How to know if I need more recovery?

[Runningversity]

I get asked this a lot. How do I know if I’m just wimping out, or if I actually need a bit of extra recovery time from my runs?

If you have a decent running plan, this gives you a good starting point for your runs. However, a plan isn’t sentient. It doesn’t know ho you did in any particular run and whether you are ready for the next run.

Therefore you need to be prepared to change your plan, rather than being a slave to it.

There’s a risk that if you plough on through a plan without changing anything in your plan (based on how you feel) you’ll end up injured.

But the problem is that if you are training regularly, you’ll be stressing your muscles and they might feel worked. So how do you know when it’s just normal to feel like you do and when it’s time to listen to your body and back off?

Let’s talk about ache vs pain.

It’s normal to ache after exercise, although the amount of ache should be manageable so that by the next time you run, your legs should feel fresh and recovered again, or at least less aching. This ache is sometimes called “soreness” too. If you start your next run and the ache is still prominent, you need to pay attention. If this happens three runs in a row, you need to take a break for a few days to let your muscles repair more.

It’s not normal to be in pain from running. For example if each step creates a pain somewhere, no matter how small, it needs attention. If the pain is making you limp or running slightly differently, then you obviously need to stop running until you have repaired, which could be weeks or even months. Seeing a physio will help you understand how to avoid getting back to this situation.

After a race, especially long ones, you might find that the next time you run, your legs feel like lead, and perhaps feel like they are jarring with each step. This is a clear indicator that you need to head straight home and get more rest.

It’s not just the legs that are clues though! Perhaps your back feels tired, or your hips are sore. Again, pay attention! Why has this happened. Was it a case of too much too soon? Or do you need to work on your running form?

And what about the rest of you? Do you normally sleep well, but for some reason are not getting good sleep? You need to notice this, because sleep is when you recover, so you may have to do some more rest days from running or run less / slower to take this into account.

Or if you sleep well, but wake up tired still, perhaps your training is taking a toll.

So, always listen to your body and be prepared to change your plan!

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