“The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare”
– Juma Ikangaa

Now that we’re into the second half of the 5k program, there’s probably some soreness and residual fatigue that’s accumulated over the first four weeks. If you’re new to running, it’s an opportunity to learn that you can still perform well when you’re not 100%. It’s also an opportunity to look at how you’re recovering from your workouts.

Recovery isn’t just about the time immediately after your workout is done. That’s an important window of opportunity for kickstarting your recovery, for sure, but recovery is also about everything else you do to help your body recover and be as ready as it can for your next workout. Preparing to race is a balance between developing the skills and endurance to run the distance along with developing the skills to take care of yourself.

Recovery has four essential parts: Rest, Nutrition, Hydration, and External Stress Management.

Nutrition is where you give your body the components it needs to both fuel and rebuild your muscles, bones, and tendons.

Rest is where you give your body the opportunity to do all the rebuilding it needs to. Your body cannot rebuild if it does not rest.

Hydration is where you provide your body with enough fluids and minerals to balance your blood’s PH. You probably lose more fluid then you realize when you exercise, so always drink at least one more glass of water than you think you need. It’s really easy to get chronically underhydrated, and that state affects your sleep and how well you recover. We’re not asking you to obsessively drink a certain amount of water a day, but simply to drink a little more.

External Stress Management is about managing all those non-running things that stress you out. In the same way that your body only knows exertion and duration, your body can’t really distinguish what’s raising your heart rate – an easy run or a stressful meeting with your boss or a petulant child or partner. More stress means you need more rest to recover. Don’t judge how much rest you need simply by taking your running into account – also take into account all the other things in your life that require your attention. You have to compensate for all the stress in your life and rest accordingly. Naps are a really good thing.

After today’s long run, actively consider what you’re going to do for yourself to recover, and get your body and mind ready for your next workout. Drink that extra glass of water, take that nap!