Today's workouts were tough and laying on the couch watching golf certainly qualifies as rest and recovery between these workouts, but there are additional tools I use to help me recuperate. Interestingly I engaged in all of them today!
All the physical benefits of training also come with some general aches and pains. And obviously the volume of training needed to do an Ironman puts a bit more stress on the body than is normal. In order to do multiple workouts in a day and log up to 20 hours of training in a week, it becomes extra important to rest and recover between workouts. Nutrition, hydration, and sleep are all big keys in recovery, along with some others that I have also found helpful.
We've all seen them before and I'm pretty sure we've all laughed at them before. It's the compression sock/sleeve mania. They aren't flattering in any way, shape or form and, well, quite frankly they look somewhat ridiculous. That may be the reason I find myself preferring to wear them in the privacy of my own home after workouts and only ocassionally wear them while running. They have become more popular and many people use them during long-course events. I must admit that I have been tossing around that idea for Ironman, but not 100% sure yet. The concept behind these attractive stockings is to promote blood flow to the calfs by compression. They were originally created to help diabetics improve their circulation, and now they've become popular with runners and triathletes looking to boost blood flow and run faster. I typically wear them after a run for several hours and I have found that they help my calves feel better and refreshed the next day. Maybe they work or maybe the benefit is only psychological, but either way I'll take it. Here are my attactive sticks sporting the hotness known as compression sleeves.............
Another one of my favorite recovery aides that I've been using for several years is the good 'ole foam roller. When doing a lot of cycling or just a lot of volume (esp bike and run) I tend to get some tightness in my hips and iliotibial bands. I tried traditional stretches which do work to some degree, but I have found that the foam roller works GREAT for me. Not only does the roller work on IT bands, but it has also proven to be great at stretching my calves, gluteus, hamstrings, quadraceps and various points on the back (lower and upper). I don't have video of me using this device, but check out this guy using the foam roller to strech his IT band! And here is what my IT band laying out in the middle of our living room looks like (much to Colleen's chagrin).......
This list would not be complete without me mentioning the magical power of protein in aiding recovery. Tired, beat up muscles need it more than ever and if I learned anything from years of lifting weights when I was younger, protein helps rebuild muscle and eliminate soreness the next day. Lately, I have been using Whey Protein powder and mixing it with whatever type of juice we have in the refidgerator. Unfortunately, the powder seems to make any juice go from tasting good to tasting average. I used to mix the powder with water, but that really tasted awful. The juice at least makes things taste somewhat drinkable (but still not good). I find it funny we can put men on the moon, but we still have not found a way to make protein powder taste delicious. Curiously strange!
Looking for the crescendo of recovery tools? You've come to the right place. One of my favorite tools and perhaps the most exciting is of course none other than the famed ice bath! I took my first ice tub about 4 years ago while training for the Chicago Marathon. It is a proven medical fact that icing any type of inflammation aids in the recovery by helping to keep down the swelling. I have used ice bags on all sorts of injuries over the years with good success. So after an exceptionally long, stressful workout, why not submerge the entire lower body in ice? Professional athletes (NFL, NBA, MLB) have been practicing this technique for years so one would think it has to have some value? Other than being exceiptionally uncomfortable and unenjoyable, the after-affect seems to always be less stiffness and soreness the next day.
It's simple to prepare as well. I usually buy 2 or three big bags of ice at my local gas station, fill up my tub with cold water. Dump the bags into the tub and hop in! You only really have to endure the pain for about 10-15 minutes and it's really just the first couple minutes of acclimating that are annoying. I'll spare everyone the picture of me in the tub, but here is the tub pre-me soaking. Looks appealling, doesn't it? Go ahead, give it a try sometime!
Looking for the crescendo of recovery tools? You've come to the right place. One of my favorite tools and perhaps the most exciting is of course none other than the famed ice bath! I took my first ice tub about 4 years ago while training for the Chicago Marathon. It is a proven medical fact that icing any type of inflammation aids in the recovery by helping to keep down the swelling. I have used ice bags on all sorts of injuries over the years with good success. So after an exceptionally long, stressful workout, why not submerge the entire lower body in ice? Professional athletes (NFL, NBA, MLB) have been practicing this technique for years so one would think it has to have some value? Other than being exceiptionally uncomfortable and unenjoyable, the after-affect seems to always be less stiffness and soreness the next day.
It's simple to prepare as well. I usually buy 2 or three big bags of ice at my local gas station, fill up my tub with cold water. Dump the bags into the tub and hop in! You only really have to endure the pain for about 10-15 minutes and it's really just the first couple minutes of acclimating that are annoying. I'll spare everyone the picture of me in the tub, but here is the tub pre-me soaking. Looks appealling, doesn't it? Go ahead, give it a try sometime!
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