I recently ran a marathon PB of 2:40:43 in cold & very windy conditions in Rotterdam. Whilst I trained well, I actually put the result down to finally recognizing the power of good recovery!
For 5 years I was entrenched in the Lydiard philosophy of "miles make champions". Missing training just seemed like a soft option to me. There would be times when stubbornly I would run through intolerable pain, or at ungodly hours even though deep down I knew I just needed rest. In Dec last year I injured my hamstring for the umpteenth time. Out of necessity I backed off my training from around 140 km's pw to around 90-110. With no "A" races on the radar until Rotterdam in April, I reduced the number of hard sessions each week, cut out the intervals for a while and focused on the long runs, the weekly tempo run and a few strides here and there. Most importantly though, I forced myself to take a day off most weeks.
I've been fortunate to have received guidance from 2 great coaches in Barry Magee & Sean Williams. I've also read just about every running book I can get my hands on along with running forums like Letsrun etc. However, perhaps the most valuable piece of advice I needed was presented to me earlier this year when I read the line "recovery is training". Pretty obvious stuff I admit, but I probably wasn't ready until then to accept it! I now place the same level of importance on recovery as I do on actually running. This includes things like:
1) Getting a weekly massage;
2) Getting physio / chiro treatments instead of allowing niggles to go untouched;
3) Taking a day off when I need it; and
4) Accepting my age and modifying my program by eliminating doubles / reducing the number of hard days and being selective about when I take on speedwork or intervals that has always placed so much stress on my body.
Not only have the physical benefits been tremendous, but I believe the mental aspect has been even more important. Just by being fresher, I am less intimidated by the hard sessions for a start. I can even look forward now to the odd day off and not even think about running. I know that after a day off I'm pumped and eager to get back into action and I usually put in a nice session as a result.
Some things take a while to sink in and admittingly it's only been through trial and error that I have learned to accept the simple fact, which is: "Recovery is training". The adaptions in our body occur not when we run or race, but afterwards when we rest.
My next "A" race will be the Gold Coast Marathon in July. Prior to that I'll be doing a tune-up Half Marathon in Canberra on 20 May.
