Best Run Ever !

Boy, Monday night was something else. After work I headed out on my weekly long run. I'm gradually working up to about 2 hours, in preparation for a half marathon in spring. I'm now at the 1:35 point. Ever since reaching about the 1:20 point, I've finished my runs feeling pain.... sore knees and thighs and calves, sometimes a hip. nothing killer, but i sure felt it for the last km or so. I took this as a hint that my hydration was not what it should be. So I got myself a Platypus (a Camelback equivalent) and have been learning to use that properly. After a few runs with it, I've learned to take long sips from it every 5-10 minutes. I also take a powergel just before the run, and another at about the :45 mark.

Monday night's run was picture perfect, 1:35 with zero pain. I know my body may be getting accustomed to the stress of doing this much work, but I also believe the increased (proper) water intake had a lot to do with it.

When I got home, I went straight to the shower - first hot to warm up (I was a bit chilled), then ice cold on the legs afterwards. Then I got a good recovery meal on the stove, and did some LIGHT stretching while the food cooked. By light stretching, I mean that I didn't do the full body stretching routine that I often have done post-run. I hit mainly the quads, hams, and calves. I was having calf and hamstring tightness and soreness in the past, so I've concentrated on better quality stretches for them. I felt super loose and limber after that. During the evening, the calves and hams tightened up just slightly again, so I just did the same routine again before hitting the sack.

Next day, I felt like a million bucks. This is a first for me. I've usually been absolutely wiped, and rather sore, right after long runs, and still a bit bad the following day. I guess I'm just doing something right/better now. Any thoughts on my sudden success with long run recovery?

Congrats, Cam - this is clearly progress! I am sure that hydration levels had a part to do with it, but don't forget that your hard work in the training department is probably the major factor in your increased success.... even if it's only 51% of the equation (I know you mentioned this already, but I want to make sure you don't sell yourself short! .

Either way, it is a sign that your body is ready for you to increase the time of the LSD run again! Good luck -

I'll bet the reduced stretching is what made the difference for you.

Thanks, David in Ontario. Much of my progress is due to the great info and advice gathered right here in rec.running. And a few books.

Cam in Ontario

Strangely, I understand you, Steve. Perhaps some of us respond better to just a bit of stretching, focusing on trouble spots. I've been experimenting with this for a long time now, doing a lot of stretching before and/or after runs, or just a bit of stretching before and/or after, and occasionally trying little or no stretching..... all just to see how it affects my bod. I seem to have hit upon something now.

thanks,

Cam

Pavel Tsatsouline has a few books on stretching; I own his earlier one, which I understand has just been superceded by another. http://www.dragondoor.com or http://www.amazon.com for the particulars.

Anyway, in the stretching book of his I have, he debunks many - all, really - the myths of stretching in America. His take on stretching is that you can definitely be too flexible, and you should stretch as you need to, but not more than that.

The stretching book of his I've got, unlike his other book, 'Power To The People', is a bit hard to make your way through at times - the new book was written primarily to correct that, as I understand it.

Steve,

Can you elaborate on how one can be too flexible? I have never heard of this. I have always heard that being really flexible is a good thing.

Thanks, Martha

oooops, sorry - I misread the question! I guess yoga could make one TOO flexible, though! hehe sorry!

If I may interject, yoga can help a lot, I've heard. I'm planning on trying it out myself.

Yoga builds strength as well as flexibility. Pavel says there are one or two poses he doesn't like but he otherwise heartily recommends yoga for both strength and flexibility.

The short answer: buy his book.

The slightly longer answer: He believes that becoming more flexible must be accompanied by strength. Being strong and flexible is the way to at least have a chance of limiting injury, but just being flexible can actually make certain injury situations worse. He gives several examples in his book.

I'm not knowledgeable enough to be comfortable going into detail on this more than I have because I might mislead you. His exercises are quite interesting, though.