Just last Wednesday I was running 46 miles over high plains and strong wind towards Utah. My past history of recovery after these cross-state treks is months of rest. Not because my body needs it but that other parts of my life take over, and I don't prioritize running since I know that it's going to be another year before I have to perform like that again.
Not this year, or so I thought. My friends in the Tucson Trail Runner group were headed out on a friendly 14 mile run into Sabino Canyon this morning. They'd be running the Phoneline Trail which is a decent climb but nothing too taxing. I figured it would be a good way to test my body and perhaps hold onto the conditioning I earned in Wyoming if I were to join them. So, up at 5am this morning I got, drove across town and was surprised to join 50+ other people in the early light.
We were a long steady train of runners climbing the trail for the first few miles before we began to spread out. After about 4 miles, I began to get a pain in my left thigh. It was the same area that I had some new pain on the last day of my Wyoming run. I almost never have muscle pain and this was a bit concerning to me. I pushed through it today and finished the 14 miler in 3hrs 1min but my takeaway was grander than my time: 48 hours is NOT enough recovery time following a 500 mile run.
Now the trick is to recover, recharge and keep my fitness while not losing everything to months of inactivity.
Not this year, or so I thought. My friends in the Tucson Trail Runner group were headed out on a friendly 14 mile run into Sabino Canyon this morning. They'd be running the Phoneline Trail which is a decent climb but nothing too taxing. I figured it would be a good way to test my body and perhaps hold onto the conditioning I earned in Wyoming if I were to join them. So, up at 5am this morning I got, drove across town and was surprised to join 50+ other people in the early light.
We were a long steady train of runners climbing the trail for the first few miles before we began to spread out. After about 4 miles, I began to get a pain in my left thigh. It was the same area that I had some new pain on the last day of my Wyoming run. I almost never have muscle pain and this was a bit concerning to me. I pushed through it today and finished the 14 miler in 3hrs 1min but my takeaway was grander than my time: 48 hours is NOT enough recovery time following a 500 mile run.
Now the trick is to recover, recharge and keep my fitness while not losing everything to months of inactivity.
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