Post Running Recovery

Within the last couple of weeks I have been trying to run longer distances and increase my elevation gain. With these challenges, comes new recovery techniques I have started implementing and thought I would share with you as well.

What really sparked my interest in writing this post was rolling my ankle earlier today while trail running through Sehome Arboretum. Feel free to read about that post here.

One thing that is super important after any type of physical exercise is the recovery you implement afterwards. To be honest, I wasn’t very good about this and of course suffered the consequences the next day of really stiff and sore muscles. Recently, I have been trying to change this and really put as much focus into stretching, eating, and recovering as I do when I’m running. I started to do a lot more research on how to take care of my body and wanted to share some of that here, not only as advice but also as a good reminder for me.

Diet: Pre and Post Run

One of the major things I notice when running long distances is the runner’s trots. If you aren’t familiar with this, then count yourself lucky. For me, running messes up my stomach to the point where I would be sitting in the bathroom 30 minutes after my run shitting my guts out (sorry for the gross image). I did some research on this and found out that:

This is a common thing among runners. It is more common in females than it is males and occurs from the constant movement of the stomach while running.
Diet can play a role in the occurrence of this. While I have not be able to fully rid myself from this problem, I have been able to lessen it by eating healthier foods.
- This includes more fruits and veggies with my meals and eating out less. Once I started this, I noticed a big difference in the urgency to “go”.
- Cutting back on processed sugars was another one I tried. This was a little harder for me to do, but I did notice a difference.
Staying hydrated as also helped with the aftermath of being in the bathroom. It is important to replenish all the water you lost through sweating. This not only helps with runner’s trots, but also during running and the recovery afterwards.

A post run drink I have tried as part of my recovery process include chocolate milk. Chocolate milk is supposed to be really good for you after a run. It helps replenish the sugars your muscles lose during running and it restores your muscles so they are ready for your next workout. Between this and stretching, I have noticed a significant difference in the soreness of my muscles the next day after a long run.

These are just a few diet changes I have made and seen results from in the past couple of weeks!

Stretching

This is something I never took too seriously. I knew I should be stretching, but it wasn’t until running longer distances again where I really started to notice the need for this. To fix the sore muscles I was feeling the next day after running, I made sure to not only stretch, but also include a cool down at the end of my run.

Right after finishing my runs, I don’t immediately stop and start stretching. Instead, I make sure to do a slow jog that eventually leads into a walk. By doing this I can really feel where my muscles are hurting and try to focus on those areas when stretching.

After this, I set aside 10-15 minutes of static stretching. This is mainly for calves, thighs, hip flexors, and sometimes shins and arches depending on how they are feeling.

Since making these changes, I have noticed a change in how I feel the next morning after my long runs. I no longer feel stiff and am able to run the next day. Who knew these simple changes could make such a difference in how you are feeling the next day!

I feel like I’ve taken a new approach to running during late August and most of September (maybe because of all the free time I have without classes?). I have been slowing down my pace by not trying to race myself and I’ve made sure to take care of my body both before and after my runs. This has had a huge impact on my motivation to continue to run and push myself to longer distances and higher elevation gains.

Week 38

September 16th- 3.61 mile run

We are finally back! After taking a week off to let me ankle heal I was able to get a run in today. It took me awhile to warm up and get into a comfortable running pace, but once I did I didn’t want to stop running!

I made sure not to over do this run, as I want to make sure I give my body time to get back into running and make sure my ankle is fully healed.

September 17th- Abs

September 18th- 3.33 mile run

All day today I have felt lethargic and unmotivated to do anything. This included while on my run. While I was able to get a 5k in, it felt like it took forever and drug on. I was able to push myself to get to 3 miles, but I wish I felt more drive to get to 4 or 4.5 miles.

September 19th- Rest

September 20th- Abs

September 21st- Rest

September 22nd- Abs

Week 36

September 2nd- Rest

Today was so long! We got back from Leavenworth, then headed back out again to go sailing with Alex’s side of the family. I got back up to Bellingham around 10pm and went straight to bed. I’m excited to start up running again this week!

September 3rd- 3.79 mile run

I got back from work and had a hard decision to make: run Lake Padden, or run my Fairhaven route. I opted for the Fairhaven run. It was a little harder than I remembered. The hills killed my legs!

September 4th- 3.2 mile run

I got another run in this week! I’m excited that I’ve been able to get two runs complete two days in a row. It feels good getting out and enjoying the sunshine before fall hits and the weather starts to cool off. I have started to notice the fallen leaves on the ground… are we really that close to fall?!? I’m hoping we get a little more sun before the weather change.

September 5th- 3.33 mile run

Today was a Lake Padden running day! I ran the usual route backwards. It’s interesting how new the route seemed, even though I’ve ran it so many times. I’m going to have to try this with some of my other routes to switch it up a bit.

September 6th- Rest

September 7th- Walk

Alex came up for the weekend and we ended up walking over 3 miles around campus. Although this isn’t as tiring as a run, I still thought it was good we got out for a bit and enjoyed the fresh air.

September 8th- Abs

I used one of the various workout apps I have downloaded to do a 10 minute full body workout. This targeted my arms, abs, and legs. 10 minutes was a good starting point for these exercises, but I think 15 or 20 minutes would have been better. Something to keep in mind next time I use this workout!

September

I am proud of what I have done throughout the month of August. I have gotten more running in than I have the past couple of months and I feel a lot healthier and confident because of it. I have recently had a lot more time on my hands with classes being out and working a part time job. While I am sure all of this has helped in my motivation to run, I believe my mindset has also played a role in this.

Towards the end of August I got back into running longer distances. As I started running a consistent 3 or more miles, I stopped worrying about my mile time. It finally dawned on me that every time I would go for a run I felt like I needed to race myself. I think this comes from my cross country and track background in high school. I finally stopped worrying about how long a run was taking me and instead am learning to enjoy the freedom of being outdoors in the sunshine, slowing down when I need to, and pushing myself to go longer distances at a longer pace.

Taking the pressure off myself makes me excited to go for a run and find new routes to take. I am continuing to enjoy all the running I am able to do outside and am already starting to dread the treadmill running that I know is around the corner as fall approaches.

Before laying out my goals for September, I want to take some time and reflect on the goals I set for myself for August. As a refresher, here were my goals for August: sign up for a race, run at least one four mile run a week, and keep arms toned at the gym.

Alright, signing up for a race did NOT happen! I looked into quite a few, but couldn’t believe how expensive they are!! Right now, I do not have an extra $50-$60 to drop on a race… Maybe once I have a more solid income this will change. Towards the end of August I was getting 3.5 to 4 miles in. Finally, keeping my arms toned at the gym was a hard one to accomplish due to the fact that the cyst on my wrist came back and was actually starting to cause me some pain. Instead, I tried to incorporate some ab workouts that would also work on my arms (like planks and mountain climbers).

As I look back on my goals for August, most of them did not get accomplished until the end of the month. I am hoping this changes in September! I want to start working towards my goals right away. With this being said, here are my September goals:

Run AT LEAST every other day, hitting 3 or more miles
Keep up with abs on the days I am not running
Really focus on keeping a positive and motivated mindset
STRETCH after run and make sure to take care of muscles

Monthly stats

September was a good month for working out. Week 37 was a little on the lazy side with four rest days, but other than that I am happy with the work I put in this month!

Week 35

August 26th- 4 mile run

Today was the first time in awhile where a runners high kicked in and I couldn’t help but keep running. My route was a little wonky as I would get closer to home and then detour not wanting my run to end. This happened a few times until the last hill got me and I realized how tired my legs were.

August 27th- Abs

August 28th- 3.04 mile run

Did another loop around campus today. My legs are still sore and tired from Monday’s run, but it felt good to get another run in for the week!

August 29th- abs

August 30th- 3.19 mile run

I came home to Seattle and got to do an old running route around my neighborhood. This route seemed a lot easier than I remember, maybe I’m just more conditioned than I was the last time I ran it.

Later today Alex and I are heading over to Leavenworth to meet up with his siblings to celebrate birthdays! Glad I got a run in, as I’m sure there won’t be a lot of time to go running this weekend.

August 31st- Bike ride and brews

We are spending the weekend in Leavenworth and decided to do a bike around town and winery tour. We hit up a few wineries, but in between was filled with sweating and biking to get to the next location! Definitely a fun way to scoot around town and get a good leg workout in!

September 1st- Rest

We spent the day drinking and exploring Leavenworth!

Week 25

June 17th- Jet Skiing

Alex and I spent the day at Lake Stevens with Alex’s dad jet skiing. The lake itself was really quiet and there weren’t too many people out there. We were out on the lake for about five hours soaking up the sun and riding around. It was a lot of fun, but we definitely should have put more sun block on… Both of us are pretty burned.

Today was a fun way to kick off my week of summer vacation!

June 18th- 2.66 mile run

Tonight I went for a run through campus. Alex decided to join me and we ended up doing a quick look up to Old Main and back. It was pretty warm out, but we were able to run in the shade most of the time thanks to the tall campus buildings and trees lining the sidewalks.

It always a lot more fun when Alex decides to run with me. I am hoping to get him out again once more this week to run with me. It is times like these were I wish I had a more consistent running buddy. Maybe this upcoming Fall Quarter I will be able to find someone to run with me!

I also did a quick ab section. This is something that is still hit or miss in my routines. I haven’t found a good time to fit this in. Today I decided to do it right when I got home from my run. It made it a lot harder to do planks, since my legs were tired, but I did find myself more motivated to push myself harder. Doing abs after my runs might be my new routine!

June 19th- Rest

This was the day I decided to drive down to Marysville to get my car tested for emissions. Thankfully it passed, but it did suck having to drive an hour down there and back.

Alex and I decided to make a day trip out of it by stopping in Mt. Vernon to grab some lunch. We also hit up the local Hobby Lobby where I was able to find some new watercolor supplies. Everything there was on sale, so there were some super good deals!

The rest of the day was spent watercoloring, watching Netflix, and just hanging out.

June 20th- Yoga session

I wasn’t feeling like running today, so instead I got on my phone and found a free yoga instructor app. I have never used something like this before, but it was nice to get into a peaceful mindset, stretch, and focus on strengthening my core.

I only did a 20 minute session (the free trial timed out). I am hoping to look for either free apps or go on YouTube and try to find some yoga exercises.

To be honest, I have never been a big fan of yoga but I do really enjoy pushing my body and that positive mindset that goes along with it. I think yoga would be a great way to balance my arm workouts and runs. Maybe this summer I will look at incorporating more yoga into my life!

June 21st- Raptor Ridge Hike

Today was beautiful for a hike! For this hike, we decided to take the Lost Lakes Trail head and connect up with the Raptor Ridge Lookout. I won’t go into too much detail about this hike, as I am hoping to write another article on it in my hikes section. The hike was about 5 miles long and was super steep the first mile and a half. The outlook was gorgeous and I can’t wait to post some pictures on here next week!

June 22nd- Rest

WOW! My legs and butt are so sore from that hike yesterday. Alex and I decided to walk part of Lake Padden and the littlest amount of incline could be felt in my legs. I can’t believe how sore I am, it makes me feel so out of shape. Next week I am going to hit it hard at the gym. Next Tuesday is when classes start and I am hoping to hit the gym everyday (Tuesday-Sunday).

June 23rd- Rest

These rest days are starting to catch up to me.. They were feeling really good throughout the week, but I am starting to hit the point where I feel guilty for not working out. I guess this could be a good thing and a strong motivator for next week.

This week has been a good break from a lot of different stressors. I have had the week off from classes, roommates, and other distractions that were not needed. It has felt really good mentally and physically to do the things I want to do on my own time schedule, like the hiking and water coloring. It is a good break to remember what is truly important in life and really focus on the things that matter the most to me.

Week 22

May 27- Rest

Today is Memorial Day, which means BBQ and time with family! I spent the day with Alex and his family chatting, eating, and playing yard games. It was a fun day spent in the sun playing badminton and having a water balloon fight.

Although I didn’t go for a run or bike ride, I definitely was sweating and got my heart rate up from running around in the backyard.

Looking ahead at this week, it is going to be a tough one to get through. I have a bunch of group papers to finish and a final on Thursday. With this being said, I am going to try my best to get out and run most days this week…

May 28- 25min bike ride

I decided to bike today instead of run. I hopped on the bike and did a 2:1 workout. I did 2 minutes on a harder resistance and keeping above 90 RPM’s then a one minute break. This felt like the equivalent of a sprint workout. My thigh muscles were killing me after this workout, but it was totally worth it!

The time seemed to go really fast and I felt like I got a solid workout in. As stated in last weeks posts, I want to try and get more biking in to give my knees a rest.

The goal would be to bike 2-3 time a week to break up running throughout the week. I am hoping to get on a more consistent schedule, but as it gets closer to finals I don’t think that is going to be that easy…

May 29- Rest

The one class I have on Wednesday’s got cancelled! Thankfully this gave me even more time to study for my final tomorrow. I spent all day going over practice problems and getting ready for tomorrow.

By the time I was done studying it was already 10pm and time to relax and take a break from studying. Although I didn’t get to the gym today, I am hoping to get a run in tomorrow and a hike in on Friday! I can’t wait to get this final over with tomorrow and have a little more free time to work on other projects.

May 30- Rest

By the time I realized it, I was done with my test and was ready to unwind for the day. Alex and I are planning on doing a 7-8 mile hike tomorrow. I know this hike will be tougher than the ones we have done so far this spring. I am going to rest today as to not make my legs sore for the hike tomorrow.We should be getting up at 5am to hit the road by 5:30am and head the 2 hours towards the Perry Creek trail head.

May 31- 7 Mile Hike

Today is hike day!! We did end up getting up and hitting the road by 5:30am. It was hard to get up this early, but I was pretty excited to go on a longer hike. The short hikes have been a good workout, however I am excited to do a 4 hour hike and get to go a longer distance than just 2.5 miles.

We did Perry Creek Trail out by Mt. Pilchuck (the long hike we did towards the end of last summer). We were not able to go all the way to the top of the mountain, as the creek was too high, deep, and strong to cross. Instead, we had to stop a mile and half or so short and enjoy the rushing water as we ate our sandwiches in the shade.

I am hoping to post photos and talk more about this hike in the photography section of my blog. I still need to update the last hike we did as well… after finals (June 12th) is when I am hoping to get everything up to date and reported on.

June 1st- Rest

Today my parents decided to come up to Bellingham for the day and spend time with Alex and I. It was great to see them and show them around town.

I did not make it to the gym today, but will do my best to try and go each day next week. Although it is dead week (the week before finals), I shouldn’t be too busy and therefore am aiming to get a run in or bike ride in every day.

June 2nd- Rest

Today was unfortunately spent meeting up with various groups and getting group projects worked on/ finished. In the time not spent with a group, I was busy prepping and writing my papers that are due later next week.

It has been a long weekend filled with homework and family, but I am hoping by getting a lot of this work done this weekend, it will free up some of my time next week!

June

May seemed to go even faster than April or March. Looking back on May, both at my studies and also my running, I can’t believe how busy I have been.

This is no excuse for all the “rest” days I have taken, but this quarter has definitely been way busier than the last one. I have been a part of so many group projects and finally realized how much time these can take up.

Looking back at May, there are a few things I wanted to reflect on. These are things that I am both proud of, and also things I need to work on this upcoming month.

Positive things I accomplish in May:

I started May off with a 3.8 Mile run and found a new route because of it!
I did more biking this month compared to April

Negative things I need to work on:

I took a lot of rest days
Need to keep up my motivation to run

With summer and summer classes right around the corner, I need to make sure I am still getting my running in on a daily basis, or at least doing something to be active. With this being said, I decided to write out a full calendar schedule for June. I hope to follow this calendar and accomplish the goal I have set for each day.

I believe one of the best ways to complete this goal is to make the calendar pictured above and physically cross off everyday after I have completed the activity. This will give me motivation I need to push myself to get the task done. When it is completed, it will give me the feeling is satisfaction; knowing I completed everything on my to do list that day.

I am hoping this calendar will be the push I need to successfully complete my June workout schedule and meet my goals.

With this being said, here are some of my goals for the upcoming month:

Run 4 times a week (one of which will be a long run around 4 miles)
Bike 2 times a week
Abs– I have fallen behind on ab workouts to the point where I have stopped doing then altogether. On the days I bike, I want to also complete 5 minutes of ab exercises to help keep my stomach in shape.
Hydrate with the warmer weather starting, drinking water is going to become very important and make my runs a lot easier. This is a must as summer approaches.

I am hoping to continue the progress I have made over the past 5 months. Lack of motivation will be a key player in this process and it is something I strive to overcome every day this month.

Monthly stats

June was a good month, but there were a few weeks with a lot of rest days. I am hopeful to change this in the next few months.

Week 14

April 1- Rest

Happy April Fool’s! Today is Monday and the day before spring quarter starts. I decided to not go to the gym until tomorrow, as Alex has to buy the gym pass and it won’t activate until tomorrow. Today was spent reading through syllabi, getting notebooks ready, and trying to memorize by schedule.

Hoping this quarter goes as smooth as the last one did. I am also looking forward to the warmer and sunnier weather towards the end of this month and into May.

April 2- Run 3.1

The first day of classes went well, so I decided to hit the gym on my way home. I got done with classes around 4 and was done at the gym around 4:40. Usually I don’t like going around this time, as this seems to be the peak time where everyone is at the gym, but when I am only using the treadmill, it really isn’t that bad.

This run was definitely a little harder than I remember, since it has been over a week and a half since I last ran or worked out at all. This feeling is always bitter-sweet. I hate how much harder workouts become after taking time off, but when the workout is over the sore muscles is a nice reminder why I should be trying to workout every day.

I have a feeling this week will more of a challenge to go to the gym everyday as I have a whole new schedule to work around. By the end of this week, I should have a better idea of what my weeks will look like and be able to put together a gym schedule for this quarter.

April 3- Rest

After class today, I felt overwhelmed by all the information given out in classes. I decided to not go to the gym, but instead focus my time on organizing my planner and figuring out what is due when.

I still need to make a schedule for April. Hopefully I can get around to this sometime this upcoming weekend.

April 4- Full body circuit

After classes ended at 4, I hit the gym to do my arms and legs workout. I took it a little easier today since it has been so long since using weights. I used the 10 pound dumbbells and the stair climber. It felt good using these muscles again.

It feels good starting to get back into a good routine after taking so much time off over spring break. It makes me start to wonder what summer will be like, I am thinking I might need to get a gym membership somewhere around my house to do my weight workouts!

April 5- Rest

It’s Friday and that means no classes! Welcome to four day weeks and three day weekends!! Today I spent the day sleeping in, doing some homework, and then headed down to Seattle to spend the evening and weekend with my family. My grandma had a heart attack earlier last week and this weekend we are going to go visit her in Wenatchee.

April 6- Day trip to Wenatchee

The drive over to Wenatchee seemed to take forever, we ended up hitting some snow at the top of Stevens Pass which got the nerves pumping and after that it was dumping rain the rest of the way. We got to Wenatchee around 12, just in time to join my grandma for lunch. The afternoon was spent socializing and eventually time for dinner.

My family ended up going out to a local pub in downtown Wenatchee called Saddle Rock Pub and Brewery. The food there was SOOOO good! I would definitely recommend their pizza, salads, starters, and of course their beer. I also really liked this sign they had on one of their walls:

We got home from Wenatchee around 9:30pm. After the long day, we were all fairly tired and worn out from the 6 hours of being on the road. It was good to see my grandma, and I am glad she is doing okay after being in the hospital.

April 7- Back up to Bham

Back up to Bellingham I go. I feel like I have done so much driving lately. Between our trip to Spokane and the back and fourth from Wenatchee and Bellingham I am exhausted from driving! It will be good to be back in Bellingham where everything is accessible by bus or walking.

I used to day as a personal day. I got back up to Bellingham, did some homework, and just relaxed for the day. I am going to make sure I get on a consistent schedule this upcoming week and try to get around to making an overall schedule for April this week.

Week 8

February 18- Full body circuit

It’s Monday and my workout schedule has been flipped due to skipping my rest day yesterday. I added walking on the stair climber to my leg workout and it felt really good! I could feel my legs burning and I loved the little motivational blurbs the machine gave. By the time I was done, I had climbed the equivalent of the Pyramid of Giza! It was cool to compare my progress to a real life equivalent.

February 19- Bike

Today I opted to bike instead of run. I biked for about 20 minutes and called it a day. I was sweating, got my heart rate up, and the legs were burning. Overall, I would call this a good enough workout for the day.

I am looking forward to having a rest day tomorrow. My body is starting to feel like it needs one. I also can’t wait to get this finance midterm over with tomorrow and have the rest of the week to relax and catch up on other class work.

February 20- Rest day

I was happy to choose today as my rest day. I got through my midterm, got some other class work done, and took some time to relax.

February 21- 3.4 mile run

Today I went to Lake Padden to run. The sun was shinning and I couldn’t wait to feel the crisp air on my face and in my lungs.

I was a little disappointed about half a mile into this run. The trail turned into an ice rink. For the next two miles I was forced to walk, as it was way too icy and dangerous to try and run. There were a few time times where I almost fell and when finishing my run I could tell my left knee felt strained from the ice.

From the 3.4 miles, I probably only ran about 2.25 and walked the rest. It still felt good to get out, but I do wish I was able to have run the whole thing without all the ice. Below are some photos I took as I made my way around the lake.

February 22- Full body circuit

I got through my arms and legs workout. It feels good being back on a solid schedule after last weeks snow days. I was a little sore after my run yesterday, but it still felt good to go to the gym.

February 23- Rest day

Alex and I took and hour and a half road trip over to Fort Casey today. I am hoping to post some photos this upcoming week. Because of this day trip, I wasn’t able to go to the gym before it closed. I will be going tomorrow instead to get my last run in for the week.

February 24- Full body circuit

In order to get my workout routine back on track, I decided to make today another full body circuit. I believe this will help keep me motivated as well to go to the gym each day this week and complete the task laid out before me.

Today I focused more on arms, I have been trying to get to the point where I can do a pull up on my own. As of now, I am using an assist machine and can do it with about 90 pounds on my own and 40 pound assist.

I also utilized the stair climber, man was that a workout! I like being able to use different machines every now and then to get a good workout in. I’m a fan of the stair climber and want to try to start using this more often.