How you can turn rest into results

With the Gold Coast Marathon just six weeks away, it can be tempting to train harder and faster in pursuit of a good time. But your next run is only as good as your last recovery, so it’s time to start thinking about how you can turn rest into results.

Adequate recovery time will allow you to reap the benefits of your training routine for the Gold Coast Marathon.

With the Gold Coast Marathon just six weeks away, it can be tempting to train harder and faster in pursuit of a good time. But your next run is only as good as your last recovery, so start thinking about how you can turn rest into results.

Make a call

In an ideal world, we would know what our maximum volume of training is before we cross the line to fatigue or injury. Keep your senses attuned to how you’re feeling and make a judgment call if you think a training run should be substituted with a rest day.

Re-build through recovery

It’s extremely important that your training program allows for ample recovery time. It is during the recovery period after a workout that your body rebuilds and becomes stronger.

Training again too soon and stressing your body through intense running may result in you being sore or tired when you start off on your next run, increasing the likelihood of injury.

Fuel up

The two nutrition priorities after a big training session are rehydration and glycogen replacement. Many runners suffer unnecessary fatigue after a run because they haven’t refuelled their muscles.

Most runners are aware of the need to replace fluids, but carbohydrate consumption after training is equally important.

During your run, you will have depleted your muscles of glycogen and the only way to refuel them is to eat or drink carbohydrates.

Inadequate carbohydrate consumption, in combination with muscle fibre damage, may delay muscle glycogen repletion for up to a week, resulting in poor training performance, fatigue and lethargy.

Make sure you begin reloading immediately after a run — this will restore glycogen twice as

quickly as eating more than two hours after a run. Also, keep up your protein consumption — this is necessary for muscle repair and recovery.

Try snacking on almonds after your workout for added protein.

Keep active

Active recovery is light exercise during the recovery phase which is beneficial as it stimulates blood flow to the muscles, helping reduce muscle pain and boosting recovery. Try a low intensity activity such as deep water running, swimming, cycling or yoga to combat muscle fatigue.

If you put these steps into practice, you will recover faster and be able to train more consistently in the lead up to the Gold Coast Marathon. Apply yourself when it counts and recover sensibly- you will notice the difference!

Pat Carroll has helped hundreds of runners achieve their goals and is a four-time winner of the Gold Coast Marathon (1983, 1984, 1988 and 1997) and heads up the Pat Carroll Online and Onland Pacers group at the Gold Coast Marathon.