Post-Race Recovery

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Coco

I had a great race at the GW Parkway Classic last weekend, and I’ve had a great post-race recovery week.

I kick-started my recovery by taking an ice bath when I got home. As much as I wish Epsom salt baths worked as well for me, they just don’t. I took a warm Epsom salt bath after the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler and was hobbled by delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) the next day. I took an ice bath after the GW Parkway Classic and noticed that my quads didn’t even complain about walking down the stairs.

On Monday, I opted for a “triple threat” workout to help my legs recover:

  1. 20 minutes on the elliptical (forward/reverse intervals)
  2. 25 minutes with Rodney Yee (Forward Bends program)
  3. 10 minutes core work with Cathe (from my X-Train DVD)

I made Tuesday a strength day, and did my ITB Rehab routine, my super sets routine, and 6 minutes of planks (4 sets of 30-second planks front/left/right).

20130425-214806.jpgI need my interval timer app to lead me through those planks!

On Wednesday, I was in Chicago for a business trip, and went for a run along one of my favorite routes from the Navy Pier out to the planetarium.

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The planetarium is at the point in the distance.
I’m not used to being able to see my destination 2 miles away!

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It was a bit rainy, and windy, but I didn’t mind.
I love the Chicago skyline!

I ended up covering about 5.6 miles in 52 minutes, with most of my splits at a 9:25 pace–clearly my legs were ready to be running again.

On Thursday I was back home and did my strength routine again, doing Cathe’s core routine instead of planks.

Today I plan to do an easy run before work, and tomorrow I may do some speed work at the track–nothing fancy, just some 400M repeats for fun. The next race on my calendar is the Lawyers Have Heart 10K in June, so I am going to spend the next few weeks focusing on speed instead of distance.

How do you recover from a race?

How long does it usually take to get back to your usual workout routine?

Posted in Fitness | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

How Much Would You Pay For A Bottle Of Water?

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Coco

This week I had a quick business trip to Chicago for a conference. I stayed at a nice hotel that caters to business travelers, so I expected to pay a few dollars for the 1L bottle of water that was in my room. I was shocked when I read the fine print on this tag.

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$7.00

Even though I get reimbursed for my travel expenses, I don’t like to waste my firm’s money, so I put the water bottle down and paid $2.75 for a 3/4 L bottle of water at the gift shop–a bargain in comparison!

Later I noticed this 8 oz. bottle of water in the bathroom.

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Yep, that tag says $7.00 too!

Now, I figured that the price on the small water bottle was a mistake. I was nearly certain that that small water bottle in the bathroom was supposed to be complementary, but I didn’t drink it–I didn’t want to be wrong!

As I was discussing this pricing with a colleague who was staying at the same hotel, he remarked that the large water bottle was on a tray with a sensor, so I might have been charged if I had moved the bottle. Now, I know that hotels have sensors in the refrigerators, but I didn’t realize that the innocuous-looking tray that held the water bottle and a few cans of chips and M&Ms was a computerized device ringing up charges each time I picked up a package to read the price or nutrition label!

I pulled up my hotel charges and saw that I had indeed been charged for the water … $9.30 with tax! The front desk reversed the charges when I called to tell them that I had not opened the water bottle. They also confirmed that the small bottle of water in the bathroom was complementary.  Still, the experience left a bad taste in my mouth. (No apologies for the pun!)

I do have some good news on the water front. I love the new Camelbak water bottle I got last week.  I found it in the cycling section of a sports store, but it is just what I need for my One Direction fuel belt.

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The top has a twist-lock feature, but even if it is open it does not leak or drip. You have to squeeze the body of the bottle slightly to get water to come out. It performed well during the GW Parkway Classic. I left it in the open position and nothing splashed out and it was really easy to get a drink when I wanted one.

How much have you paid for a bottle of water in your hotel room?

Have you been surprised by other hotel charges? 

Posted in Fitness | Tagged , | 7 Comments

Race Day Fuel

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Coco

Last year I ran a lot of races, and suffered from a lost of post-race GI issues. I’ve tried different approaches to pre-race eating, race day fuel, and post-race food, and finally am figuring out what works–thank goodness, because I was on the verge of giving up racing!

Before: Most of my races are 10 miles or less, so I don’t really need to do any “carb loading.” Still, I don’t want to be hungry on race day, and find it hard to pass up an excuse to eat whatever I want. I was struck by a post that Carrie wrote about pre-race eating, where she discussed cutting back on fiber and other foods that might tax your digestive system. While it might seem obvious, I never had considered that my pre-race eating could be contributing to my post-race GI issues. I was more careful with my food choices in the days leading up t0 the Army 10 Miler and had my best post-race day all year! Now, I try to cut back on fiber, eat more simple carbs than usual, and avoid heavy foods.

Race-Day: My go-to race day breakfast has become a Kashi® waffle drizzled with syrup and topped with sliced banana.

Pre-Race Breakfast

If I’m feeling hungry or need to leave the house early, I will bring a crunchy peanut butter granola bar to eat closer to race time.

Post-Race: When I am afraid of post-race GI issues, the last thing I want to do is eat, but I have found that if I eat the right thing soon after I finish, my stomach is more settled the rest of the day. It also seems that eating small snacks every few hours helps keep my stomach from revolting.

My favorite thing to have right after a race is a soft, chewy bagel.

Post Race Bagel

(My GW Parkway Classic bagel–I couldn’t wait!)

At this year’s GW Parkway Classic, they had bagels and bananas, and also gave out these:

Fitful

The label says that the foods provide the right balance of nutrients to aid recovery.

I didn’t investigate the box until after I had eaten the rest of my bagel in an open-faced egg and cheese sandwich, so you will understand why I tried the square of Belgian dark chocolate first. 🙂

A few hours later I snacked on the cheese and crackers–they really hit the spot. Once I was confident that my stomach was not going to revolt, I had another snack.

By then I knew I was in the clear, and could enjoy a normal dinner.

Do you have set foods that you eat before a race?

Is your stomach finicky on race day?

Posted in Fitness, Food | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Epsom Salt Bath Or Ice Bath?

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Coco

Last year I finally tried taking post-long run ice baths after hearing so much about them on Twitter, and reading some of the science behind the torture practice. (You can check out these articles from Runner’s World and Running Times). I was amazed at how fresh my legs felt after taking an ice bath, and how little delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) I experienced even after a long, hard, hilly run.

But then summer turned to fall and fall turned to winter, and the thought of immersing myself in icy water became less and less appealing. Other running friends on Twitter swore by warm Epsom salt baths, so I gave them a try. They definitely are much more enjoyable, but do they work as well?

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Epsom Salt Bath–Pros

  • Can keep Epsom salts on hand and ready to use after any run
  • Bath itself is enjoyable and relaxing
  • No need for a hot shower afterwards

Epsom Salt Bath–Con

  • Does not seem to be as effective at preventing DOMS

Ice Bath–Pros

  • Seems to be very effective at preventing DOMS

Ice Bath–Cons

  • Need to remember to buy ice on the way home from my run
  • Bath itself is uncomfortable–but bearable with a grande Starbucks and Twitter/Facebook distractions
  • Need to thaw out with a hot shower afterwards (some studies say that the cold/hot contrast is part of the recovery process)

Starbucks & Ice Bath

I have read articles saying that ice baths don’t really work, but they definitely seem to make a difference for me. I wish Epsom salt baths worked as well because they are much more pleasant, but they don’t seem to do the trick.

Have you ever tried an Epsom salt bath or ice bath? 

Does one or the other work better for you?

Check out my how-to post if you want to give an ice bath a try!

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Race Recap: 2013 GW Parkway Classic

Posted on April 21, 2013 by Coco

Maybe the best thing about my race recap for the 2013 GW Parkway Classic is that there is nothing too exciting to report. I did earn a recent PR (I didn’t finish quite as fast as I did in 2002) but that’s jumping ahead to the finish.

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I started my day with my current pre-race routine: a quick shower, a 1 mile walk with my dog, a cup of coffee and a Kashi® waffle with a drizzle of syrup and sliced bananas.

Pre-Race Breakfast

It was a glorious day for a race. It was sunny but cool, with temperatures in the low 40s and a nip in the air. I wore my new “We Run This Town” t-shirt with a yellow ribbon in remembrance of the Boston Marathon and a light-weight jacket that I was ready to part with if I needed to.

2013 GW Parkway Classic (Before)

My husband dropped me off at 7:30, which left me just enough time for a short warm-up and a picture at the gates of Mt. Vernon.

Mt. Vernon Entrance

I lined up in the middle of the 8:00-8:59 pace group, and the race started promptly at 8:00 am. I used my Garmin to monitor my pace, with a goal of staying in the 8:15 to 8:30 range. I didn’t really need to make myself slow down–the rolling hills in the first half of the course took care of that! I was looking forward to mile marker 5, because I knew the next mile was mostly downhill, and the rest of the course was relatively flat until the final hill at mile marker 9.

Split
Time
Distance
Avg Pace
Summary 1:24:21.5 10.03 8:24
1 8:18.9 1.00 8:19
2 8:21.8 1.00 8:22
3 8:23.7 1.00 8:24
4 8:24.4 1.00 8:24
5 8:29.5 1.00 8:30
6 8:19.2 1.00 8:19
7 8:28.6 1.00 8:29
8 8:32.1 1.00 8:32
9 8:31.9 1.00 8:32
10 8:15.7 1.00 8:16
11 :15.7 0.03 7:51

 I am pretty proud of my pacing!

The parkway is lined with neighborhoods, and families usually are out at the intersections cheering people on and holding signs for their runners. It was so heartening to see families and children out today–I made an effort to slap hands with all of the kids who had their hands out, even if I had to veer slightly off course to reach them.  I was grateful that their parents felt that it was safe to be out along the course, and grateful that I didn’t have any doubts myself.

The last mile of the race was dedicated to an Alexandria Police Officer (Officer Laboy) who was injured in a brazen shooting a few months ago. It was a touching reminder of how our first responders really do put their lives on the line every day. I was thankful for his dedicated service, and thankful for the many, many officers who were out along the course today.

Because I’ve run this race several times, I know the finish line is further off than I think it should be, so I tried not too push my pace too hard until I had less than 1/2 mile to go. I was pleased to notice that I did have some energy left for a final push. There were crowds lining the street near the end, but they had blocked off the final finish area for security reasons in response to the Boston Marathon bombing. I put both of my hands over my heart as I crossed the finish line, and found myself sobbing as I thought of all that happened this week in Boston.

Although I had planned to meet my husband a few blocks away, he found me at the finish line–I was so happy to see him! I grabbed a bagel and we headed for the car–I was eager to get my post-race Starbucks!

Starbucks Cup

After my ice bath, I check my official race results: 1:24:17!  I was surprised to see that I finished a smidge faster than last year, and even more surprised to see that I finished faster than I had in 2011 or 2010. I know I didn’t beat my 2002 course PR (1:22!) but I bet I beat the line of expected age-related decline!

After reading about so many poorly organized races, I really have to give a shout-out to Pacers (@RunPacers). This race is so well-organized and so well-run. There are tons of porta-pottys at the start, and at least four potty stations along the route. (I told my husband it must be the race with the most pottys per-mile!) The race started promptly, and there were split clocks at every mile. The water/Gatorade stations were where they said they would be, and were well-staffed with cheering, smiling, volunteers. The finish process was smooth, with plenty of water right at the finish, people handing out boxes of post-race snacks to finishers, and bagels and bananas available in the post-race festivities area. I heard one person complain about the headwind along the course, but I was glad for the breeze in the few sections that weren’t shady. Today I was reminded why this is my all-time favorite race, and why I have no doubts that I want to run it again next year.

Do you have a favorite race?

Is there a race you know you will never run again?

Posted in Fitness, Race Recaps | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments