LOLZLetter 214 |Complete Those Final Steps – Take A Break After The Race
Welcome,
As most people know, I ran the Los Angeles Marathon over the weekend. It went pretty well, and I finished at 3:24.59. I'll write a longer blog post recap at some point, but on a good day, I thought I could be under 3:30, and I surpassed that. With nearly 1000 feet of elevation gain, the LA Marathon is challenging. I didn't realize it had more elevation gain than NYCM.
Things that went well:
Fundraising: We raised over $2000 for McCourt Foundation and Team TMF. I could not have done it without you, so thank you.
Nutrition: I could consume six gels: before miles 5, 10, 15, 19, and 22.
My Finish: I wasn't limping to the finish line, but finishing strong.
Things that did not go as well:
Running the tangents. I stopped at every aid station, no matter the side of the road. I ran 26.6 miles.
Weather: The start was 60 and humid.
You can see Strava here or Instagram here.
Onto the newsletter: Resting Post Marathon
The newsletter usually follows topics I'm interested and rest after a marathon seems...relevant. After any big marathon, seeing the people running the next day is always interesting. While the cringe phrase "you do you" applies, not resting after long races can set you up for failure. Failure means burnout, injury, or just not hitting your next goal. Just because you can run doesn't mean you should.
For most runners, taking time off is not fun. Many runners hate rest days, probably more than hard workouts. We fear that a few rest days will cause you to lose all fitness.
Right now, I wonder, will two weeks off set me back to last spring and summer? Newsflash: it won't.
Not taking enough rest to recover usually leads to overtraining and injuries. It might produce short-term results but will likely come at a long-term cost.
How Does the Marathon Damage Your Body?
Every part of your body is stressed when you run a marathon, including bones, ligaments, muscles, and tendons. It doesn't matter if the race felt easy, you ran well, or you ran slower than your goal. Every part is stressed.
Muscles:
Studies have shown that post-marathon muscles create inflammation and muscle fiber necrosis. (also known as soft tissue inflammation). In short it impairs muscle power and durability.
Immune System:
The immune system is compromised after running a marathon. So yes, you are more likely to pick up some sickness. As someone who spent almost eight months recovering from the flu, you better believe I don't want to be around people and get sick.
Cellular damage:
Cellular damage after a marathon lingers for 7+ days. When muscles are damaged, myoglobin in muscle cells is released into the bloodstream, and studies show the bloodstream has a presence of myoglobin in the bloodstream 3-4 days after the race. Unlike sore muscles, it can be hard to realize this is happening because there is no noticeable trace.
What do pros do?
Many pros take 1-2 weeks completely off. If runners with the best resources knowledge and doing 100% to earn incomes are taking time off, why aren't the "normal people"?
Downtime Won't "Ruin Your Fitness"
Research has shown a minimal (1%) reduction in your VO2 max in the first week of complete inactivity. Even after two weeks of running, the VO2 max decreased by around 6%.
But what does that mean? A 20-minute 5ker might now run 20:30. Of course, no one wants to run slower, but that 30 seconds is quickly regained by getting back into training. Returning to your previous peak fitness shape only takes a few weeks. Then what? You surpass it and get even more fit.
But if you continue training directly after a marathon, you'll reach that peak fitness faster, but you are unlikely to get injured. Then you'll be forced to take weeks or even months off.
So, in short, take time off. It will only benefit you're you later down the road. As for me, I'm taking around two weeks off from running.
What is Keeping Me Entertained?
Raven Saunders, Olympic shot put medalist, banned until 2024
Kara Goucher's new book: This was an incredible read. I don't want to say great because it's hard to think about Alberto Salazar, who was ultimately banned from sports for sexual assault.
What Gear do I love This Week?
I recently got a pair of these recovery boots to review, and my calves are thanking me as I write this newsletter.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoy the LOLZLetter, I appreciate you sharing it!
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