilling to look like awimpasking for a slightly lightertouch!

You may find therapists who specialize in deep tissue or in Swedishmassage;mostwillbetrainedandcomfortableinboth,soyouneednotfeelthatyouhavetocommittooneortheother.Agoodmassagetherapistwilldrawonhis or her experience to deliver what your body most needs. And as a goodmassage recipient, you’ll let them know about your experience—what’sworking,whatisnot.Don’tholdback.

OtherBodyworkModalitiesOther bodywork modalities can complement your massage therapy work andyour training. These techniques can have profound impact on your body, andthusshouldbeslottedintheoff-seasonorwhenaninjuryneedstobeaddressed.

AssistedStretchingInassistedstretching,apractitioneraidstheathleteinstretchingthroughthefullrange of motion. An experienced practitioner will recognize imbalances andfaultymovementpatternsinthebodyandwillworkwiththeathleteinhands-onstretching, engaging and releasing the muscles, to bring the body into betterbalance. The Mattes method and the Whartons’ approach, both versions ofActiveIsolatedStretching,aretwoexamples.Thaiyogamassageisanother.

MyofascialReleaseInmyofascialrelease,thepractitionertargetsthefasciathroughgentle,targetedtouch over long holds,with the goal of helping restructure the body from thefasciaoutward.Thissystemcanbehelpfulinaddressingoveruseinjuriesbutismore therapeutic than recovery-based, used to treat an injury or imbalanceinsteadofsimplyworkingtohelpthebodyrecoverasawhole.

StructuralIntegration(Rolfing)Structural Integration, like myofascial release, aims to restructure the bodytoward better alignment, but it uses a deeper touch. Massage therapist LeahKangas explains, “This work is deep, often with big changes in the body. Ifsomeoneisabletoprioritizeit,Iwouldhavethisworkdoneintheoff-seasonorduring a long recovery phase. This way as the body changes, time can beallowed for these changes to become familiar to the body without having tocontinue inan intense trainingcycle.However, if thiswork seemsparticularlyhelpful for someone, Iwon’t hold off because they are in an intense cycle oftraining.”

Dependingonthepractitioner,youmaybeadvisedtofollowtheroundof10treatmentsdesignedbyIdaRolf,whopopularizedthismodality,oryoumaybeable to work directly on your individual needs. Either way, deep work likeStructuralIntegrationisbestscheduledintheoff-season,farfrompeakevents.

EasternModalitiesOthermodalities,suchasacupressure,acupuncture,andReiki(aJapaneseformof energy work) may or may not be effective for recovery; these Easternmodalities arenotwell studied in theWestern scientific literature. Ifyouhavethemeansandaccess toapractitioner,consider trying themout.Simplygoingthrough themotionsofmaking time to focusonyourwellbeingcan, inandofitself,enhanceyourrecovery.

WHENTOSCHEDULEMASSAGEIhavethegoodfortuneofcoachinganathlete,SuzannaDupee,who’samassagetherapist.Inresearchingthisbook,I’vebeenreceivingmassagesweeklyforthepast two months, sometimes more than one a week. While it’s fantastic,especiallyduringperiodsofworkstress,itfeelsoverlyindulgent,andIsuspectmy standard one or two massages a month would probably serve the samepurpose for me. Many athletes wonder about the timing of massage. Howfrequently should one get amassage, and if regularmassage is not an option,when would be a good time to schedule one as an occasional treat? Timingdependson thepointyouhavereached in theseasonand theproximityofkeyworkoutsandraces.

ThroughouttheSeasonHowfrequentlyyouenjoyamassagewillprobablybedictatedbyyourbudget.Whileonceaweekwouldbenice,onceamonthisprobablyfine.Thismassagecangosomewhereduringyourrestweekorduringaperiodofslightlyreducedload. Since youmight feel sore or slower the next day, be sure to schedule itawayfromlongorhardworkouts.

Duringmypregnancies,Ienjoyedregularmassages,scheduledtoalignwiththe frequencyofmyvisits tomyobstetrician-gynecologist. In theearlystages,monthlyvisitsandmassageswereappropriate;asIcameclosertoterm,Iwentevery thirdweek, thenbiweekly, and thenonceaweekuntildelivery.While Iwaspreparing foranenduranceeventofadifferentkind, the frequencyofmymassages might give you an idea of how you can increase your visits butdecreasetheirintensityasyouapproachyourpeakevent.Thisworksbestifyouareamassageregularandawareofhowmassageaffectsyourbody.Andjustasapregnantwomanwould seeka therapist familiarwithher specialneeds,youshouldlookforatherapistfamiliarwithathletes’needs.

Ifyouarenotgettingregularmassages,becarefulschedulingittooclosetoyourpeakevent.Kangasexplains,“Iseepeoplecomingintheweekbeforetheirrace never having received amassage before. Itmight be helpful, but usuallythere is somuch towork throughsomany layers, andofcourseyouwouldn’twanttomaketoomuchchangeatthispoint.”Bettertoscheduletheoccasionalmassagefartherfromarace,ideallyduringaquietperiodinyourtraining.Itwillalsoavoidaggravatingtissuethatisalreadystressed.

BeforeandAfteraRaceAs you approach your goal race or event, the type of massage should varyaccordingtoyourcompetitionschedule.Inotherwords,whenyou’restillfartherfrom the race, you can receive deeperwork; as you get closer to the event, alightertouchiskey.

Massage therapist Carolyn Levy divides the timeline around a peak eventintoafewstages.First,threeweeksfromcompetition,shesuggestsathorough,therapeuticmassage to, in herwords, “work all the kinks out.”Thismassage,“deepandslow,”asLevydescribesit,cangointhetwoorthreedaysafteryourpeakworkoutof theprecedingcycle.Levywillprescribean icebath later thatevening,beforebed.Shewarnsherathletesthattheywillfeelalittlesluggishthenextdaybutpromises,“thebodywillswingbackwithin48to72hours.”

Three days before the event,Levywillmassage the athlete using a lightertouch at a faster pace. The goal in this lightermassage is to pass through themuscletissues,helpingthemflushandrefresh.Ifyoutakeadayofrestinyourraceweek,themassagecouldgoonthatdayorprecedeit.Justkeepitadayortwo removed from your event itself—farther if it’s a very big event. TimDeBoomsays,“BeforeanIronman,I’llgetmylastbodyworkdoneaboutfourdaysbeforetherace.Ialwaysfeelprettycrappythedayafterbodywork,soItrytohaveplentyoftimetoabsorbitbeforeabigrace.”

Immediately after the event itself,Levy suggests a briefmassage, “a goodten-minuteflush-out,andsomestretching,”whichshefeelssignalsthebodytobeginitsrepairwork.Ifyouvisitthemassagetentafterarace,besurethatyourexperienceisarelaxingone.Thisisnotthetimetoaddaggravationtoalreadyinflamedtissue.

Afewdaysaftertheevent,anotherlightmassageisinordertobookendtheonescheduledafewdaysbeforetheevent.Levysaystheintentionis“flushing,notterriblydeep.Youdon’twanttotraumatizethetissue,butagaintodeliverthemessagethatyoucanopenup.”

Finally,withinaweekorso,thebodywillbereadyforareturntoitsnormalmassageschedule.

Youmayfindthatadifferentprotocolworksforyou.ProfessionaltriathleteAlexMcDonaldwillscheduleaMondaymassagebeforeaSaturdayrace.Thisgiveshimtimetorebound.IfhehasadeepmassageonMonday,hesays,“I’llbesore onMonday andTuesday, but by the end of theweek I feel like a springchicken!”

InaDayWhenever possible, schedule your massage for later in the day, after yourworkout.Itcanbeespeciallyrestful—ifnotfinanciallypractical—tohaveyourtherapisttraveltoyourhome,sothatyoudon’thavetodriveafteryourtreatmentandcaninsteadcontinuerelaxing.

If youmust schedule amassage before aworkout, try tomake it an easyworkout,andassumethatyouwillfeeldifferentfromusual.It’sprobablynotthebesttimetogooutandruntechnicaltrail.

WHENNOTTOSCHEDULEMASSAGEAquickwordofcaution:Massagemaybepalliativecareforaninjury,asithelpsyoufeelbetterallover.Butbookingamassageisnotthesameasschedulinganappointmentwithasports-medicinespecialistorphysicaltherapist.Ifyouhavepain related to training,besureyouareaddressing thecauseof the troublebyhaving your symptoms and biomechanics evaluated. Be honest with yourself;take a good, hard look at your training and recovery.Don’t usemassage as aBand-Aid.

HOWTOFINDAMASSAGETHERAPISTMassage licensure lawsvary amongcountries, andwithin countries, theyvaryamongstatesandprovinces.IntheUnitedStates,notallstatesregulatemassagetherapists.Moststatesrequirestatelicensure;afewrequirestatecertification;afewareunregulated.Aquicksearchonlinewillexplainthelawinyourareaandunearthafewdirectoriestohelpyoufindalocalpractitioner.Don’tbeshyaboutasking for a potential therapist’s credentials. Look at the amount of hours thetherapisthas trained.Sixhundredhoursormoreof trainingareagoodsign;aweekendcertificationisnot.Betterstillisatherapistwithadditionaltraininginworkingwithathletes.

Beyond licensureandcertification,youare lookingforamassage therapistwhounderstandsyourbodyandneedsasanathlete.Ideally,heorsheisnotonlyexperiencedinworkingwithathletesofyoursportbutalsoactivelyengaginginthat sport.Suchapersonwillbesympatheticandwillunderstandnotonly theathlete’sbodybutalso theathlete’spsyche.Kangascautions,“Many therapists

don’t understand athletes and their drive, and will often develop a mindset:‘Well,ifyoujustdidn’tdosomuch(insertactivityhere).’Also,atherapistwithexperienceworkingwithathletesofyourparticularactivitywillhavethatmuchmoreexperienceinworkingwithsimilarinjuriesandimbalances.”

Thebestwaytolocateatherapistinyourareaisthroughreferrals.Askyourtrainingpartners,localrunningandbikestoreworkers,andlocalsports-medicinepractitioners for their recommendations. But remember, tastes are veryindividual, soyou’llwant to try the therapist foryourself and tocommunicateclearlyaboutyourneeds,includingthetypeofpressureyouprefer.Oneperson’storturehourisanotherperson’sdeeprelease.

Pricesformassagevary,dependingonareaandvenue.ExpecttopaymoreataluxuryspaandlessatafranchisesuchasMassageEnvy.Andremember,pricedoesn’talwayscorrelatetoquality.

QUICKTIPSCommunicationiskey:Askyourmassagetherapistabouthisorherexperienceworkingwithathletes,andtellyourmassagetherapistaboutyourneeds,likes,anddislikes.Spacemorevigorousbodyworkfartherawayfromyourpeakevents.Thebenefitsofmassageextendbeyondthephysicalbecausereceivingamassagegivesyouachancetotakeamentalbreak.

THEBOTTOMLINEMassage can be a productive, relaxing, and enjoyable part of your trainingregimen.Dependingonyourbudgetandneeds,itmightbeanoccasionaltreatoran important routine. As with the other modalities described here, find whatworksforyouandyourbudget.Personally, Isuggestamonthlymassage,withmore frequent massages during peak volume weeks and closer to the race.Committing to self-care and relaxation through massage is a good first steptowardbuildinginmoretimeforrecoveryandrestoration.

REFERENCESANDFURTHERREADING

Archer,P.2007.TherapeuticMassageinAthletics.Baltimore:Lippincott,Williams,andWilkins.Barnett,A.2006.“UsingRecoveryModalitiesbetweenTrainingSessionsinEliteAthletes:DoesItHelp?”

SportsMedicine36:781–796.Best,T.M.,R.Hunter,A.Wilcox, andF.Haq.2008. “EffectivenessofSportsMassage forRecoveryof

SkeletalMusclefromStrenuousExercise.”ClinicalJournalofSportsMedicine18:446–460.Hemmings, B., M. Smith, G. Graydon, and R. Dyson. 2000. “Effects of Massage on Physiological

Restoration, Perceived Recovery, and Repeated Sports Performance.” British Journal of SportsMedicine34:113.

Mancinelli,C.A.,D.S.Davis,L.Aboulhosn,M.Brady,J.Eisenhofer,andS.Foutty.2006.“TheEffectsofMassageonDelayedOnsetMuscleSorenessandPhysicalPerformanceinFemaleCollegiateAthletes.”PhysicalTherapyinSport7:5–13.

Weerapong, P., P. A. Hume, and G. S. Kolt. 2005. “The Mechanisms of Massage and Effects onPerformance,MuscleRecovery,andInjuryPrevention.”SportsMedicine35:235–256.

Wiltshire,E.V.,V.Poitras,M.Pak,T.Hong,J.Rayner,andM.E.Tschakovsky.2010.“MassageImpairsPostexerciseMuscle Blood Flow and ‘Lactic Acid’ Removal.”Medicine and Science in Sports andExercise42:1062–1071.

ALTHOUGHITISapopularandimportanttoolforrecovery,massagecanquicklygetprohibitivelyexpensive.Ifyoudon’thavetheluxuryofregularmassage,youcanbridgethegapbetweensessionswithsomeself-massage.Self-massagehelpsyou release adhesions, knots, and trigger points in the soft tissues and is animportant part of injury prevention. It is also a way to give yourself someassistance in stretches, by anchoring one end of amuscle against the ground,yourhand,oradevicewhileyoustretchintheotherdirection.

UltrarunnerKeithStrawrecommendsmanipulatinganyareainthebodythatis bothering you. “I do a lot of poking around myself,” he says. “I prod myknees,rubmyfeet,poundmypecs.”

Sincethebodyworksasakineticchain,self-massagecantargeteverylink.The foam roller (described below) is popular among the members of theUniversity of North Carolina cross-country team, coach PeterWatson reports.“Startatthebottomofyourfootandworktoyourhip,”Watsonsuggests,andheadvisesathletestoexperimentwithpropsbeyondtheroller.“Useagolfballfor

thefoot,oralacrosseballforthelegs.”Herecommendspayingspecialattentiontoiliotibial(IT)bandsandhamstrings.

USA Cycling soigneur Bernard Condevaux advises self-massage as well.“There’s an economic reality, and a lot of teams can’t afford soigneurs orindividualmassage,”hesays.Togetthemostfromyourself-massageonafoamroller, he suggests, “Be aware of what you’re doing. Keep it moving. Rolltoward your heart. If you find a spot that’s tight or tender, sit on it for 10seconds. If itdoesn’tbackoff,change thepressure.Mashing themuscle isnotalwaysthebest thing.Thetarget isflushingout,gettingthemuscle torecover,notbeatingit.”

TOOLSYourhandsarethesimplesttoolforself-massage.Reachintoareasofthebodythatarecallingforyourattentionandseeifyoucanfeelwhat’sgoingon.Tracethemusclefiberstotheiroriginandinsertionpoints,alongeitherend.Isthereaparticularsorespotortriggerpoint?Howdoesitrespondtopressure?

Applyingcross-frictionmassage,againstthegrainofthemusclefibers,canhelptoreleaseadhesionsandscartissuelimitingyourrangeofmotion.

Devicesincludefoamrollers,beadedsticks,balls,andbrandeddevices,suchasTriggerPointTherapydevices.Let’sexaminewhattolookforinyourtools.

Foam rollers come in various densities and durabilities. The simplest is awhite Styrofoam roller, similar to a floating noodle pool toy (but thicker) andwidelyavailable.Thefoamhassomegive,keeping themassagea little lighterthanadenserroller.Theyareinexpensivebutmaynotlastlong.Alsoavailablearedarker rollersmadeofhigh-density foam.Evenmore rigidare rollerswithfoamoramaterialwithprotuberantnubswrappedaroundahardcore.

Beadedsticksincludeadevicecalled“TheStick”andotherimplementsthatfeaturehardplasticorwoodenbeadsonastick.Theshapeandmaterialof thebeads will affect your experience; if possible, try the implement out beforebuying.

Balls from various sports make useful, inexpensive self-massage devices.Golfballsworkwell for thebottomsof the feet,asdosmallhard rubberballs(think Superball). Lacrosse balls or baseballs (even softballs or their rubbersubstitutes)workintothecalvesanddeephiprotators.Tennisballscanbegoodchoices, depending on their firmness and the sensitivity of the area being

worked.Twoballslashedtogetherwithathletictapemakeapeanutshapethat’sespeciallyusefulforworkingthemusclesoneithersideofthespine.

TriggerPointTherapymakesarangeofinstrumentstoaddressmostpartsofan athlete’s body, with many of them in interesting shapes. You’ll see thecompany’s “Grid,” a hollow, hard-core, foam-wrapped roller, in the photos inthischapter.The“Quadballer”and“Footballer”aretapered,cigar-shapedrollers(larger and smaller, respectively) with inline-skate wheels on either end. Thematerialofthesedevicescombinesfirmnesswithalittlegive,andtheyareprettywidelyavailableatrunningandcyclingshops,raceexpos,andonline.

You can get creative as you choose your implements. Elite runner MarcJeuland uses a wooden rolling pin for self-massage. Ultramarathoner NikkiKimballusesanantler!

TECHNIQUEANDTIMEThe general technique for using any of these implements is similar. Put thedeviceonthefloor,placeyourlegorarmorbackonit,andapplypressure(orplaceaballbetweenyourbodyandthewall, ifyou’reworkingyourchestandback muscles). Once the pressure feels right, slowly travel along the musclefibersafewtimes,pausingasyoufeelparticularpointsoftightnessorfrission.Ingeneral,youwillmovedistallytocentrally,inotherwords,makingtripsfromtheperipheryofthebodytowardthecenter.Ifitfeelsproductivetotravelbackandforthalongthemusclefromendtoend,thatisfine,too.

You can work the whole body or just problem areas such as the plantarfasciaeonthebottomofthefeetandtheITband.Afewpassesovereachmuscleorareashoulddo.Ifyourmusclesarealreadyinflamedorovertired,overdoingyourself-massagewillsimplyaggravatetheconditionandpreventyourrecovery—yieldingaresultoppositefromwhatyouintended.Biggermusclegroupscanprobablytakemorepressurethansmallergroups.Letyourbodybeyourguide.

Howoftenyoudoself-massagedependsonyourtime,schedule,andneeds.Itmight become a nightly habit, part of your downtime ritual.Ormaybe youtakecare todoyour self-massageon thedayswhenyou run longorhard—orjustonthedayswhenyourun,ifyouareamultisportathlete.Experimenttofindwhatworksbestforyou.

SELF-MASSAGEFORCOMMONPROBLEMS

QuadsThefourlargemusclesofthequadriceps(Figure15.1)areagoodstartingpointforyourfoamrolling.Takea leg tooneedgeofyourroller,with theother legrestingontheground.You’llberestingonyourpalmsorelbows.Startwiththerollerpositioned just aboveyourkneeand slowlypushyourhipsback so thatyou roll in toward thecenteralong the frontofyour thigh.Aftera fewpasseshere,turntotheouteredgeofyourleg.(Youcanbendyoursupportinglegatthekneeandhavethesoleofthefootontheground.)Followwithsomelongstrokesuptheinnerquadricepsmuscles.

HamstringsSit on the ground,with the back of one or both legs resting on the roller justabove the back of the knee (Figure 15.2). Supporting weight in your hands,slowlyrollyourhipstowardtheroller.Afterafewtrips,rotatetotheouterandinneredgesofthehamstrings.

CalvesYou’ll work on your calves inmuch the sameway as the hamstrings (Figure15.3),rollingupanddownslowlyandtakingcaretogettobothedgesaswellasthecentralmusculature.Youmayfind,however, that theweightofyour lowerleg and foot isn’t heavy enough to give the same massage. Add weight bycrossingoneankleovertheotherandfocusingyourattentiononthebottomleg.

ITBandWorkingyourITbandcanbeanexcruciatingexperience.Checkthatyouarenotgoing too deep; if you are gasping, youmay be forcing the issue, which canaggravateexistinginflammation.

Sitonehipontheroller,withtheotherlegbentattheknee,soleofthefooton the floor (Figure15.4). If you’re rolling your right leg, your right hand orelbowwill rest on the floor. Start at the bottom of the thigh, just outside andabovetheknee,andslowlymakeyourwaytowardtheouterhip.Youmayhaveto pause to breathe deeply and collect yourself—again, be sure you aren’tworkingtoohard.Afewpassesshouldsuffice.

OuterHipContinuingupward fromyour ITbandwork, explore themuscles of theouterhip.Yourglutealmusclesareprime targets, as is thepiriformismuscle,whichliesdeepinthehip.Ifyoucan’treachdeepenoughwiththeroller,useatennisball or a harder, rubber ball. You’ll sit on it, lean back into your hands, andexploreuntilyoufindtherightspot(Figure15.5).

SolesoftheFeetTheplantarfasciaethatrunalongthebottomsofyourfeetareprimeterritorytoexplorewithasmallerimplement,beitatennisball,rubberball,oragolfball.Ifyou’reusingasofterdevice,youmaybeabletostandandcarefullyplaceyourbodyweightontotheball(Figure15.6).Ifit’saharderdevicesuchasagolfball,you’llwanttositdownsothatthesensationdoesn’tgrowtoointense.Rolloverboththearch,fromtheheel to theballof thefoot,andthespacesbetweenthemetatarsals,runningtheballintothefourspacesatthebaseofthefivetoes.

BackUse the roller to run up and down your back, finding spots that need extraattention(Figure15.7). If certain areas are particularly sore, youmaywant torevisitthemwithasmallerimplement,suchasatennisorrubberball.Twoballstapedtogethercanworkrightalongeitheredgeofthespine.Goslowlyandpayattention toyourexperience.Breathedeeply into theplaceswheresensation isthestrongest.

ChestDependingonthesizeandshapeofyourchest(andthesizeandshapeofyourbreasts), youmay have success lying facedown on the roller (Figure 15.8). Ifthat’sinfeasible,useasmaller,handheldball.Holdtheballagainstthepectoralismusclesasyouroll,orifyouneedgreaterforce,taketheballtothecornerofawallandworkinfromthere.

QUICKTIPS

Self-massagecanbridgethegapsbetweenregularsessionswithamassagetherapistormightreplacepayingamassagetherapistentirely.Smallerballssuchasgolfortennisballscanworkintosmallermuscles;foamrollers(orevenrollingpins)canworklargermuscles.Don’tbetooaggressive:Afewpassesovereachofthemajormusclegroupsshouldsuffice.Ifyoufindyourselfroutinelyrevisitingaproblemspot,checkthatyourbodyisbalancedbiomechanicallyandthatyouhavetherightwork/restbalanceinyourtraining.

ASAYOGATEACHERandpractitioneraswellasacoach,IhavespentyearsseeinghowyogaenhancesmyrecoveryandtherecoveryofathletesIteachandcoach.MybooksTheAthlete’sGuidetoYogaandTheAthlete’sPocketGuidetoYogadetail the ways yoga enhances training. But yoga can also be used veryspecifically as a restorative practice to directly improve recovery. It must bedone carefully, though. The twenty-first-century West offers a multitude ofapproachestoyoga,fromtheverygentletotheveryintense.Attendingaclassthat is too intensemay interferewith your recovery at best and could lead toinjuryatworst,especiallyifyouarethecompetitivetype.Lookforarestorativeclassorfollowtheguidelineshereforahomepractice.

WHICHKINDSOFYOGAHASTENRECOVERY

Toencourageyourrecovery,choosestylesthatarebreath-focused,relaxing,andslow.They’llhavetitlesincludingkeywordslike“gentle”or“quiet.”Restorativeyogaisafantasticchoice.Inrestorativeposes,thefocusisnotonstrengtheningorevenonstretchingbutonreleasingtension.Restorativeposesareheldforalong while—10 or 15 minutes or even more—and are supported by props,including bolsters, blankets, sandbags, and the floor. As you release into theprops,you’llrelaxyourbody,breath,andmind.

The gentle inversions of restorative yoga, especially the legs-up-the-wallpose (viparita karani, in Sanskrit), will help drain edema from the legs.Sometimes this is a very noticeable experience, such as after a long or hardworkout, when you can feel the shift of fluids back in toward the center.Sometimes it’s more subtle. Among the other subtle effects are a shift inhormonelevelsinthebodyandthedilationofbloodvesselsintheupperbody.These restorative poses will help your entire back settle down, releasing thetension that accumulatesduring thecourseofyourworkoutandyourday, andtheywill help broaden your chest, undoing the closing off that happenswhenyour hands are on the handlebars, the keyboard, or the steering wheel, andrecreatingspaceforyourbreath.

Ina restorativepose,you’llhaveplentyof time tobe still andnoticeyourbreath.Letitflowfreelyinandout,expandingyourchest,changingtheshapeofyourabdomenoninhalation,andsettlinginonexhalation.Letyourbreathbethefocus of your awareness. This focus—on relaxation—can be tough, though.Ultrarunner Charlie Engle admits, “When I go into that yoga class, even therelaxing ishard forme, that’smypersonality. It takes full concentration todoyoga, while running ismindless forme. It’s actually harder than running.” Ifyourthoughtsdrifttoothersubjects,notice,andturnyourattentionbacktoyourbreath.Thiswillelicittherelaxationresponse(seeChapter17formore)aswellasimproveyourabilitytofocus.

Youdon’tneedtobe“doingyoga”forthebenefitsofarestorativepracticetowork.Manyathletesarriveatarestorativeprocessspontaneously,bylisteningtotheir bodies.UltrarunnerKeithStraw,whoholds a24-hourpersonal recordof137miles,hasamantra:“WhenIrun,Irun.WhenI’mnotrunning,Irest.”Hesays,“IspendhourslyingdownwithmylegsdrapedoverayogaballwatchingrerunsofLawandOrder.”Thissimpleapproachtoinversioncanworkwonders.Top-rankedmastersroadcyclistEvieEdwardshasapost-raceroutineinvolvingyogainversions:“Backatthehotelroom,Ihavemyyogablock.Ilieonitonthefloor,putitundermyhipsandfocusonmybreathing,ortalktofolksandgive

themmyraceupdateswithmylegsproppeduponthewall.”Runner’s World editor and ultrarunner Jennifer Van Allen testifies to the

benefits of yoga: “I feel it’s an integral part of my ability to recover.” Shebelievesyogakeepshermuscleslooseandsuppleandincreasestheirpliability.“Ifeelyogaisapreventativewaytojumpstarttherecoveryprocess,”shesays.

WHATYOUNEEDHere are some restorative poses you can do at home. For the full experience,you’ll want to gather props to support yourself. These props include a fewblankets or beach towels, a pillowor two, and an eyebag (a lightlyweightedpillowtocoveryoureyes,widelyavailable).Blockscanbehandyriserstoboosttheheightofyourbolsters.Ayogastrapcanbeuseful,too.Ifyouhaveaccesstoasandbag(youcanbuythemonline),itcanaddtoyourexperienceofsettlingin.Handypeoplecansewtheirownsandbagbymakinganenvelopeabout6inchesby18inchesandinsertingasealedplasticbagfilledwithplaygroundsandfromthehardwarestore.

You’llneedquietspaceforyouryogapractice.Ideally,you’llbeawayfromelectronics, which can beep and distract you, and out of view of your homeoffice,pets,andchildren.

Finally,you’llneeda timer.Akitchentimerworks,but itcanhaveaharshalarmsound.Variousalarmsoncellphonesmightworkbetter.Ifyoucansetachime to ringevery fiveminutes,you’llbeable to countoffyour timeand tochange thepositionofyourhead inposeswhereyou’re facedown.The timerwillkeepyouintheposefortherightamountoftime,anditwillwakeyouupshouldyoufallasleep.Itmayalsohelpyourelax,knowingthetimerisrunningand that you don’t need to pay attention to how long you’ve been in a pose.Instead,you’llfocusonjustbeinginthepose,breathing,andlettinggo.

POSESTheposesdescribedherecanbestrungtogetherinordertomakeafullroutine.Orchoosetheonesthatfeelbestforyoutocreateashorterpractice.Whenyoupractice the full routine, you’ll take your spine through six planes ofmotion:forward folding, backward bending, side bending in either direction, andtwistingineitherdirection.Whencreatingashorterpractice,besuretobalance

any forward foldingwith backward bending and to twist or side bend to bothsidesuntilyoufeeleven.

Ineachofthese,you’relookingforthesensationofcomfortandsupport—notadeepstretch.Justasyouractiverecoveryworkoutsshouldbeverylight,soshouldyourrestorativeyogaposes.Ifyoumakeittoointense,youarechangingfromarestorativepracticetoaflexibilitypractice,justasworkingtoohardinanactiverecoveryworkoutchangesittoanenduranceworkout.

LegsuptheWallForlegsupthewall,you’llneedawalloraclosedandlockeddoor.Astackofafewblankets,arolloftowels,orayogabolstercanenhancethepose.

At its simplest, the posewill take an L shape,with your back against thefloor and your legs up thewall. Getting there can be tricky. Sitwith one hipagainstthewall,thenswingyourselfaroundsothatyourspinerestsonthefloorand your legs are propped on the wall. If your hamstrings allow, scoot yourbottomall theway to thewall or baseboard. If you find your ham strings aretight,youcankeepyourbottomafewinchesfromthewall,buttobesureyouaren’thyperextendingyourknees,keeptheminaslightbend.Takeyourarmstoapositionthatfeelscomfortable.ThiscouldaninvertedV,outtoaT,inanopenYoverhead,orsplitintoaW.Whereveryourarmsare,rollyourpalmstowardtheceilingtohelpopenyourchestandshoulders.

Ifyouhavepropsonhand,youcanmakethispose intoagentlesupportedbackbend(Figure16.1).Layyourbolster,pillow,orarectangularfoldedblanketsoitslongerendrunsparalleltothewallandafewinchesawayfromit.Sittingon the prop, slide your legs up thewall and let your entire pelvis rest on thecushion.The prop should support your lower back fullywhile stretching yourribcage.Ifyoufeellikeyou’vegottoostrongacurveinyourneck,addarolledblanketunderyourhead.Ifyouhaveaneyebag,tryputtingitoveryoureyesorsimplyonyourforehead.Ifyouhaveasandbag,itcanrestontopofyourfeettosettleyourlegstowardtheground.(Youcanstartwithitasyoupushyourlegsupthewall,orhaveafriendadditonceyou’reinplace.)

Stayin thispositionforagoodwhile—10minutesorupto20, ifyoucan.Shouldyourlegsfallasleep,simplybendyourkneestowardyourchestforafewbreathsandrepositionthem.Ifyourlegswon’tstaytogether,youcanuseayogastrap to tie them together loosely. This is a good place to experiment witheconomyofform.Useonlyasmuchenergyasyouneedtoholdyourlegsupthewall.Try relaxing entirely.Worst-case scenario:Your legswill slidedown thewall,andyou’llhavetorepositionthem.Notaproblem!

LegsonaChairA variation on legs up thewall involves placing your calves on the seat of achair, on a sofa, or on a coffee table (Figure 16.2). Bending the knees willalleviatestrainontheback,sothisisaniceoptionifyourlowerbackorkneesdon’tdowell inafullversionof legsup thewall.Dependingon the lengthofyour femurs, youmay need to add some padding to the support beneath yourcalves.Makesureyourbackisrestinghappilyonthegroundandimprovisewithpropsifyoufeeltheywillsupportyourrelaxationhere.Astayof10minutesormoreisideal,andaneyebagisanicetouch.

SupportedChild’sPoseInsupportedchild’spose,you’llgetareleaseforyourlowerbackandagentlestretch foryourhamstrings, quadriceps, andankles.Remember, this shouldbeonlythegentlestofstretches;propyourselfupifitfeelstoointense,especiallyiftheintensityisinyourknees.

Withabolsterrunningverticallyinfrontofyouandsomepaddingbeneathyour legs (this could be carpeting, a yogamat, or a blanket), take your kneeswidewhilekeepingyourbig toes together.Holdingyourhipsoveryourheels,leanyourbellytothesupportandsettlein(Figure16.3).Ifyoufeeltoomuchofastretch,addalayerortwotothesupport.Youcanalsoaddablanketbetweenyourcalvesandthighs,toalleviatepressureontheknees.Ifafriendisonhandtohelpyou,havehimorherplacethesandbagacrossthebackofyourpelvis.

Startwithonesideofyourheadonthebolster,andafterfiveminutes,turntotheotherside.Yourtimercanhelpyouhere,especiallyifyoucansetaninterimchime.Whenthetimergoesoff,turnyourheadtothesecondside,andwhenitgoesoffagain,eitherstayforanotherintervalormovetoanotherpose.

SupportedProneTwistThe supported prone twist is a lovely pose thatwrings tension from the spinewhileofferingagentle stretch to theouterhip, enhancedby theweightof thebody sinking into the pose.To take this shape, sit ononehip, knees bent andtouching, with a bolster or stack of blankets running perpendicular to yourthighs.Takeyourhandstoeithersideofthebolster,drawyourspinelong,andthenslowlyloweryourbellydowntothesupport(Figure16.4).Youmightpropyourselfuponyourelbows,dependingontheheightofyourprops,oryoucouldplaceyourarmsanywherethatfeelscomfortable.

Aswithsupportedchild’spose,youcanchoosehowtopositionyourhead.Facinginthesamedirectionasyourlegswillgiveyouamoregentleexperience.Turningyourheadawayfromyourlegswillgiveafullertwistbutmightfeeltoointense.Letyourbodyandyourbreathbeyourguide. Ifyourchosenpositioncausesanystressorstrainoraffectsyourbreathing,you’llneed tochangeandreposition yourself into a more comfortable position. Spending at least fiveminutes here is good; 10minutes is better. Repeat the pose on the other sidewhenyouaredonewiththefirst.

SupportedSupineTwistThesupportedsupinetwistwilltakeyousunny-side-up.Whileitwillaffectyourhipslessthanthesupportedpronetwist,itwillencouragemoreopennessinyourchest.Lieonyourbackwithabolsteror foldedblanketoneither sideofyou.Reachoneleglongandbendtheother,droppingtheinnerkneeofthisbentlegto thepillowatyour side.You’ll roll all theway to thehipof the straight leg(Figure16.5).

Checkthatthispositionisgentleandrelaxing.Ifitis,reachyourarmsintoaTposition,proppingoneorbothofthemonblanketsifthatfeelsbest.Aswiththeprevioustwist,youcanturnyourheadeitherway,orsimplyfaceupwithaneutralneckpositionfor5to10minutes.

SupportedBackbendIfyouhave timeforonlyonerestorativeyogapose inaday, thisonemakesagoodchoice.(Andifyouhavetimefortwo,couplethiswithlegsupthewall.)

It’sworth taking the time to carefully set up your supported backbend, sothat you can receive maximum benefits from this wonderfully restorativeposition.Itwillundothehunchsomanyofuscarryfromourdeskjobsandourtraining,itwillcreatespaceacrossthechestandribcageforfreerbreathing,anditsopen-heartedpositionwillbedeeplyrelaxingandaffirming.

Ifyouhaveablockortwoonhand,setthemintoaTpositionsothattheycanpropuponeendofyourbolster.Sityourhipsattheotherend,andreclineagainst thebolster.Yourheadwillbe slightlyelevated,butyourchincan staylow.Spreadyourarmsout.Iftheydangleinspace,supportthemonpillowsorblankets.

Your legs could rest in a numberof different positionshere. If your lowerbackfeels tender,keepyourkneesbentandthesolesofyourfeetonthefloor.You could even support them from below, if you have enough props. If yourbackisn’tcomplaining,youcanstretchyourlegslonginfrontofyou.Or,foragentlereleaseoftheinnerthighs,takethesolesofthefeettogether,kneesbent,anddropyourknees to either side, ideallyontocushions (Figure16.6). If youlike this leg position (baddha konasana, bound angle pose, often called“cobbler”),butyourlegsareslidingawayfromyou,youcanholdthemsteadybydrapingasandbagacrossyourfeet.Alternatively,looselytiethemtogetherby takingyourstrapbehindyourback,overyour thighsandcalves,andunderyourfeet.Thestrapcanconnectoverone thigh,soyoucanadjust it tighterorlooserwithahand.Stayinthissupportedbackbendforaslongasyoucan,upto20minutes.

SupportedSideBendTakingaverygentlelateralstretchoveryourbolsterwillreleasethemusculaturearound your shoulders and open the intercostal muscles between your ribs,creatingmorespaceforbreathing.

Restononehipwithapileofblankets,orabolsterandablanket,atyourside. Lay the side of your body onto this support as you stretch both armsoverhead, likeasynchronizedswimmer takingasidedive into thewater.Yourpalmscanmeet,oryoucanholdthefingersofthetoparmwiththepalmofthebottomarm.Yourheadrelaxesagainsttheinsideofyourlowerarmoragainstasupport, if you prefer (Figure 16.7). Stay here for five or more minutes,practicing relaxedbutdeepbreathing, expandingyour ribcage.Then repeatonthesecondside.

SupportedBridgeBridge pose is an important pose for athletes, and it is often prescribed inphysicaltherapy.Itstretchesthehipflexors,engagesthehamstringsandglutealmuscles, and strengthens the back muscles. This version, a supported one,requiresnomuscularenergy.Itwillopenthechestinagentlebackbend,givingthehipflexorstimetoreleaseslowly.

You can do this pose using a yoga block or a pillow. Each will yield aslightlydifferentexperience.Tousetheblock,lieonyourbackwithyourkneesbentandyourfeetclosetoyoursittingbones.Liftyourhipsandplacetheblockhorizontallyunderneathyourpelvis—aninchor twobelowthenaturalwaist isprobablytherightplace.Startwiththeblockatmediumheightandliftithigheronlyifyoufeelreallysupportedthere.Youcanwalkyourfeetawayfromyouifthat feels good. Stay for a fewminutes, letting your chest open and your hipflexors release (Figure 16.8).When you are ready tomove on, lift your hips,removetheblock,andspendafewbreathsrestingflatonthefloor.

To rest on a pillow, lay it vertically along your spine and slide back untilyourshoulderbladesareonthegroundandyourribcageisspreading.Thepillowshouldsupportyoufromthemidbacktothepelvis.Ifyourlegswon’tstayinaneutralposition,youcan layasandbagover themorstrap themtogether.Restyourarmsalongsidethepillow,palmsup.Stayforafewminutes,andwhenyouaredone,slidebackwardoffthepillowandrestonthefloorforafewbreaths.

SupportedCorpsePoseCorpse pose offers awonderful position for rest: It is the ultimate do-nothingposition.Whileitistraditionallypracticedlyingflatontheground,addingpropscanmakeitamorerestfulexperienceandwillkeepyoucomfortableforlonger.

Addingasupportbeneathyourkneesorcalves(abolsterorafoldedorrolledblanket)willhelpyourlowerbacksettleintotheground.Experimentwiththesetwodifferentpositions:Withthesupportunderyourknees,yourheelscantouchtheground;withthesupportunderyourcalves,yourheelsmayhangintheair.

A sandbag placed horizontally across the pelvis, a few inches beneath thewaist,canprovidecomfortingweight.Lighterweightscanhelpkeepthefingersspread as thepalms faceupward; an eyebag cando the trick.Aneyebagonyoureyesorspreadacrossyourforeheadisalsoanicetouch.Finally,consideralightpillowofafewthicknessesoffoldedblanket(Figure16.9).

Onceeverythingissetup,stayhereforagoodlongwhile.Inyoga,weusethisruleofthumb:Take5–10minutesofcorpseposeforeveryhourofphysicalpractice.Thisworksfortraining,too.Ifyou’vefinishedathree-hoursession,30minutes of restorative yoga, including corpse pose,will help you feel relaxedandbalanced.

QUICKTIPSRestorativeposes,heldfor5to20minutesatatime,giveyourbodyandmindachancetorelaxandbeginrestoration.Aquietroomandafewpropswillenhanceyourrestorativeyogaexperience.Themorerestlessyoufeel,themoreyouneedtostayandrelax.

REFERENCESANDFURTHERREADINGRountree,S.2008.TheAthlete’sGuidetoYoga:AnIntegratedApproachtoStrength,Flexibility,andFocus.

Boulder,CO:VeloPress.———. 2009.The Athlete’s Pocket Guide to Yoga: 50 Routines for Strength, Flexibility, and Balance.

Boulder,CO:VeloPress.

MEDITATION,WHETHERDONEinconjunctionwithapracticeofyogaposesorasastand-alone event, gives you the time and space to see things as they are.Anincreasedawarenessofthestateofyourbeingwillhelpyoubecomeawareofthestateofyour recoveryandwill showyouwhenyouneed to takeanothereasyday,aswellaswhenyouarereadytopush.Suchself-awarenesswillhelpyouavoidovertrainingandreachpeakperformance.Manyof theeliteathletesI’vetalked with say they don’t really track their metrics per se; they “just know”whentheyaretiredandneedalittletimeoff.MattFitzgerald’sbookRun:TheMind-BodyMethodofRunningbyFeelisfullofsimilaranecdotesandexplainshow to rely on your intuition as you train.Meditation can help develop yourintuitionbybuildingyourmindfulnessaboutthestateofyourbodyandyourlifeinthepresentmoment.Themorehonedyourself-awareness,thebetteryoucanunderstand the state of your body’s recovery and can thus pushwhenyou areready andpull backwhenyouneed rest.Although it need not be a conscious

contemplationofyourgoals,meditationcangiveyoutheclarityandthetoolstocheckyourgoalsandconfirmthattheyareappropriateforyouandthestageyouhavereachedinyourtraining,career,relationships,andlife.

Research at the School of Medicine at the University of California–LosAngelesshowsthatlong-termmeditatorsexhibitchangesinthestructureoftheirbrains(Ludersetal.2009).Thesechangestotheorbito-frontalandhippocampalregionsincreasemeditators’controlofpositiveemotionsandemotionalstability—important attributes for athletes. Other research at Stanford University,MassachusettsGeneralHospital, theUniversityofNorthCarolina–ChapelHill,and theUniversity ofMichigandemonstrates behavioral effects: Subjectswhopracticemeditationfeelbetter,morefocused,andmoremindful(seeMcGonigal2010).

Meditation andbreathing exerciseswill enhanceyour recovery.Physically,eventakingafewminutestositandscanyourbodywillhelptoremovetensionfrom the muscles and make space for improved blood flow. Meditation andbreathing exercises calm your central nervous system, helping you feel morerelaxed,undoingsomeofthenegativephysiologicaleffectsofstressfultrainingand life. And psychologically, meditation and careful breathing will help youfeel calm and in control.Meditation and breathing exercises can also enhanceyourendurance,bygivingyoutoolstoremainattentiveevenwhenyourbodyisachingoryourmindisagitated.

SIMPLEMEDITATIONTECHNIQUESTherearemyriadapproachestomeditation,withbothreligiousandnonreligiousorigins.Youneednoparticular faith tomeditate beyond a faith in theprocessitself.And this faith is importantbecausemeditation ishard.We’reconstantlylearningabout thedistractedstateofourownminds,broughtface-to-facewithhowtheyjumpfromthoughttothought.Thisisnotaproblem;itistheprocessitself. Our goal is an awareness of the nature of our minds, not a completesilencingofthem.Weperceivethetumultuousstateofourminds,butwedon’tengage with these roiling thoughts. Instead, we return to the task at hand,whetheritbeconcentrationorobservation.

Here are three simple approaches to meditation. They will all work toenhanceyourawarenessofyourbodyandmind,soeachwillworkforrecovery.Youmightstartwithcountingmeditation,asitisveryaccessible.Onceyouare

comfortable with that, move on to mantra meditation or simply sitting inawarenessandobservation.Foreachoftheseapproaches,you’llwanttofindacomfortable seat. If sitting on a cushion on the floorworks for you, fantastic.Youcansitcross-leggedorinthe“easysit”positionfromyoga,inwhichyourkneesgowideandyourheels lineupwith themidlineofyourbody.Orkneelwith a yoga block supporting your sitting bones like a cruiser bike saddle. Ifyourhipsaretight,yourkneestwinge,oryourbackaches,sitinachair(Figure17.1).Justbesureyouareupright, insteadofleaningbackinthechair,sothatyoudon’tstrainyourback.Youcankeepyoureyesopenandfocusasoftgazeonthewallorthefloor,oryoucancloseyoureyes.Don’tliedown.Ifyou’retoocomfortable, you’ll fall asleep, and while sleep is critical to your recovery,meditationisaboutconsciousness,notunconsciousness.Ofcourse,ifyoucan’tstayawake,sleepmaybemoreimportantthanmeditation.

Aimtositforapredeterminedlengthoftime,sothatyoudon’tgiveupatthefirsthintofdifficulty. (Itwillbe tough;expect a challenge.)Fiveminutes is agoodstartingpoint,andyoucanbuildto20oreven30.Fromthere,youmight

add a secondmeditation each day.Working onweekly volume, you could trymeditatingeachdayforXminutes,whereXisthenumberofhoursyoutrainperweek.Ifyoucan’tmaketimetomeditatedaily,aimforfourorfivedaysaweek.I’vefoundthebenefitsofadaily20-minutesittingmeditationtobeverydeep,bringingme greater presence ofmind and equanimity duringworkouts, races,andlife.

CountingMeditationCounting meditation makes a good starting point as you begin a meditationpractice. There are all kinds of patterns you can use. As you get started, trycounting down from 30 to 1, assigning a number to each inhalation and eachexhalation.Thus,you’d inhaleand think,30,andexhale thinking29.With thenext roundofbreath, count28 and27, and continue until you reach1. You’llprobably find yourself distracted before you get to single digits, and that’snormal.Justgobackto30andstartagain.

Once the countdown is easy, you can advance by starting from a highernumber or by assigning a number to a complete round of inhalation andexhalation.Thus,you’dinhale30andexhale30,inhale29andexhale29,andsoon.Eventually,you’llgetto1andcansit,internallyrepeating1ordroppingthecountingentirely.

Alternatively,countupfrom1to10andrepeat.Orcountbyfives,orcountdown from 100. The numbers aren’t important: What matters is the task offocusingyourmind,catchingitwhenitwanders,andredirectingittotheworkathand.

MantraMeditationTheRelaxationResponse,Dr.HerbertBenson’sbreakthroughbestsellerontheeffectofmeditationonthemindandbody,prescribesaverysimpleandhighlyeffective, clinically proven approach tomeditation. Benson’s directions are tochoose a “word, sound, phrase, prayer, or muscular activity” and to repeat itfromarelaxedpositionwithoutattachmenttooutcome.Whenyouaredistracted,passivelynoticethatandreturntotherepetition.

This form of mantra meditation is loosely based on the technique ofTranscendental Meditation, whose practitioners Benson studied. While theTranscendentalMeditationapproachinvolvesthepersonalassignmentofasecretmantra,orphrase,forrepetition,Bensonfoundthatanywordwoulddo.Wordsthat carry personal meaning can be especially useful, as they will hold your

attentionlongerthanabstractneutralwordsorphrases.Bensonsuggestssimplyrepeating “One.” You might choose “calm,” “peace,” or any other word orphrasethatresonateswithyou.

Bestofall,Bensonaddressesthepracticeofmovingmeditation,atraditionwithinsomeEasternfaiths,withastronglineageinBuddhism.Hedoesthisinawaythatshouldresonatewithanyenduranceathlete:

Ifyouarejoggingorwalking,payattentiontothecadenceofyourfeetontheground—“left,right,left,right”—andwhenotherthoughtscomeintoyourmind,say“Oh,well,”andreturnto“left,right,left,right.”Ofcourse,keepyoureyesopen!Similarly,swimmerscanpayattention tothetempooftheirstrokes,cycliststothewhirofthewheels,dancerstothebeatof themusic,others to the rhythmof theirbreathing. (Benson2000,xx)

Youmayhave foundyourself slipping into thismeditative state,whichwesometimescall flow, at times inyour training. In fact, it’softenwhatkeepsuscomingbacktooursports, thesensationofbeingpresentwithandthroughtherepetitiveactivity.

Workingwithamantrawhilesittingwillmakeworkingwithamantrawhilemovingeasier,andyou’llprobablycatchyourselfusingmantrarepetitionduringmanyofyourworkoutsandraces.

ObservationMeditationAmoregeneral—andperhapsharder—formofmeditation is to simply sit andnoticewhatishappening.Thoughtswillariseandsubside,andyourtaskistoletthempassthroughyourmindwithoutgettingcaughtupinthem.Whenyoufindyourself getting tied into the thoughts, you simply notice that engagement,disengage,andreturntosimpleobservation.

Suchmeditation is sometimes likened towatching clouds pass against thesky.Butwedon’tengagewithcloudsinthesamewaywedowithourthoughts.I’vefoundtwophysicalanalogiesworkreallywell.Atmyyogastudio,oneofourroomsisdirectlyoverarestaurant.Duringlunchanddinnerservice,wecanhear the voices of the patrons on the floor below.We can tell that people aretalking,butwecan’tquitehearwhat they’resaying. Ifwewanted tobendourears to theground,wecouldprobablymakeoutwordsandsentences,but that

would be a lot of work. Instead, we continue with our practice upstairs,recognizing the conversation happening below. Similarly, when I teach at theUniversityofNorthCarolinaWellnessCenter,Iliketohavemystudentsfacethewallofglassbrickthatseparatesthestudiofromtheindoortrack.Peoplepassbyonthetrack,atvariousspeedsandsometimeswithinterestingclothingorgaits.Wenoticethemthroughtheglassbrick,whichblurstheirimages,andwewatchthempass by. Ifwe really needed to talk to them,we could go out and catchthem, justaswecould rundownstairs into the restaurantbelow thestudioandgrab someone whose voice we recognized. Instead, we cultivate a passiveattitude.Withoutdenyingthewalkersandrunnersonthetrack,wenoticethem,wewatchthempassby,andtheyaregone.

MINDFULBREATHINGLearninghowtobreatheandpracticingrelaxeddiaphragmaticbreathingiseasy.And once you’ve learned this skill, it’s available to you virtually all the time,whether you’re training, meditating, working, or lying down to sleep. Thesedeep breaths stimulate the vagus nerve and help engage the parasympatheticnervous system, starting the relaxation response, calming you down, andfacilitatingrecovery.

In addition, deep, mindful breathing can have an antioxidant effect. AnItalian study (Martarelli et al. 2009) shows that purposeful diaphragmaticbreathingandconcentrationonthebreathhelpeddecreasecortisolandincreasemelatonin in athletes,meaning it reduced the oxidative stress exercise puts onthebody.Spending some time focusingonyourbreathing—the athletes in thestudyspentanhour,butyoucandoless—willhaveadirect,positiveeffectonyourrecovery.

Sports psychologist Kate Hays teaches diaphragmatic breathing to herathletes“becauseitultimatelybecomesthefastestwaythatonecanregulatethelevelof arousal,whether to increaseor,moreoften, todecreaseone’s leveloftension. All kinds of things can be attached to it, images, mood words,cognitions.”Yourbreathingpracticecanthusbepartofyourmentaltraining.Itcanalsosetthemoodformeditation,oritcanbeastand-alonepractice.

Theeasiestpositionforlearningthisdeepbreathingislyingonyourback,sothatyoucanfeeltheactionsofthebreathmoreeasily.Ifyourlowerbackdoesn’tfeel good as you rest with your legs straight, bend your knees. You can also

supportyourlegswithapillowortwo.ApositionlikethesupportedbackbenddescribedinChapter16isanothergoodchoiceforbreathingawareness,becauseitopenstheribcageandmakesmoreroomforyourbreath.

From this comfortable reclining position, begin by simply observing howyourbreathmovesinthespaceofyourbody.Whatareasmoveasyoubreathein? In what direction do they move? In what order? And what happens onexhalation?How does exhalationmirror the action of inhalation, and how dotheydiffer?

Nowplaceonehandonyourbelly,overyournavel,and theotheronyourchest, above your heart.Can you feel action under and on either side of yourhands?Observe thatmovement for a fewbreaths. Imagine that your abdomenand thorax are divided into three chambers. The first chamber is your belly,beneathyour lowerhand.Asyou inhale,yourdiaphragmdropsdown,bulgingyourabdomenandcreatingnegativeairpressurethatdrawsairintoyourlungs.You’llfeelthespacebetweenyourhands—thesecondchamber—expandasyourlungs fill.Andat thevery topof each inhalation, bringyour awareness to thethirdchamber,thespaceaboveyourtophand,whereyourupperchestexpandsand your collarbone lifts. Paying closer attention, you might feel the actionhappeninginallthreeareassimultaneously.Physically,ofcourse,airisenteringfromthetopdown.Canyoufeelthat?Andcanyoufeel,ontheotherhand,thattheactionisinitiatedfromthediaphragm?Thisthree-partbreathfullyengagesthemusclesofrespirationandleadstoaveryfullinhalation.You’llfeelareleasefrom each of these areas as you exhale, probably from the top to the bottom,although it could be in a reverse order, bottom to top, or from all three areassimultaneously.Placeyourhandsbyyoursidesandfollowthissameaction.

Imagineyourselflyingonthebeach.Yourbreathisawavethatlapsoveryoufrom thebottomofyourbelly to the topofyour chest as it comes in.Asyouexhale,thewaverecedesfromthetoptothebottomandthewatersettlesintothespacesbetweenthegrainsofsand.

Onceyou’recomfortablewiththemechanismofhowyourbreathmovesinthespaceofyourbody,youcanstarttoplaywithvariousbreathratios,changinghowthebreathmovesinyourbodyacrosstime.First,noticewhathappensatthetopofeachinhalation,beforetheexhalationbegins.There’saslightpausethere,amomentwherethebreathisneithercomingnorgoing,justaswhenthewaveislappingon theshorebutyoucan’t tellwhichdirection it’smoving.Pausehereforjustabeatandthenreturntoafullexhalation.Attheotherendofthebreath,noticethecorrelatingpausebetweenexhalationandinhalation—amomentlike

that when the next wave hasn’t yet begun its progress to shore. Suspend thebreathhere,too,andletthatbriefpauseechothepauseyouinsertedatthetopofinhalation. Continue with this pattern: inhale; rest in fullness; exhale; rest inemptiness.Afterafewrounds,returntoanaturallylongbreathandobservehowyoufeel.

Next,begintodrawoutyourexhalation.Youcandothiswithorwithoutthebrief retention after inhalation and exhalation. Extending the exhalation willstimulateyourvagusnerve,helpingslowyourpulseandcalmyoudownfurther.Imagine it as an outgoing tide—each exhalation lasts slightly longer than theinhalation that preceded it. You can measure this qualitatively, letting eachexhalationfeellongerthanyourinhalations,oryoucanquantifybycountingthebeats of inhalation and the beats of exhalation and letting the exhalationsmeasureafewbeatslongerthantheinhalations.Continueforafewrounds,thenreturntoacomfortablylongbreath.Observehowyoufeel.

Come back to this relaxed breathing throughout your day. The more youpractice, the more you’ll be able to return to this natural, full breath. Breathawarenessteachesbodyawareness,andbodyawarenessiscriticalforbothyourrecoveryandyoursuccessasanathlete.SportpsychologyconsultantandformerprofessionalcyclistKristinKeimsays,“Itwouldbenefitmoreathletes insleepand recovery if they took more time to properly stretch, breathe, center, andharness their awareness to their body.You can tell a huge difference betweenpros and amateurs by the level of psychological and physiological awarenesstheyhaveoftheirownbodies.”

QUICKTIPSAfewminutesofmeditationonmostdayscanimproveyourrecoveryandyourendurance.Thegoalofmeditationisnottostopthinking;it’stobecomeawareofthethinkingandtoreturntofocuswithoutgettingsweptupinthought.Relaxedbreathingcanaccompanymeditationorbeastand-alonepractice.

REFERENCESANDFURTHERREADINGBenson,H.2000.TheRelaxationResponse.NewYork:HarperCollins.

Fitzgerald,M.2010.Run:TheMind-BodyMethodofRunningbyFeel.Boulder,CO:VeloPress.Luders,E.,A.W.Toga,N.Lepore,andC.Gaser.2009.“TheUnderlyingAnatomicalCorrelatesofLong-

TermMeditation: LargerHippocampal and FrontalVolumes ofGrayMatter.”NeuroImage 45: 672–678.

Martarelli,D.,M.Cocchioni,S.Scuri,andP.Pompei.2009.“DiaphragmaticBreathingReducesExercise-InducedOxidativeStress.”Evidence-BasedComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine,availableonlineatecam.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/nep169.

McGonigal,K.2010.“YourBrainonMeditation.”YogaJournal(August):68–70,92–98.

INTHISPARTOFTHEBOOK,we’llintegratetheelementsfromtheprecedingparts.The followingchapters lookat recovery routines to targetvarious trainingandrace distances.Depending on your age, your historywith the sport, the effortexpended in the race, and the sport itself—specifically, howmuch running itinvolvesandhencehowmuchimpactitplacesonyourlegs—yourownrecoverychoicesandtheamountoftimeyourrecoverytakescanvarywidely.

Rememberingthattimeisthemostimportantrecoverytool,let’stakealookat factors that contribute to your recovery time. One rule of thumb used forrunningdictatesrunningeasyforXdaysafteryourrace,whereXisthenumberofmiles run.Butwe can finesse this further (and includeother sports beyondrunning)bybasingtimetorecoverontimespentracing.U.S.OlympictriathloncoachGaleBernhardtestimates thatabike race requires1–3daysperhourofracingdone,atriathlonrequires3–5daysperhourofracingdone,andarunningracerequires4–6daysperhourofracingdone.Myexperience,andthoseofmyathletes,bears thisout,and it’samuchmorebroadlyapplicablescale than theusualruleofthumbthatmetesoutadayofrecoveryforeachmileruninarace.

The tables inAppendixB specifyhow the conversionsgiven abovewouldapplytovariouscommonracedistancesandtimes.

Bernhardt also created a table weighting the subjective factors that affecttimetorecoverafterarace.WorkingfromTable18.1,youcanfurtherpredictthetime until full recovery by seeing howmany scores you have in the 2 and 3columns.Themoreyouhave,thelongeryoucanexpectrecoverytotake.Ifyou

windupinjuredorsickaftertherace,thatfurtherprolongsyourrecoverytime—perhaps even beyond the slower-recovery range given in Tables B.1–B.4.Lookingatthetable,you’llknowwhethertoexpectrecoverytoslidetowardtheshorterorthelongerendofthescale.

You’ll see from Bernhardt’s table the importance of managing stress both

before and after the race, and the importance of nutrition before, during, andafter the race.Theseare factorswithinyourcontrol.Alsowithinyourcontrol,with some long-term planning, is your training: the level of conditioning youbring to the race, thecareyou take inyour taper, andyourefforton raceday,whichmostdirectlyaffects recovery time.Wiseprogressionoveracareerwillbuildyourathleticexperienceinthesportandyourabilityatvariousdistances,aswell as your ability to eat anddrink andpaceyourself correctly during therace.Whileweatherconditionsareobviouslyoutofyourcontrolcomeraceday,theworkoutsyoudointheweekaftertheeventaresurelyinyourcontrol.Don’tjettisonyourrecoverybyrushingbacktotrainingtooquickly.

Managingthesecontrollablefactorsisthesignofawell-balancedathlete.Ifyoucankeepyournutritionup,yourstressdown,andyourtrainingprogressiveandbalanced,you’relikelytorecoverwell.AsphysiologistBillSandstoldme,“There is nothing powerful enough in the recovery area to overcome stupidcoaching,badplanning,andnotalent.Periodizeproperly,trainintelligently,eatright, and have a smart coach.” Once you have these lifestyle elements inbalance,youcanfocusontheotherrecoverytechniquescoveredinPart2ofthisbooktoenhanceyourrecovery.Inthefinalchaptersofthisbook,we’llseehowthesetechniquesmightfitintoatimeline.

Remember that your recovery is relative to your experience. JamieDonaldson, first female and third overall at the 2010Badwater ultramarathon,remembers: “When I first started ultras, it took me months to recover. Forexample,whenIdidtheBadwaterultramarathonin2007,Icouldn’tevenrunfora month afterward. In 2009, I completed Badwater and was able to runcompetitively in the Leadville Trail 100mile less than threeweeks later. Thetrainingyouput inaheadof timeisalmostas important toyourrecoveryastowhatyoudoaftertherace.”Yourbodywillrespondtothedemandsoftheeventrelative to your past experience, whether you ever achieve elite status likeDonaldson’s.ThismeansthattheguidelinesinTablesB.1–B.4aremerelythat—guidelines.

Gordo Byrn, endurance coach and coauthor of Going Long, agrees.“Recoveryafterracesisreallyindividual,”hesays.“Someoneunderalotoflifestress might take six months to recover from a half-Ironman, while an eliteathletemightbebacktorelativelynormaltraininginfourorfivedays.”

Themore your body is conditioned to the demands of your sport and themoretimesyougothroughtheroutinesofrecovery,thequickeryourbodywilladapt and respond and the sooner youwill be ready to resume training—to a

point.As you age, you’ll need to take care to follow your body’s cues.Whatworkedfiveyearsagomightnotbeenoughnow;recoverytimeswilllengthenasyouage.

ELEMENTSTOINCLUDEYEAR-ROUNDBeyond the time you spend following the protocols listed in the next twochapters,herearesomeelementsthatwillaidyourrecoveryandyourtraining,alongwithasuggestionoffrequency.Choosetheelementsthatapplytoyouandthatyoucankeepupwithregularly.

DailyLogyourworkoutsandrecoverymetrics.Makeapointtospendtimefocusingonelementsbesidestraining.Napand/orfocusongettingenoughnightlysleep.Eatahealthy,varieddiet.Drinktartcherryjuice,8–16ounces.Takeanomega-3supplement,about1,000mgofEHA/DHAcombined,or1tablespoonflaxseed,or1teaspoonflaxseedoil.Drawawarmbath,withEpsomsaltsifyoulike.Maketimeformeditationand/orrestorativeyogaposes,especiallylegsupthewall.

WeeklyCheck inwithyour log, realigningwithyourgoals and assessingoverallstresslevel.Tweakasneeded.Afterhardworkouts,putonrecoverysocksandusetheNormaTec,ifyouhaveaccesstoone.Sitinthewhirlpoolbriefly;spaceyourvisitfarapartfromhardworkouts.Performself-massage3–4timesaweek.Schedule a massage with a therapist weekly or biweekly, depending onneedsandbudget.Do a longer, restorative yoga session 2–3 times aweek at home or at astudio.

Monthly

Meetwithasportspsychologisttodiscussyourgoalsandmentalskills.Meetwithasportsdietitiantodiscussyournutrition.

QuarterlyCheckthatyourrunningshoesareingoodshape;ifnot,replacethem.

SemiannuallyAssess your bike fit and equipment, especially if you have changedelementsofyourtraining.Haveyourtechniqueanalyzedbyacoach,especiallyinswimming.

AnnuallyGetacompletephysical,ideallyfromahealthcareproviderfamiliarwithathletes.

RECOVERYBETWEENSEASONSThechaptersthatfollowshowwhattodointhefewhoursanddaysafteratoughworkoutorarace.Beyondthat,youmustallotevenmoretimefordeepphysicalandmentalrecoveryafteryourpeakraceoftheseason.Ifyouarealwaysturningaroundandmovingstraightintothenextcycle,youwillneverachievelong-termrecovery,andeventuallyyouwillshortchangeyourperformance.

Takeat leastoneweek,possibly two together,afteryourpeakeventof theyear.(Betterstill,havetwotransitionweeks,oneafteryourspringpeakandoneafteryourfallpeak.)Duringthistransitiontime,breakoutofyourusualhabits.You might choose to try a different sport or only to walk. Recharging yourbatteries,bothphysiologicallyandpsychologically,willensurethatyoucontinueto enjoyyour training in the next cycle and that you come to your next cyclewiththeappropriatementalandphysicalresources.

Createasmuchdistancefromroutineasyoucaninthistransitionperiod.Itmightcoincidewithavacation—achancetospendmoretimewithyourfamilyand friends—or youmight simply keep your bike packed in its travel box orproppedinthegarage,yourrunningshoeshungtodry.

Herearesomecuesfromultrarunners,whosepeakeventsarerunonagrandscale and thus demand a grand attention to recovery. Kami Semick told me,“Since theultra season is so long, I take an annual break away from running.

Duringthisbreakperiod,Iwilltakeafewdaysofcompleterest(typicallyaftermylastraceoftheseason),thenforthreeorfourweeks,Iwillprimarilyskiforfun(Nordicanddownhill),andpoolrun.Foratotaloffourtosixweeks,IwillnotdoanyqualityrunningeffortsandIwillkeepmyrunsbelowtwohours.”

Restoration happens not only on the physical level. Consider thepsychological elements of recovery between long events, too. UltrarunnerAnnette Bednosky, women’s winner at the 2010 Burning River 100 MileEnduranceRun, says, “Recovering from a focus race is about taking time offmentally asmuch as physically. For instance, [in early 2010] right afterMadCity,Ididjumprightintoanicebathforafifteen-minutesoakaccompaniedbyaglass of wine and then a nap. For the next week, I tried not to think aboutrunning,racing,orfuturetraining.Iexercisedeachday—doingdifferentthings—yetitwasimportantnottohaveanysortofperformanceortrainingfocus.”

Runner’sWorld editor Jennifer VanAllen agrees, and she underscores thepoint thatyoumustbe in tunewithyourgoalsandyourbodysoyoucangiveyourselfwhatyouneed,ratherthanfollowingaprescribedformulatodeterminewhenyouwillberecovered.“Ineverquitefollowthemile-per-dayrule;Ilistentomybodyand figureoutwhat Ineed,” she says. “After I runa race, I’msoexcited,myloveforrunningisatitsheight;it’sthetimewhenIwanttorunthemost,andmybodywillnotcooperate.It’stoughformetoholdback.Ihavetocoachmyself to not get out there, because that’swhen I’mmost fragile.”VanAllen learned this from experience, when she ran four marathons in fourconsecutive weeks in the fall of 2009. “The morning after the RichmondMarathon, Iwanted togetmoving,”sheremembers.“Iwentout,andIwassoenjoyingmyrun indowntownRichmondbut Iwasn’tmovingreallywell.Mygaitwassloppy.Itrippedovercobblestonesandcutmyfaceandelbows.That’sasmallexampleofthedangerofdoingmorethanIwasreadyfor.”

Howlongshouldthisinterseasonrecoveryperiodlast?Here’saneasyrule:Lookatthenumberofhoursyoutrainedinyourpeakweekofvolumeandtakethatmanydaysfreeofstructuredtrainingobjectives.Ifyoumaxedoutat7hoursaweek,aneasyweekwithoutformalworkoutsshouldsuffice.Ifyouregularlytrain20hoursaweek,though,youwilldowelltotakeafullthreeweeks’mentalbreak.

Aswith everything, however, your recovery time depends on your historyandgoals.Aweekortwomightdoafterashorterevent;itmighttakeamonthormoretoregaininterestintrainingafteralongerrace.Considerallthestoriesofpeoplewho don’t ride again formonths following an Ironman (myown story

amongthem—ItransitionedfromtheIronmanintoadistance-runningblockthatincludedtheNewYorkMarathonanda50K,andmybikehungunusedonthegaragewall).Thisisnotatrainingfailure,aslongasyouhaveareasonableraceschedule that won’t have you out again too soon, and provided that you arestayingactiveinothersports.It’sevidencethatyou’re listeningtoyourbody’sneeds and training because you feel passionate about it. When that is yourguiding principle, you’ll have balance in your life, and training will enhanceyourexperience—notdominateit.

THE MOST PRACTICAL recovery technique for you will be the one that youactuallydo.Hence,asyouconsider theserecoveryprotocols, thinkaboutwhatworkswellforyou.Whathaveyoufoundworthyourtimeandmoney?Areyougoodatself-massage,or is itworthpayingamassagetherapist?Doyouswearby ice baths?Would you never travelwithout your compression socks, or areyou a minimalist? Select from the elements of the protocols laid out here todeviseaplan thatwillwork foryou. Iofferbotha full-featuredversionandafast-fixversion.Figures19.1and19.2showthefull-featuredversioningrayandthefast-fixoptionsinblue.

Howyoudefine“short”dependsonyourindividualhistory.Forthepurposesof this chapter, we’ll call short races those lasting under two hours, or, forexperiencedcompetitors,aslongasatwo-hour-plusOlympicdistancetriathlon.For many training sessions for short events, special attention to a recoveryprotocol isn’t necessary. You’ll want to ensure you are getting enough sleep,eatingavarietyofhealthyfoods,andmanagingyouroverallstressload.Properattention to these three elements will do wonders for your recovery, for yourtraining,andforyourlife.

Over the course of training for a short-course event, however, you’ll havesome workouts that should prompt more specific attention to recovery. Afterworkouts that are very intense or on the longer side, you’ll want to be sureyou’vedevotedsomeattentiontosettingupyourrecovery.Intensityvariesfromperson to person, but an intenseworkout is one intended to push your limits,eitherinspeedorindistanceorduration.Forrecoverypurposes,wecandefinelongerworkoutsas thosethat last90minutesor longerand/or take15minuteslongerthanyourmostrecentlongworkout.

Afteryourpeakeventof the trainingcycle, the focusyougive to recoverywillhelpsetupyournexttrainingcycle.Becarefultogiveyourbodythecareandtimeitneedsaftertheracebeforeyoustartthenextblock.

RECOVERYPROTOCOLDURINGSHORT-DISTANCETRAINING

Yourrecoverybeginsbeforetheendofyourworkout,inyourcooldown.Letthisbe10ormoreminutesofeasy,lightactivity.Itcangrowprogressivelyeasier,sothatyouarefinishingarunwithawalk,aridewithareallyeasyspin,oraswimwithsomefloatingandlightkicking.Onceyoustopmoving,gentlystretchthemusclegroupsyouusedintheworkout.Don’tpushdeeply;dotakeadvantageofyour increased blood flow to elongate the muscle fibers and prevent theformation of muscular adhesions. As you stretch, sip on a sports drink torehydrateandtakeinsomecalories.

Afteryourstretchbutbeforeyoushower,ifyoufindanyareasfeelespeciallysoreortender,youcanspot-icethemfor10minutesorso.Asyoudo,reflectonwhythatareafeelssore.Couldyourbiomechanicsbeimproved?

Whileyou iceorafteryoustretch, take ina recoverysnackwithplentyofcarbohydratesandcontinuehydrating.Thengetcleanandresumeyour regulargood nutrition habits, eating a variety of fruits, vegetables,whole grains, leanproteins,andhealthyfats.

As you go through the day, you might slot in a massage or simply wearrecovery garments.Yoga and/ormeditation can also help you relax and boostyour recovery.At some point, either nap or simply take a fewminutes to putyourfeetup.Towardtheendoftheafternoon,alittlelightactivitywillgetyourbloodmovinganddiminishsoreness.Takeyourdogoraneighbor’sforawalkaroundtheblockorgoonashorthikewithyourfriendsorkids.Afterward,youmightmakeafewpassesoveryourmuscleswithafoamroller.

Be sure toget tobedearly enough to ensureyouhaveplentyof sleep.Aspart of your bedtime routine, soak in awarmbath, addingEpsom salts if youlike.

Inthenextdayortwo,keepaneyeonyourrecoveryfromtheworkout.Takecarethatyoudon’tworktoohard,especiallyinthesamesport,thedayfollowinganintenseorlongworkout.

RECOVERYPROTOCOLAFTERSHORT-DISTANCERACINGAfterarace,youcanfollowthesamegeneralprotocolyou’vedevelopedduringtraining,butpayspecialattentiontorefueling,rehydrating,resting,andresumingtraininggradually.Beginwith10minutesofwalkingtostabilizeyourheartrateandbloodpressure.

Whenyouareatarace,insteadofmerelyfinishingaworkoutatyourhouse,itcanbehardertosecureaproperrecoverysnack.Thinkaheadandpackyourown,ormakegoodchoicesamong thepost-raceofferings.Lookforcarbsandlean protein and be sure you include some sodium to aid your rehydrationefforts.Keepsippingonwaterorasportsdrinkthroughthehoursaftertherace.

Checkthatyourbodytemperatureisstable.Ifconditionsareveryhot,cooldownbysittinginalakeorkiddiepool(oncethedrinksaregone)orbydousingyourselfwithwater.Ifitiscoldout,changeintowarm,dryclothes.

Ifmassagesareoffered,getone,butdocommunicatewiththetherapist.Thisis the time for a light flush-out, not deep tissuework.Afterward, put on yourcompressionsocksortights.

Do get off your feet and rest, but intersperse such rest with bouts ofmovement. If you’re traveling home some distance in the car, be sure to stopperiodicallyandwalkaround.(Ifyou’rerehydratingproperly,you’llneedapitstopeveryhourortwo.)

In the day after your race, a brief (30-minute) recoveryworkoutwill helprelievesoreness.Dependingonyour sport, thiscouldbeawalk,a spinon thebike, or a light swim. Don’t run. Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS)usually peaks in the second day after the event, when a day of total rest isusuallyinorder.It’sagoodtimetowriteyourracereport,nowthatyou’vehadsometimetoprocessandreflect.

Amassageonthethirddaywillhelpsetyouupforyournexttrainingcycle.Return to training carefully, paying attention to indicators of your recovery.Don’t confuse poor performance in training after the race to a loss of fitness.Often,it’sasignthatmorerecoveryisinorder.

LONGERWORKOUTSREQUIREalongerrecoveryandmoreattentiontothesignsofyour recovery so that you don’t layer on another hardworkout too soon. Themore you value your performance in distance events, themore you’ll need toemphasize your recovery.After her long runs, elitemarathoner andOlympianKaraGoucherwillmovetoarecoveryroutinethattakestwohours—aslongastheworkoutitself.Shestartswithadrinkandasnack,thenmovestothepoolfor15to30minutesofaquajogging.Afteramassage,shefinisheswithanicebath.Whileyoumightnothaveaccesstoapool,amassagetherapist,andanicebath—let alone in the same location and immediately after your long run—anyoftheseelementscanbecombinedwithotherstohelpyoufocusonyourrecovery.

For recovery from long workouts, pro triathlete Alex McDonald, MD,suggests an emphasis on what he calls the three C’ s: calories, cold, andcompression.The caloriesbeginyour refueling, and the cold andcompressionhelp combat inflammation. You’ll also want to be sure that the workout isbookended by easier activity, both in daily life and in your preceding andsubsequenttrainingsessions,unlessyouareconsciouslychoosingtostacklongworkouts together back to back—inwhich case, recovery becomes evenmorecritical.

RECOVERYPROTOCOLDURINGLONG-DISTANCETRAININGThe recovery periods following long-distance workouts are training for yourrecoveryafterarace.Followaconsistentprotocolonceyouhavedeterminedtheelementsthatworkbestforyou.Forinstance,yourrecoveryprotocolmightlooksomethinglikethis:Afteryourworkout,startwithacooldownandaverylightstretch, accompaniedwith a drink to help you rehydrate.After aworkout thatincludes90minutesto2hoursofrunning,considerspending10to15minutesinacooloricebath.Youcaneatawarmrecoverysnackasyoudo.(Iftherewasnorunninginvolvedbutsomethingfeelsalittletweaked,spot-iceandconsiderwhatchangedtoincurthattweakyfeeling.)

Afteryourshower,orlaterintheafternoon,amassagecanbeausefulpartofyour routine.Besure to tellyour therapisthowyou’re feelingand thatyou’vehadalongworkout.Ifyoulikecompressionsocksortights,addthemafteryourshowerormassage.Theycancomeoffbeforeyournap—orstayon.IfyouhaveaccesstoaNormaTecMVPmachine,byallmeans,useit!

Throughouttheday,eatwell.Takeinsomeproteinandcontinuerehydrating.In the afternoon, some lightyoga,breathingexercises, ormeditationcanhelp.(Whenyou’vejusteaten,beverygentlewithyouryoga.)Thisquiettimecansetyouupforanap,oryoucansimplyputyourfeetupandreadorrestquietly.

Before dinner, take awalk around the block, followed by a shortmassagewithafoamroller(itwon’tbenecessaryifyou’vehadamassageearlierintheday). Then eat well, choose a relaxing activity, and move through a restfulbedtimeroutinethatmightincludeawarmbath.

Besuretofollowyourlongerworkoutdayswitheasierdaysconsistingofalighterworkout,possiblyinanothersport.Takecarethattheintensityisnottoohigh.

RECOVERYPROTOCOLAFTERLONG-DISTANCERACINGThe protocol to follow after your peak distance events adds to what you’veestablishedintraining.You’llneedtoadjustyourroutinebasedonlocation.Forexample, if you’ve raced a triathlon in a cool lake, you can enjoy your snacksittingwaist-deepinthewater.Orsitinthekiddiepoolfilledwithiceoncethedrinksaregone.Alternatively,ifyouareracingincoldconditions,changeintowarmclothes.Youmightchooseamassageat the racesite,butmakesure it’svery light. Continue with the afternoon and evening recovery routine you’veestablished,mixinginsometimeforcelebration.

Inthedaysfollowingyourevent,movingaroundisveryimportant;workoutsarenot.Thedayaftertherace,enjoyashort,slowwalk,orfloatinawarm(nothot)pool.Delayed-onsetmusclesorenessusuallypeaksintheseconddayaftertheevent,whenadayoftotalrest isusuallyinorder.It’sagoodtimetowriteyour race report,nowthatyou’vehadsome time toprocessandreflect. In thedaysandweeksfollowingyourevent,besuretoeatplentyofhigh-qualityfood,torehydrate,tosleep,andtotakethetimeformentalrestoration.

EYESONTHEPRIZEIntheyogaclassesIteach,webeginbysettinganintentionforthepractice,and

at the end,we realignwith that original intentionbefore recommitting to it orrevisingitintosomethingthatwillworkoffthemat.WhenIprescribeworkoutsformy athletes, Imake sure it’s very clearwhywe’re doing them—how theyservethebiggerplanandtheathlete’sgoals.Dothesameforyourowntrainingand recovery practices. Throughout your career, keep your eyes on the bigpicture.

Isyourgoaltoreachapersonalrecordatonebigraceeachyear?Recoveryiscriticaltoyourproperpeaking.Isittocompetewellacrossaseriesofracesoraseasonofgames?Recoverywillhelpyoustringtogethermorethanonestrongshowing.Is it tohaveyourtrainingandcompetitionbeahealthyandbalancedpartofyourlife?Recoverywillensurethatyoukeepyourperspective.

Just as it’smore rewarding to climb into bed after a productive day, yourrecoverywillbemorefulfillingwhenitservestobalancetheworkyoudo.Keeptheratioofstressandrestinyourfavorbyprioritizingyourrecovery,andyoursportwillbeavalued,fruitfulpartofyourlifeforyearstocome.

APPENDIXAReturningtoTraining

StevenColeisanathletictrainerattheCollegeofWilliamandMary,whichhasa strong distance-running program. In conjunctionwithDr.DanKulund,Colecreatedthisfour-phaseReturntoRunningplan,whichwereprintherewithhispermission.

Becauserunningisahigh-impactactivity,anyreturnaftertimeoffneedstobe gradual, careful, and disciplined. If you are returning to a lower-impactactivitysuchascyclingorswimming,youmaybeabletoprogressmorequickly.Consult with your health care providers to determine a reasonable, sequentialplanforreturntoactivity.

RETURNTORUNNINGPROGRAMbyStevenColeandDanKulund,MD

PhaseI:WalkingProgramMustbeabletowalk,pain-free,aggressively(roughly4.2to5.2milesperhour),preferably on a treadmill, before beginning the plyometric and walk/jogprogram.

PhaseII:PlyometricRoutineAmilerungenerallyconsistsof1,500footcontacts,750perfoot.Theprogram(TableA.1) integrates470 footcontactsper leg,whichwouldbeequivalent to

two-thirdsofthefootcontactsofamile.Successfullycompletingtheroutineisagoodindicatorofanathletereturningtorunningone-halftothree-quartersofamiledistance.

PhaseIII:Walk/JogProgressionYoumaybeginthisprogram(seeTableA.2)onlevelgroundif

1. YouhavecompletedPhasesIandII,2. Youhavenopainwithnormaldailyactivities(onapainscaleof0to10,

inwhich0isnormaland10istheworst,youmustbeat0),and3. Theinjuredareanolongerhurtswhenyoupressonit.

ProgramProgression1. If the jogginghurts,stop,applyice,andreturnto thepreviousstagethe

nextday.Ifpain/discomfortremainsorincreases,continuetoreturntoapreviousleveluntildiscomfortstabilizesordecreases.

2. Ifyouhavenopainwhendoingthisactivitylevelorafterward,andyouhave no discomfort or tightness that limits your normalmovements thenextmorning,proceedtothenextstage.

PainManagementIf you develop swelling in a joint or muscular pain that lasts longer than 72hours,youhavedone toomuchandneed todecreaseactivity (durationand/orintensity)andincreaserestbetweenworkouts.

Apply moist heat before activity and stretch thoroughly, then iceimmediatelyafteractivityfor15to20minutes.

Ifyoudeveloptightnessduringactivity,stopandstretchtheaffectedarea(3repsforacountof30each),thenresumeactivity.Iftightnessreturns,stopandstretch again. If pain develops or after three stretching sessions the tightnessremains,stopactivityandapplyicetoinvolvedareafor20minutes.

Itisimportanttoidentifytheexactlocationofyourpain.Isitinaconstantlocationordoesit“movearound”inageneralarea?

1. Constant location: Be very cautious, incorporate more rest betweenexercise sessions, keep the intensity low and exercise on level, softsurfaces.

2. Moves around: Continue with progression but do not increase theintensity.

Itisimportanttoidentifywhenyouhavepain:TypeI:Afteractivity: stretchaffectedareawell (at least3 to5 reps,hold

eachforatleast30seconds),along,slow,gentlestretch,thenicefor20minutes.Continue to progress program if discomfort appears to bemuscle soreness. Ifjointpainand/orswellingdevelop, increaserestbetweenexercisesessionsanddecreaseactivityleveltopreviouslevel.

Type II: During activity, at beginning, then dissipates: Maintain sameactivitylevelandlowintensityuntilsymptomsdissipate.

TypeIII:Duringactivity,graduallydevelopsand intensifieswithactivity:Decreaseintensityofactivity,stopandstretchtorelievesymptoms,stopactivityif that does not relieve symptoms.Maintain same activity level; if symptomscontinue,decreaseactivitytopreviouslevel.

TypeIV:Atnight,keepsyouuporwakesyouup:indicatesyouaredoingtoomuch; totalrestuntilsymptom-free,decreaseactivitytopreviouslevelandkeepintensitylow.

Uponwaking:Inthemorning,uponwaking,thendissipates:Signofmoretocome,decreaseactivitytopreviouslevelandkeepintensitylow.

Itisimportanttogradethelevelofpainyouhaveoveraperiodofseveraldays to weeks. Is the pain getting worse, staying the same, or graduallydissipating?Useapainscaleof0to10,inwhich0isnormaland10istheworst.

Getting worse: Need total rest, decrease to previous activity level anddecreaseintensityofexercise.Staying the same:Decreaseactivity level toprevious levelandmaintainuntilpaindecreases.

PhaseIV:TimedRunningScheduleTimedRunningSchedule—IntermediateTheintermediatescheduleisdesignedfortherunnerwhoisrestartingtrainingorrecoveringfromaninjury,suchasastressfractureorsignificantillness,thathaskeptthem“offtheirfeet”oronnon-weight-bearingactivitiesforfourweeksorlonger.

Youmaybeginthisprogram(TableA.3orTableA.4)onlevelgroundifyou

havecompletedPhasesI,II,andIII.Runeveryotherdayforeightweeks.Cross-train, active rest, or total rest on days off. Strive for a pace between 8 to 9minutespermile.

TimedRunningSchedule—AdvancedTheadvancedschedule isdesignedforrunnerswhoarerecoveringfromasofttissue injury, suchasa strainedmuscle, thathas forced them tocross-train forlessthan4weeks.

Youmaybeginthisprogram(TableA.5orTableA.6)onlevelgroundifyouhavecompletedPhasesI,II,andIII.Runeveryotherdayforeightweeks.Cross-train, active rest, or total rest on days off. Estimate a pace between 7:30 to 8minutespermile.

Thisactivity levelat6weeksis thesameas theactivity levelat12weeks

with the intermediate program and utilizes a higher intensity (faster runningpace).

ProgramProgressionIf the jogginghurts, stop,apply ice,and return to thepreviousstage thenextday.Ifpain/discomfortremainsorincreases,continuetoreturntoapreviousleveluntildiscomfortstabilizesordecreases.Ifyouhavenopainwhendoingthisactivity levelorafterward,andyouhave no discomfort or tightness that limits your normalmovements thenextmorning,proceedtothenextstage.Increase the intensity (howhard/fast) of the jog/run before you increasetheduration(howlong)ofthejog/run.Whenyouincreasethefrequency(howmanydaysperweekyoujog/run)oftheworkouts,decreasethedurationoftheworkout.

Whenyoubeginrunningmultipledaysinarow,makeincreases(durationorintensity)onthefirstdayofactivityafteradayofrest,thendecreasethedurationofactivitytothepreviouslevel.Tenpercentrule:Onlyincreasetheweeklymileageby10percentoverthepreviousweek.Ifyoudeveloppersistenttightnessorincreaseddiscomfortduringactivityto a point of dysfunction, stop and note the timeof onset of symptomsduring the exercise session (e.g., during a 30-minute planned exercisesession, symptoms develop after 21 minutes). Consider splitting theduration of activity between two workouts, with each exercise sessionshorter than the time of the onset of symptoms during the previousattempt. Example: If during a 30-minute planned exercise session,symptoms develop after 24 minutes, then each of the two exercisesessions would be 20 minutes long. The exercise sessions should beseparatedbysixtoeighthours.Trytojog/runonaflat,forgivingsurface(e.g.,golfcourse,athleticfield)beforehillycoursesorhardsurfaces.

MileageScheduleRuneveryotherdayfortwoweeksandthenamaximumoffivedaysaweekforthenextfourweeks.

Ifyourpreviousleveloftrainingwas less than4milespersession, followthemileagescheduleInTableA.7.Ifyourpreviousleveloftrainingwas4to6miles per session, follow the mileage schedule in Table A.8. Return to yourpreinjurymileagelevelinfourtosixweeks.

Ifyourprevious levelof trainingwas40 to60milesperweek, follow themileagescheduleinTableA.9.Returntoyourpreinjurymileagelevelinfourtosixweeks.

APPENDIXBDaystoRecovery

ReferencesandFurtherReading

Ali,A.,M.P.Caine,andB.G.Snow.2007.“GraduatedCompressionStockings:PhysiologicalandPerceptualResponsesDuringandAfterExercise.”JournalofSportsSciences25:413–419.

AmericanDieteticAssociation.2009.“PositionoftheAmericanDieteticAssociation,DietitiansofCanada,andtheAmericanCollegeofSportsMedicine:NutritionandAthleticPerformance.”JournaloftheAmericanDieteticAssociation109:509–527.

Anderson,O.N.d.“HeatTherapyandUltrasound.”Availableathttp://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/archive/heat-therapy-ultrasound.html.

Apor,P.,M.Petrekanich,andJ.Számado.2009.“HeartRateVariabilityAnalysisinSports.”OrvHetil150:847–853.

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Index

Theindexthatappearedintheprintversionofthistitledoesnotmatchthepagesinyoure-book.Pleaseusethesearchfunctiononyoure-readingdevicetosearchfortermsofinterest.Foryourreference,thetermsthatappearintheprintindexarelistedbelow.

Note:f.indicatesfigure;t.indicatestableActiverecovery,55AlterGtreadmill,61–62,61f.alternatinghardwitheasy,57–58alternativemodalitiesin,59–62cycling,60–61defined,55easycooldown,55–56easytrainingsessions,56–59foreliteathletes,58–59ellipticaltrainer,61quicktips,62runninginwater,61runningonsoftsurface,61Sage’sgauge,55staticstretching,56swimming,59–60walking,62

AcuteTrainingLoad(ATL),42Adenosinetriphosphate(ATP),6ALAs.SeeAlpha-lineoloicacidsAlcoholicbeverages,88Alpha-lineolicacids(ALAs),94Aminoacids,branched-chain(BCAAs),96Arnica,116TheAthlete’sPlate:RealFoodforHighPerformance,80

ATL.SeeAcuteTrainingLoadATP.SeeAdenosinetriphosphateBanister,E.W.SeeTrainingimpulsesystemBCAAs.SeeAminoacids,

branched-chainBernhardt,Gale,173–175

recoverychart,174t.Beverages.SeeFluids;HydrationBikeraces,daystorecoverfrom,173–175,174t.,203t.Bloodlactatetesting,34Bloodoxygenation(SPO2),43–44Breathing.SeeMindfulbreathingCarbohydrates,80,81

andrecoverysnacks,84t.Cherryjuice,asantioxidant,93–94ChronicTrainingLoad(CTL),42Coldtherapy,101–102alternatingwithheat,109–110directapplicationofice,105–106icebath,102–105,103f.,105t.quicktips,109Sage’sgauge,101workoutscallingfor,104

Cole,Steven,191ReturntoRunningProgram,191–198

Compexelectrostimulationdevice,120Compressionsocksanddevices,112–114,112f.,121–123,122f.calfsleeves,112–113effectivenessstudies(socks),114–115

Contrasttherapy(heatandcold),109–110

Delayed-onsetmusclesoreness(DOMS),184DHA.SeeDocosahexaenoicacidDiet.SeeNutritionDistress,5,5f.,64–65Docosahexaenoicacid(DHA),94

Eicosapentaenoicacid(EPA),94Electrolytes,87EPA.SeeEicosapentaenoicacidEPOC.SeeExcesspostexerciseconsumptionEpsomsalts,108,117–118Eustress,5,5f.,64Excesspostexerciseconsumption(EPOC),7test,37–38

Fats,80,81Fattyacids.SeeOmega-3andomega-6fattyacidsFDA.SeeFoodandDrugAdministrationFishoil,94Flaxseedandflaxseedoil,95Fluidspostworkoutbeverages,96inrecoverysnacks,83sodiumlevels,83t.,85andsodiumreplenishment,83–85,89

SeealsoHydrationFood.SeeNutritionFoodandDrugAdministration(FDA)certificateofanalysis(COA),93GoodManufacturingPractices(GMPs),93nonregulationofsupplements,92

Foster,Carl.SeeunderRatingofPerceivedExertionscaleGeneraladaptationsyndrome,5

Globuselectrostimulationdevice,120Glycogen,81,82andprotein,85synthesis(recovery)window,79–80

Heartmonitors,37Heartratevariability(HRV)test,36–37Heattherapy,101–102,106–107alternatingwithcold,109–110directapplicationofheat,108–109andepsomsalts,108,117–118quicktips,109Sage’sgauge,101sauna,107steamroom,107warmbath,108whirlpool/hottub,107–108

Homeremediesandaids,111compressionsocks,112–115,112f.creams,116–117,116f.epsomsalts,117–118quicktips,117Sage’sgauge,111

Hormonaltests,34HRV.SeeHeartratevariabilitytestHydration,88–89andalcohol,88quicktips,89withrecoverysnacks,87Sage’sgauge,79andurinecolor,89

IF.SeeIntensityfactorInflammation,104andNSAIDs,91,98nutritiontoreduce,87–88

Injuryandillness,47andcontactsports,50distinguishinginjuryfromsoreness,48–49,49f.andlow-impactsports,50prevention,47–48quicktips,50

recoveryfrom,49–50recoveryfromacuteinjury,51recoveryfromillness,51recoveryfromoveruseinjury,50–51andrunning,50SeealsoReturntoRunningProgramIntensityFactor(IF),42

Kelinson,Adam,80Krilloil,94–95Kulund,Dan,191ReturntoRunningProgram,191–198

Lacticacid,127Lineolicacids,94Long-distanceeventsrecoveryafterracing,187,187f.recoverybetweenback-to-backraces,188–189recoveryduringtraining,185–187,186f.

Macrocycles,4Macronutrients,80Massage,125,138andassistedstretching,133beforeandafterarace,135–136bestlateinday,136deeptissue,132duringtheseason,134–135andEasternmodalities(acupuncture,etc.),134effectoncirculation,126–128,127f.findingatherapist,137–138licensingandcertification,137andmyofascialrelease,133physiologicalbenefits,125–129psychologicalbenefits,130–131quicktips,137relatedbodyworkmodalities,132–134andrelaxation,130removingadhesions,128Sage’sgauge,125andstructuralintegration(Rolfing),133Swedish,131–132andtalktherapy,130–131treatingcrampsandspasms,128,128f.valueofexperiencedtherapists,129whennottoschedule,136whentoschedule,134–136SeealsoSelf-massage

Meditation,161–162approaches,162countingmeditation,164

lengthoftime,163mantrameditation,164–165movingmeditation,165observationmeditation,165–166quicktips,168Sage’sgauge,161seating,163,163f.

Mesocycles,4Microcycles,4Mindfulbreathing,162,166,168–169antioxidanteffect,166position,167quicktips,168Sage’sgauge,161technique,167variedbreathratios,168

Mitochondriafunctiontesting,34Muscleglycogen,6

NormaTecdynamiccompressiondevices,121–123,122f.NSAIDs(nonsteroidalanti-inflammatorydrugs),91,98Nutrition,79–80andalcohol,88carbohydrates,80,81emphasisonplantfoods,80fruitsandvegetables,93healthydailydiet,80–81macronutrients,80omega-3andomega-6fattyacids,87–88,94postworkouttiming,80quicktips,89toreduceinflammation,87–88Sage’sgauge,79vegetariansandprotein,81SeealsoHydration;RecoverysnacksOlympicTrainingCenter(OTC),3

Omega-3andomega-6fattyacids,87–88sources,94–95

Orthostaticheartratetest,35–36,36f.,37OTC.SeeOlympicTrainingCenterOvertraining,15anddisruptionofsleep,72howtoidentify,17,18howtoprevent,17–19knowingwhentocutback,16–17quicktips,19andtrainingresponsespectrum,15–16,16f.

Polarmonitors,37ProfileofMoodStates(POMS)questionnaire,23

Protein,80,81andglycogen,85supplements,95andvegetarians,81andwomen,86

RaceDaysoftware,42RatingofPerceivedExertionscale,38Foster’smodifiedversion,38–40,41t.

Recoveryactive,55–62betweenseasons,177–179bodyqualitymetric,27andcoachorpartner’sassessment,29–30inaday,8,176daystorecoverfromvariousraces,173–175,174t.,199t.–203t.enjoyment-of-workoutmetric,28–29asextensionoftraining,12–13externalstressmetric,28andfaith,13–14andgoals,189hometests,34–40“how’sitgoing”metric,26–27importanceof,3–4frominjuryandillness,47–51internalstressmetric,28inventoriestomeasure,22–24keymetrics,26–29laboratorytests,34menstrualcyclemetric,28metricquicktips,31,44inamonth(mesocycle),10–11,10f.,11f.,177moodmetric,27andpatience,13performancemetric,27andpersonalexperienceandlifestyle,175–176qualitativemetrics,21–31quantitativemetrics,33–45quarterlyelements,177inaseasonoryear,11–12,177semiannualelements,177fromshort-distancetrainingandracing,181–184sleepmetric,27softwareformeasuring,40–45testlog,45andtrainingadjustments,30–31andtraininglog,22,24–26,25f.inaweek(microcycle),8–9,176–177year-roundelements,176–177

Recoverysnacks,81–82carbohydrates,84t.,85chocolatemilk,83t.,86commercialbarsanddrinks,86compositionof,83–87makingyourown,86–87postsnackawareness,87preworkoutnutrition,82protein,85–86andsodiumreplenishment,83–85,83t.timingof,82intheworkout,82

Recovery-Cue,23–24Recovery-StressQuestionnaireforAthletes(RESTQ-Sport),23Restingheartrate(test),34–35Restwise(website),43–45ReturntoRunningProgrampainmanagement,193–194PhaseI:Walkingprogram,191PhaseII:Plyometricroutine,191–192,192t.PhaseIII:Walk/jogprogression,192–194,193t.PhaseIV:Timedrunningschedule,194–198timedrunning(advanced),195,196t.timedrunning(intermediate),194–195,195t.timedrunningmileageschedules,197,197t.,198t.

Rosenberg,Hal,47–48R-Rmeasurement,37,38RunningIndex,37Runningraces,daystorecoverfrom,173–175,174t.,199t.–201t.

Sage’sgauges(time,cost,accessibility,confidence).SeeundervariousrecoverytechniquesSelf-massage,139–140forback,145,146f.withbeadedsticks,140forcalves,143–144,143f.forchest,146,146f.withfoamrollers,139–140withFootballer(roller),141frequency,142withGrid(roller),141forhamstrings,143,143f.withhands,140withhardathleticballs,140,141foriliotibial(IT)bands,144,144f.forouterhip,144,145f.withQuadballer(roller),141forquadriceps,142,142f.quicktips,147Sage’sgauge,139

forsolesoffeet,145,145f.technique,141–142withTriggerPointTherapydevices,140,141Selye,Hans,andgeneraladaptationsyndrome,5,64Short-distanceeventsrecoveryafterracing,181,183–184,183f.recoveryduringtraining,181–183,182f.

Sleep,71–72amountneeded,73–74effectofovertrainingon,72napping,74NREM(non–rapideyemovement)stages,72–73,73f.,74preparingfor,76quicktips,76REM(rapideyemovement)stage,72–73,73f.,74,75Sage’sgauge,71sleepaidsandWADAlist,76stagesandcharacteristics,72–73,73f.andtravel,74–75ZeoPersonalSleepCoach,75,75f.

SMART(specific,measurable,attainable,realistic,time-dependent),68Sodiumlevelsinfluids,83t.,85replenishmentinrecovery,83–85,83t.,87,89

SpaceCabin(cryosauna),103Stressexternalandinternalmetrics,28physical,64–66psychological,64–66SeealsoDistress;Eustress;TrainingStressScore;Recovery-StressQuestionnaireforAthletes;TrainingStressBalanceStressreduction,63–64

awarenessofstresssources,65–66balancingcommitments,66–67categorizingconcernsas“inoroutofmycontrol,”69counseling,70goalchecking,68mappingobligations,66–67,66f.quicktips,70relaxationtechniques,70Sage’sgauge,63sayingno,67–68thinkingahead,68–69

Supercompensation,5phasesof,6–7,6f.

Supplements,91–92,96aminoacids,96,97antioxidants,92–94contrastedwithpharmaceuticals,97–98essentialfattyacids,94–95fruitjuices,92–94

ginseng,97minerals,92multivitamins,92nonregulationof,92postworkoutbeverages,96protein,95quicktips,98recovery,96Sage’sgauge,91

Suuntomonitorsandsoftware,37,38

Technologicalaids,119electrostimulation,120–121,120f.NormaTecdynamiccompressiondevices,121–123,122f.quicktips,122Sage’sgauge,119ultrasound,119–120

TrainingEffectscale,38Trainingimpulsesystem(TRIMP),39,40–42TrainingPeaks(website),26,33,42.SeealsoWKO+softwareTrainingStressBalance(TSB),42–43TrainingStressScore(TSS),21–22,33,42Triathlon,daystorecoverfromrace,173–175,174t.,201t.–202t.TRIMP.SeeTrainingimpulsesystemTSB.SeeTrainingStressBalanceTSS.SeeTrainingStressScore

2XUcompressionsocks,112,U.S.Pharmacopeia(USP),andsupplements,93,93f.

WADA. See World Anti-Doping Agency Water, etc. See Hydration Weigert, Carl, and law ofsupercompensation,5

AbouttheAuthor

SAGE ROUNTREE is an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher, USATriathlon certified expert coach, andRoadRunnersClub ofAmerica certifiedcoach.SheholdsaPhDinEnglishandistheauthorofTheAthlete’sGuidetoYoga, TheAthlete’sGuide to YogaDVD, andTheAthlete’s PocketGuide toYoga.ShealsocontributestoRunner’sWorldandYogaJournal.Sagecompetesinrunningeventsfromthe400mtothe50Kandtriathlonsfromthesupersprintto the Ironman. She raced for TeamUSA at the 2008 Short-Course TriathlonWorld Championship. Her coaching clients compete in running, ultrarunning,and multisport events, including the Ironman World Championship 70.3 andbothLong-andShort-CourseDuathlonWorldChampionships.She is co-ownerof the Carrboro Yoga Company and teaches workshops on yoga for athletesnationwide;herscheduleappearsatsagerountree.com.

SagelivesinChapelHill,NorthCarolina,withherhusband,Wes,andtheirdaughters,LilyandVivian.