There's no better recovery tool available than sleep. It's better than compression socks, massage, a foam roller or any protein shake. Sleep is when your body repairs the muscle damage that inevitably occurs during long runs and hard tempo workouts.
Every person is different, but the general rule for the amount of sleep that you need is 7 to 8 hours. But in my experience as a competitive runner and coach, most runners need 8 to 9 hours when they are running fast workouts and challenging themselves. The average person who isn't training for races can get by on seven hours, but not you.
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If this amount of sleep is not possible during the week because of family or job responsibilities, you may want to schedule one night where you sleep as much as possible. While "making up" sleep isn't possible, it will jump-start your recovery and prevent overtraining.
Since overtraining is often just an "under recovery" problem, getting as much rest in between your quality workouts should be a top goal in your training program.
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Recovery Runs Are for Recovery
A common running mistake is that too many runners do all of their runs at the same pace: a moderately difficult effort. Instead, it's best to follow the principle of making your harder days harder and your easy days easier.
In fact, recovery runs, typically your shortest runs of the week, should be slower than your long run or any other effort of the week. The goal of these workouts is to enhance and facilitate recovery, not build fitness.
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You don't help your fitness level by completing recovery runs fast or trying to "get in a good workout." You prevent recovery and potentially jeopardize your performance during the next key workout. Strike a balance and take it very easy on your recovery days. Every run has a purpose and, by letting your body run slow, you'll be better prepared for your next quality day.
Overtraining and chronic running fatigue are common problems for many runners who over-race, under-recover, and push the effort on their recovery days.
Run smart and prevent overtraining by having a purpose for each workout, sticking to the plan, and getting enough sleep. You'll surprise yourself with the results.
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