Recovery is an essential part of any athletes programme. Whether it be recovering from a race or an injury / illness. So when two coincide you could call it good timing especially when it's the end of the season when you'd normally be easing back to give your body time to recover.
But as you know, this is a double recovery; the Tahoe 200 will take a couple of months for my feet to repair and the fatigue to disappear; my hernia operation last week.
My feet are still peeling but they are not sensitive to touch anymore. I'm certainly sleeping a lot more and this will have been helped as I recover after the surgery which meant I had a general anaesthetic. I'll have a 4 inch "battle scar" and am glad to say I'm off the pain killers but have to be careful with the smallest of movement - I can't engage my stomach muscles. I'll see the surgeon on Thursday for his assessment but I am not able to drive for 10 days - 2 weeks which means I'm totally dependent on my family to chauffeur me around and make and serve my food! I can't lift anything and my walking is more like a shuffle as the wound is tight. Add to that I need to wear loose clothes so I'm constantly dressed in a track suit - that will go down well in the office next week!
I'm spending hours sitting watching telly looking out the window at the autumn colours wishing I was at Chatelherault running through the ankle deep golden coloured leaves - but not this year.
I thought my recovery before light training could start was 2 weeks but in fact it's 6 weeks so it will be December before I can start. While it's frustrating it's probably doing me a lot of good and I'll benefit from it next year.
If you are out there enjoying the autumnal weather, enjoy every minute of it, even if it chucking it down with rain. It's only when you have an enforced rest that you really appreciate what going for a run would be like. But in the meantime I'll continue my double recovery and consider it part of my preparation for 2020 which is going to be an amazing year. Can't wait.
Sunday, 20 October 2019
Sunday, 13 October 2019
Post race blues
It's almost 4 weeks since I completed the Tahoe 200 Endurance Run - by far the toughest adventure I have been involved in to date. Before I pushed the button and entered the race I almost backed off because I had heard stories of markers going missing and people getting lost (happened to me) and bears! But I switched my mind set from a race to a survival course and that made all the difference. It just set up my head for the challenges I'd face and in the end although it was even tougher than I'd imagined. But what about the recovery after taking myself so close to the limit?
Everyone recovers differently but it's important to respect your body and what it has gone through. Externally the damage is obvious on my feet. They are still pealing but the sensitivity has gone although there is some tingling which suggests the nerve ends are still repairing. My organs on the other hand took a pounding but I've no way of knowing the impact based on the pressure they were under. I know from previous experience that after 24 hours of running your kidneys do suffer which is why you can't take any anti-inflammatory medication. So giving your whole body a break is vital.
The fatigue continues and will do for at least another month. I'm constantly tired and have found myself sitting at work in a daze, but it's getting better.
I thought I'd dodged the "post race blues" which happens when you come off the high of completing the event, but they kicked in during the week. It's psychological and for me if feels like emotionally you have fallen off a cliff. You just want to be back in the race, be on the mountain summits over looking Lake Tahoe, back with your running pals, filthy from the dust and stinking as you haven't washed since the race started. It's such a special place to be but in reality it's only special because I get to do it once a year or every other year.
One of the ways of beating the post race blues is to have something planned in the future. Until my hernia operation is over (Wednesday) and I've recovered, I won't be making any definite plans and a race next year will have to fit in with my families plans as we are building a new house. However I was sent details of a new race last week that has caught my interest. It's a staged race, 6 marathons in 7 days, and I met with my coach see if this was the right race for me, it is, and to start planning the training schedule. Obviously it will start very gradually to avoid any complications after the surgery and as I have lost so much muscle, I'll be back on the "diddy weights"!
Having a focus for 2020 has lifted my post race blues and the sooner I'm able to pull on my running shoes, which I've just ordered, the better. It's frustrating not training but at the same time I know my body and mind need the rest. Come November I'll enjoy getting back to a regular training programme and can rebuild my body. I've managed to put on 5 lbs in the last two weeks but that's only taken me to 142 lbs - ideally I want to be 155 lbs but that's not with a "spare tire" around my waist! I'll let you know how my recovery is going and once I have decided on the 2020 race, I'll give you the details.
Post race blues do happen and if you're at the end of your season and suffering from them then I hope by looking towards your 2020 goals will pick you up. The winter is almost here and it's a fantastic time to build your base on which to launch your 2020 success. Grab it with both hands and enjoy it.
Everyone recovers differently but it's important to respect your body and what it has gone through. Externally the damage is obvious on my feet. They are still pealing but the sensitivity has gone although there is some tingling which suggests the nerve ends are still repairing. My organs on the other hand took a pounding but I've no way of knowing the impact based on the pressure they were under. I know from previous experience that after 24 hours of running your kidneys do suffer which is why you can't take any anti-inflammatory medication. So giving your whole body a break is vital.
The fatigue continues and will do for at least another month. I'm constantly tired and have found myself sitting at work in a daze, but it's getting better.
I thought I'd dodged the "post race blues" which happens when you come off the high of completing the event, but they kicked in during the week. It's psychological and for me if feels like emotionally you have fallen off a cliff. You just want to be back in the race, be on the mountain summits over looking Lake Tahoe, back with your running pals, filthy from the dust and stinking as you haven't washed since the race started. It's such a special place to be but in reality it's only special because I get to do it once a year or every other year.
One of the ways of beating the post race blues is to have something planned in the future. Until my hernia operation is over (Wednesday) and I've recovered, I won't be making any definite plans and a race next year will have to fit in with my families plans as we are building a new house. However I was sent details of a new race last week that has caught my interest. It's a staged race, 6 marathons in 7 days, and I met with my coach see if this was the right race for me, it is, and to start planning the training schedule. Obviously it will start very gradually to avoid any complications after the surgery and as I have lost so much muscle, I'll be back on the "diddy weights"!
Having a focus for 2020 has lifted my post race blues and the sooner I'm able to pull on my running shoes, which I've just ordered, the better. It's frustrating not training but at the same time I know my body and mind need the rest. Come November I'll enjoy getting back to a regular training programme and can rebuild my body. I've managed to put on 5 lbs in the last two weeks but that's only taken me to 142 lbs - ideally I want to be 155 lbs but that's not with a "spare tire" around my waist! I'll let you know how my recovery is going and once I have decided on the 2020 race, I'll give you the details.
Post race blues do happen and if you're at the end of your season and suffering from them then I hope by looking towards your 2020 goals will pick you up. The winter is almost here and it's a fantastic time to build your base on which to launch your 2020 success. Grab it with both hands and enjoy it.
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