Veni, Vedi, Veci! We came, we saw, we conquered (26 miles)! - but what now?
Wednesday, 20th April 2011
Veni, Vedi, Veci! - We came, we saw, we conquered!
26 miles of emotion
For those who have just completed their spring marathon we salute you!
For those who have just completed their spring marathon we salute you!
While the tumble dryer of marathon race day emotions may well still be on fast spin, as joy and achievement are thrashed together with hints of post race blues and the dreaded question - “what now?”, we at LGN recommend our Run Club clients focus the mind on giving the body time to properly recover.
Recovery
The positive running effects of your marathon training will be vast, but you will need to let your body fully recover from race day for it to truly demonstrate what it has gained. In the short term you must be aware that your muscles have experienced what is termed ‘micro-trauma’, which is just a flash word for tiny tears.
The positive running effects of your marathon training will be vast, but you will need to let your body fully recover from race day for it to truly demonstrate what it has gained. In the short term you must be aware that your muscles have experienced what is termed ‘micro-trauma’, which is just a flash word for tiny tears.
This muscular ‘micro-trauma’ is quite a normal, will come in varying degrees of intensity but in most cases requires more time to heal and fully recover then runners want to acknowledge. Therefore it is worth thinking about the next 4 weeks as your recovery window, and don’t just open it ajar, but instead fling it wide open and embrace the fresh air of physical recovery.
LGN ‘jazz running’
And it is within your recovery window that it is time to be wild, go crazy & cast aside your iron aerobic will to truly let go of the running discipline you so neatly developed. Now is the time become what we at LGN call a ‘jazz runner’, disconnect from a need to follow a plan, instead indulge your running only when you feel a deep seated urge.
And for the especially wild at heart we thoroughly recommend taking it to another level and for example setting your Sunday Run early morning alarm and then just laughing at it before going back to sleep – crazy. The bottom line is to think like Miles Davis, don’t over think your running, just feel it and let it happen as your body dictates.
Brussels leads the way with LGN's Jazz Running philosophy
It is also worth remembering that now freed of your marathon shackles when we refer to training it doesn’t have to be running related, in fact it would be ideal in your 4 week recovery window to try cross training, so still keeping heart & lungs ticking over but taking the load off key running pressure points, swimming, cycling, rowing, climbing etc now is the time to expand your physical horizons
The call of the inner runner:
However, after a while of Jazz running most people yearn for the discipline once more and feel the need just like James Brown to inflict strict discipline once more on his backing band the ‘J.B’s’. In other words it will not be long before you automatically feel the magnetic lure of a training program once more and desire a fresh & funky running goal.
When it comes to getting back in the saddle, it is probably worth noting that most people can’t create real running enthusiasm based on a vague notion of “getting back into running shape.” So when the time is right to re-kindle your motivation, you may well need a more defined goal. We recommend identifying goals that don’t put you under immediate pressure, so give yourself plenty of time to find your aerobic groove and also look for events you haven’t done before to create a new mark in the sand.
Conversely LGN also strongly recommend you give yourself at lest 6 months before embarking on another 26 mile odyssey and indeed worth remembering there is nothing written in running lore that says you ever have to do one again!
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LGN’s 5 non standard potential race goals:
Richmond River Run 10km 4th September - far removed from marathon tarmac - http://richmondriverrun.co.uk
Greenwich Park Orienteering 15th May - why should you know where you are running, ultimate LGN Jazz style - webmaster@dfok.co.uk
Trent Park Triffic Trail 10km 26th June – end of Piccadilly line tube (Cockfosters) and in a world of lush green running http://www.trentparkrc.org
Manchester Urbanathlon 31st July - use marathon fitness for original challenge http://www.urbanathlon.co.uk
Eden Project Marathon 9th October – ok, so not relevant if looking for a non marathon goal, but for those looking to embrace the beauty of Cornwall and enjoy a unique marathon, why not?! http://www.edenproject.com/Eden-Project-Marathon-2011.php
Enjoy your journey back to the land of running!
Do a runner with LGN