Last week I went through one of these types of recovery days that had no training but throughout the day I felt like I was converting into a petrified piece of human timber. Not a good feeling.

Later that evening, our family went for an easy bike ride to a local park. When we returned home I was amazed at how great my legs now felt. The petrification had stopped. Yeah! This refreshed and rejuvenated feeling was all from a simple family bike ride that increased circulation and got the body moving a bit – active recovery.

How easy was our ride? Here is some video.

(If you can’t see the video, click here.)

Some other possible active recovery options:

• walk
• easy bike
• easy swim
• easy run

Has active recovery worked for you? What is your favorite type?

If you are feeling a bit petrified during your recovery days, a little bit of active recovery may be worth exploring.

Be active – Feel the buzz!

David – EnduranceBuzz.com

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Here are nine different methods I have used when my piriformis tightens up.

1. Tennis ball massage – Lay on top of the tennis ball and allow it to put deep tissue pressure in the tender area by using your body weight. This can be a bit uncomfortable but I try to relax my body as much as I can with a few deep breaths.
2. Foam Roller – Really trying to massage the piriformis area (yes, your butt) daily.
3. Piriformis Stretch – 2-4 times per day.
4. Outward leg lifts – While laying on your side, raise top leg 1-2 ft for 20-30 reps (for 2 sets). Then repeat for other leg.
5. Running form focus – Sometimes my legs start to get lazy and the inside of my knees will rub periodically. I pay attention to my form and make sure my legs remain in alignment (not drooping inwards).
6. Chiropractor – A good crack to make sure the core of my body is in proper alignment.
7. Professional massage – An hour of deep tissue work has produced some amazing results.
8. Reduce mileage and focus on the above seven items.
9. Stop Running – If I am in continual discomfort while running, I will stop running for a couple days and really work on the above items.

How have you handled this pain in the butt issue?

Be active – Feel the buzz!

David – EnduranceBuzz.com

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The foam roller continues to be one of my favorite running injury prevention and recovery tools. It is simple and works.

In an age when we want instant feedback, the foam roller delivers. If you have used this massaging device, you know what I am talking about. Once you finish a roller session, the body just smiles. This doesn’t mean I don’t wince a bit when working my I.T. band but like a deep tissue massage, this discomfort is quite temporary. The body feels so much looser than when I started and that is a good thing.

Perform Better currently has their summer sale going on and the one and three foot round PB Elite molded foam rollers have been marked down 24%-30%. The PB Elite foam roller is designed to last three times as long as the standard white roller. Bonus. I personally prefer the three foot model but the one foot version may be nice if you fly the friendly skies often and would like to bring it along.

This is a great opportunity to pick up a convenient, easy to use recovery tool that will help keep you training and racing for less than the cost of a pair of running shorts. Check it out!

Are you a foam roller fan?

Be active – Feel the buzz!

David – EnduranceBuzz.com

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Assuming that the entire world doesn’t implode on itself, technology is here to stay.  This advancement has brought to athletes a recovery tool that has geek written all over it. Of course, computers used to be only for the geeky-type, now nearly everyone in the west has one.

This advanced compression gadgetry is called the NormaTec MVP. NormaTec provides the following explanation on what their device can do for athletes.

The NormaTec MVP (“Most Valuable Pump”) is an FDA-cleared, state-of-the-art Pneumatic Compression Device. Multi-segment inflatable boots (or sleeves) are placed around the legs (or arms) and rhythmically inflated and deflated to carefully prescribed pressures. Stagnant fluid in the affected limb is promptly mobilized via the patentedPeristaltic Pulse pneumatic waveform.

Unlike other simple intermittent compression strategies, the NormaTec MVP provides software-controlled, precisely calibrated dynamic pneumatic compression that mimics normal physiology to help athletes recover quickly from work-outs, injuries, and surgery.

When using the device, you have that robotic hockey goalie look. Finally, an endurance athlete won’t look so dang skinny, at least for a while!

21st Century Compression In Action And Reviews

Professional triathlete Chris McDonald provides a couple pictures of him and his wife enjoying the compression euforia on his site bigring-chris.

The Garmin-Slipstream profession cycling team had this to say after trying out their new secret (well not any longer) recovery weapon.

I was completely caught off guard by how immediate and positively our guys responded to their first treatments. Not only did they feel something was happening during the treatment, they all felt “better than average” on the days after they used the NormaTec. By the time we reached the Tour of Italy, our riders demanded the NormaTec on a daily basis, coining the device their “Space Legs” because of the moon boot look of the leg appliances.

Ultra cyclist Shaun over at A Piece Of Our Universe also provided an interesting review and a good picture of all the gear that comes with the kit.

It was interesting that I couldn’t find any information about elite/professional runners using the product. Maybe it is still a secret weapon in the sport or they don’t buy into the benefits. Not sure?

How Much Does It Cost To Look Like A Hockey Goalie?

The “Legs” version MSRP is $4850. Save up your clams for this one as the price goes along with the claims. The prices doesn’t really surprise me. For the right individual or team this will not be an issue.

For those that don’t have enough clams or the desire to hand over this much from your piggy bank, check out my low cost and free running recovery tools article for additional ways to keep you moving and improving.

What are your thoughts on this recovery gadget?

Be active – Feel the buzz!

David - EnduranceBuzz.com

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How can you help you body heal faster and more effectively?

While reading Vegetarian Sports Nutrition by D. Enette Larson-Meyer, I came across some ways that may help support your bodies natural processes and keep you running or have you running sooner if you are unable to.

This all revolves around managing the inflammation response.

Larson-Meyer provides the following nutritional items to consider:

• Include Omega-3s in diet daily. Examples include flaxseed oil, ground flaxseed, hemp oil, and walnuts.
• Vitamin D – This would be achieved through adequate sun exposure and/or supplementation.
• Eat those fruits and veggies.
• Fresh herbs. Some examples include green tea, ginger tea, and pesto (yummy!). American running stud-ette Deena Kastor has a nice recipe for homemade pesto on her site.
• Olive oil
• Turmeric
• Basil
• Tomatoes

Larson-Meyer also mentions the supplements glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate as something else that may be worth investigating.

Another often talked about source of Omega-3s are fatty fish such as salmon or a quality fish oil supplement.

I personally have used Hammer Nutrition’s glucosamine/chondroitin product. I used it throughout my Ironman training days. Did it work  for me? Not sure, but I was able to train quite intensely for three years without significant injury. I currently take a fish oil supplement and try to include many of the other items mentioned in the above list within my normal lifestyle.

Dr. Weil provides some nice general tips for an anti-inflammatory diet (nutritional choices):

• Aim for variety.
• Include as much fresh food as possible.
• Minimize your consumption of processed foods and fast food.
• Eat an abundance of fruits and vegetables.

Also check out his useful and informative Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid. It may surprise you a bit.

You can also help yourself by following a few basic lifestyle/training habits:

• Get quality and adequate sleep.
• Appropriate gear for you. (ex: correct running shoes)
• Increase training stress gradually.
• Reduce training stress when your body asks for it. Shhh listen!
• Stretching and massage (either by a person, self, or with various tools available such as foam roller and/or The Stick).
• Hydration

Finally, if you are having continued issues and would like additional insight, seek your preferred professional.

What things have helped you with tweak management?

Be active – Feel the buzz!
David – EnduranceBuzz.com

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Along with a training plan, you need a recovery plan. A recovery plan consists of simple and/or somewhat involved actions that assist the bodies regeneration process. Simply, training breaks you down and recovery rebuilds and strengthens. If you forget the recovery, you can guess where the training progression may lead – shake the dice baby!

Steps To Enhance Recovery

Alan Couzens put together a nice article explaining some beneficial actions (the what and the why) you can incorporate into your recovery plan. His primary recommended post-exercise actions include:

• Rehydrate immediately (Extremely important!). – Gradually get back to pre-session weight.
• Cool/Ice baths or alternating between hot/cold.
• Consume carbohydrates and some protein as soon after exercise as possible.
• Sleep and stress management/control.

All good stuff! I personally appreciated the emphasis on rehydration. If your body’s transportation system is sluggish (dehydrated), you can’t get rid of the bad stuff and distribute the good stuff. Makes sense.

You can check out my run recovery tools post that includes some additional recovery aids.

How To Incorporate Into Your Real World

Couzens mentions focusing one day per week (usually your hardest training day) solely on training and recovery. This would be a great idea for some but for many this is not even feasible either by choice or requirement. So what can you do?

The beauty is these concepts are not an all-or-nothing proposal. Develop a recovery plan that works within your life.

Rehydration and nutrient consumption shouldn’t be that big of a challenge now that you are aware of the importance.

Be aware of your daily (weekday and weekend) routine and notice how you could incorporate some additional recovery strategies.

Some ideas:

• 30 minute nap during the day.
• Go to bed 30 minutes earlier.
• Self-massage, foam roller, The Stick, or stretching while watching TV.
• Elevate legs with a pillow or two while watching TV or reading a book.
• Sit quietly focusing only on your breath for 10-20 minutes.

What are some ways you have been able to include recovery strategies into your daily or weekly schedule?

Ignoring these concepts won’t cause you to spontaneously combust in a Spinal Tap like fashion, but they may just help you achieve a new level of fitness that was sitting inside you waiting to be expressed. This could be achieved without an increase in training stress. Wrap your noggin around that!

Be active – Feel the buzz!

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• Run Training and Racing Recovery Tools

This word is one of the keys to improve your running and endurance sports capabilities. One aspect of consistency includes injury prevention and recovery.

Let’s take a look at some tools that can help keep your body in a position to be consistent in your training.

Foam Roller

The foam roller is one of my top recovery tools. This round tube of dense foam provides amazing massage or myofascial release work after a run or hard workout.

Myofascial release is a form of soft tissue therapy intended for pain relief, increasing range of motion, and balancing the body.

Does this wiki definition sounds useful for runners. Um, yes! I was first introduced to foam roller about one year ago thanks to a fellow trail runner.

To use, you basically roll various parts of your body on top of the roller. It provides some serious deep tissue work that feels great once you are done. My legs will always feel quite a bit looser which will help in workout recovery and injury prevention.

I usually address my calves, hamstrings, things, IT, and butt areas. You can also use it for your upper body as well but I haven’t done much with that yet. I like to use the roller once a week after a tougher workout.

The foam rollers come in six inch diameter and one or three feet in length. I would recommend the three foot roller since it is more versatile.

• Foam Roller – medium length (EB visitor discount at checkout), long length (EB visitor discount at checkout), variety of sizes.
• Foam Roller Techniques DVD from PerformBetter.com
• Free Foam Roller Exercise PDF from PerformBetter.com
  
• Free Foam Roller Instructional Video from PerformBetter.com – This is a great video showing you the proper technique.

Foot Massager

Running all those miles puts a lot of strain on the feet. It is only right, to give them a bit of attention as well. It is also a part of the body that is a bit of a necessity if you plan on running. Ya think!

I have been using the foot log (cheesy site) for over five years and it really has helped keep the tissue under my feet fairly loose. There has been a few times the foot log has also prevented plantar fasciitis from kicking in. I like to use it at night before bed and when I wake up in the morning. It is simple and works!

The Foot Log

Here are a few other foot massaging products:

• Spikey Ball
• RPI Foot Wheel
• Various Foot Massager Products

You could also send this article on how to give a foot massage to your significant other. It may be a bit hard to convince someone to touch runner’s feet. Oh, the black toenails. Good luck!

The Stick

The Stick is a hand-held massage tool. It is 24 inches long with 15 spindles that perform a massaging action that according to the company can help athletes with:

• Warms muscle without expending vital energy stores
• Performs both general and segmental stretching procedures
• Removes trigger point barriers to peak athletic performance
• Enhances strength, flexibility and endurance
• Accelerates muscle recovery and relieves pain

You can check out the full explanation on the athletes page. The techniques page also graphically shows how to use The Stick for various parts of the body.

I have a couple friends that really like it. It definitely is a bit less cumbersome to use versus the foam roller but I think they both have their uses.

Tennis Ball

The tennis ball is a great little tool that can be used to perform some deep massage to an extremely specific part of the body using your own body weight.

Here are a couple interesting articles on the subject:

• Tennis Ball Massage for Myofascial Pain Syndrome
• Roll on Tennis Ball

I have used the handy tennis ball to help work out a tender spot around my shoulder blade during my swimming/triathlon days. I would locate the tender spot while lying on the tennis ball and then put a bit more pressure on the ball along with a very localized massaging movement.

I also used it for a piriformis issue and used it in a similar localized manner.

Stretching

There are many opinions on stretching from:

• No stretching at all.
• Stretch after your run, not before.
• Short warm-up, then stretch before your main run.
• The current method of stretching is all wrong.

So what does this mean? Find what works for you.

Here are a few references that can provide some stretching guidance.

Stretch like a cat – Learn to stretch like a cat or something like that. Eighteen different stretches. Nice pics to give an idea on how to do the stretch and provides a variety of choices that may interest you.

Five Basic Running Stretches – Five stretches: Quad, Hamstring, Piriformis, Gastroc, and Soleus. One of my favorite is the Piriformis stretch.

Full Body Stretching Programs – Containing a wide array of full body stretching options that includes the categories of The Basics, Quick and Easy, Deskbound, Standing and Walking, and A Challenge. You can click on a particular stretch which will provide a large photo of the stretch as well as a nice description of the starting position, action, and any special instructions.

I like to do a bit of head-to-toe joint movement and light stretching before a run and will always perform some post-run stretching. Sometimes my body can be a bit stiff so the joint movement awakens the entire body and prepares it for the run ahead.

Massage

There is a reason why most professional endurance athletes get massages. Here are just a few of the benefits stated on massagetherapy.com(based on clinical research studies):

• Alleviate low-back pain and improve range of motion.
• Enhance immunity by stimulating lymph flow—the body’s natural defense system.
• Exercise and stretch weak, tight, or atrophied muscles.
• Help athletes of any level prepare for, and recover from, strenuous workouts.
• Increase joint flexibility.

I have done both self-massage and have used a therapist. Both are great. The obvious things I notice after a massage is how loose and relaxed my muscles feel. I am confident this helps me with recovery and injury prevention.

A book I have been using that demonstrates sports self-massage in an easy to understand manner (for the non-therapist) is called The Healing Art of Sports Massage. The book provides short to-the-point instruction on the self-massage techniques so you can quickly read it then do it. Also included are a few massage examples using foam rollers as well as sport specific massages for bicycling, mountain biking, running, and many more.

It usually takes me about 15 minutes to complete my routine on the lower body.

Water – To Drink

What role does water have in the body?

The graphic in the Mayo Clinic article on Water clearly illustrates the important functions of water:

• Regulates body temperature
• Moistens tissue such as those in the mouth, nose, and eyes
• Lubricates joints
• Protects body organs and tissues
• Helps prevent constipation
• Lessens the burden on the kidneys and liver by flushing out waste products
• Helps dissolve minerals and other nutrients to make then accessible to the body
• Carries nutrients and oxygen to cells

By looking at the above functions of water, one could infer than it is extremely beneficial to rehydrate the body after a workout. If nearly every major system of the body depends on water and your body doesn’t have enough of it, recovery will probably not be optimal.

Low hydration levels is clearly a drag on your whole body.

Since the amount of water you needs is unique per individual and activity level, the Mayo Clinic article states some specific recommendations and also provided a useful general recommendation that can be useful:

…if you drink enough fluid so that you rarely feel thirsty and produce 1.5 liters (6.3 cups) or more of colorless or slightly yellow urine a day, your fluid intake is probably adequate.

Eat those fruits and vegetables as well since many of them contain water and plenty of vitamins and minerals.

If you are interested in cleaner tap water, you can look at my article on water filtration and possible ways to be plastic bottle free.

Water – Cool/Ice Bath

It feels good, really!

The scientific studies on whether an ice/cool water bath actually improves recovery is currently inconclusive but I do know many marathon friends that find it hard to miss after a long run day or race.

Do you remember me mentioning finding what works for you?

This sports medicine ice bath article provides a nice summary on the scientific theory, a couple examples of the scientific research,  real world recommendations, and the protocol.

Let’s highlight a few of the areas.

The scientific theory of the function of ice baths:

• Constrict blood vessels and flush waste products, like lactic acid, out of the affected tissues
• Decrease metabolic activity and slow down physiological processes
• Reduce swelling and tissue breakdown

The real world recommendations:

• Cold water immersion after a hard workout won’t hurt and may, in fact, help recovery.
• Alternating Cold water and warm water baths (contract water therapy) may also help athletes recover.
• Ice baths are not necessary; cold water baths (24 degrees Celsius) are as good and perhaps better, than ice baths.
• Active recovery may be as good as cold water immersion for exercise recovery.
• Passive recovery is not an effective way to recover.
• Hot baths after hard exercise may decrease recovery time.

I personally have found a cold/ice water bath to be beneficial after a long, hard run. I base this off of subjective experience. After many years of running you start to know what you will feel like in the hours and days following a long, hard run and I continually feel less fatigue and muscle soreness when I enjoy a nice cold one shortly after the workout or race.

The cool/ice water bath protocol:

If you are going to try cool or cold water immersion after exercise, don’t overdo it. Ten minutes immersed in 15 degree Celsius water should be enough time to get the benefit and avoid the risks. Because cold can make muscles tense and stiff, it’s a good idea to fully warm up about 30 to 60 minutes later with a warm shower or a hot drink.

Note: 15 C = 59 F, The water is cool but not iceberg cold. Since my legs and waist are the only items submerged in the chilly tonic, I will put on a sweatshirt and possibly even a beanie if I am feeling cold. This makes the whole experience a bit more comfortable.

Again, what works for one person may not work for another. You are your own true experiment.

Food

The general consensus is to get some quality protein and carbohydrates in the body within 20 minutes of a workout. The Hammer Nutrition Athlete’s Guide recommends 10-20 grams of protein and 30-60 grams of carbohydrates within the first 30-60 minutes post workout/race or sooner. This can help with glycogen resynthesis which reloads your muscle with easy-to-use fuel for your next workout.

Look to nibble on some minimally process foods or healthy sports recovery products. Leave the junk (HFCS, Partially Hydrogenated oils, artificial flavors/colors, etc) out!

Sleep

Adequate sleep may be the missing ingredient in your run training plan. Here are a few of the benefits that caught my attention when looking at the article Top 10 Health Benefits of a Good Night’s Sleep (Based on at least 6-7 hours of sleep):

• Keeps your heart healthy
• Reduces Stress
• Reduces Inflammation
• Helps the body make repairs

These all seem like obvious aids to enhance recover. Now get to bed!

Have any of these tools worked for you?

What other tools have you used for injury prevention and recovery?

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No matter how much stretching, icing, massage, or other recovery methods you use, body tweaks are likely to occur if you play in the endurance sports world.

A few years back I found a great natural topical ointment that provides temporary relief without the use of dangerous or unhealthy chemicals. This Utah based product is called Sore No More.

I have mainly used Sore No More when I have had periodic knee and periformis tweaks throughout my endurance sports years. I would spread/massage a bit of the product on the desired area when I was hanging around the house or just before going to bed. It has a bit of clear-your-nose scent due to the menthol and camphor but not too strong. My wife really loves the smell in bed. Well love may be a bit strong of a word and inaccurate, but I digress.

My wife also used this product a couple times for some leg running tweaks. Both times she mentioned that Sore No More really seemed to make a difference as the recovery seemed to accelerate when using the product.

The website mentions Sore No More being useful for your typical aches and pains along with a few that surprised me:

• cold sores caused by stress
• headaches
• diabetics
• Athlete’s feet
• Race horses or other animals – Um, ok.

You can check out the applications page to see the complete list of applications for the product as well as different usage methods.

The Natural Ingredients

Our bodies are bombarded with plenty of toxic junk every day without us having any control over it.  So for things we do have control over, use the cleanest products you can afford and find. Let the extra body energies be used for healing!

The list of ingredients include menthol, camphor, capsaicin, aloe vera extract, carbomer, decyl polyglucose, vegetable glycerin, grapefuit seed extract, green tea extract, orange peel extract, queen of the prairie extract, rose water, silica, sodium hydroxymethyl, dionized water, witch hazel, and yucca extract. You can check out the purpose of each ingredient on their ingredients page.

This is a pretty clean list from what I can tell.

How to try it out for almost free

You can actually get a 3/4 oz sample for $1 (to pay for shipping) on their sample page. Not a bad deal.

Where can you buy it?

Unfortunately you can’t buy this product just anywhere. You can check if there are any local stores near you in which to purchase the product on this page. Or you can purchase it directly from the manufacturer on the order page.

You can choose from a few different container sizes and application methods but I have always purchased the 8oz jar from the manufacturer since I didn’t have a local source.

Have you ever tried Sore No More? What other natural products have you used for various tweaks?

Happy Training!

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Can caffeine improve your running performance? It seems so.

I was listening to the recent Fuel podcast on Endurance Planet and the information on caffeine caught my attention. It discussed the results of a study by David Costill Ph.D. (physiologist) concerning the affects of consuming caffeine prior to endurance exercise. (This is old news but new to me.)

David Costill’s Findings

• 22% of energy from free fatty acids when no coffee (caffeine) is consumed before endurance exercise
• 40% of energy from free fatty acids when coffee (caffeine) is consumed before endurance exercise
• Consuming coffee (caffeine) 1 hour before heavy exercise delayed the time-till-exhaustion by 19%
• Consuming coffee (caffeine) 2 hours before heavy exercise delayed the time-till-exhaustion by 7%
• Amount of coffee (caffeine) consumed : 4-5 mg caffeine / kg body weight (basic recommendation was 2 cups of  black unsweetened coffee)
• Over-dosage does not increase benefits and may be detrimental
• Highly trained athletes will get less of a benefit than a less trained athletes
  

So what does all of this information mean? Drinking ~2 cups of coffee 1-2 hours before an endurance event may help delay running out of gas during your race.

So is this the end of the story? Nope!

Terry Graham’s Findings

There is a study by Terry Graham Ph.D. that had a bit of a different take on things as noted in this WebMD article.

“What caffeine likely does is stimulate the brain and nervous system to do things differently,” he tells WebMD. “That may include signaling you to ignore fatigue or recruit extra units of muscle for intense athletic performance. Caffeine may even have a direct effect on muscles themselves, causing them to produce a stronger contraction. But what’s amazing about it is that unlike some performance-enhancing manipulation some athletes do that are specific for strength or sprinting or endurance, studies show that caffeine positively enhances all of these things.”

The good news is that both studies note a performance-aid with caffeine.

The Pre-Race Cleanse Factor

Many athletes appreciate the movement before the race. No need or desire to go into great detail but(t) I think you get the idea.

Coffee After Exercise?

How about coffee post exercise? Well don’t turn off that coffee pot just yet. There is a new study noted over at Runner’s World that caffeine aids in glycogen resynthesis.

So now it seems I should drink coffee before exercise and after exercise!?!

My Experience

I have always liked to use caffeine (Hammer Nutrition Espresso Hammer Gel) during my long training runs or races. I can’t say specifically that it enhanced my ability to train or race but I have always intuitively felt that it had a positive affect. During my Ironman events, drinking some cola brought alertness and focus back to me more than a few times during the run. Also in a recent 50 mile trail run, cola got me out of the dead-man-shuffle. Was it the caffeine or calories that made the difference? I am not sure, possibly both. I do feel the caffeine helped with the increased alertness.

I have never been much of a coffee drinker but I think I will give the pre-race/training joe a try and see if I notice any positive or negative affects.

When looking at the coffee article on Wikipedia I noticed that rubusta coffee has 40-50% more caffeine than arabica. Also lighter roasts have more caffeine as well.

I have a feeling we haven’t heard the last of the research concerning caffeine and endurance sports.

We are all experiments of one so what works for someone else may not work for you. Practice in training before race day and enjoy the journey!

Have you had noticed any benefits ingesting a form of caffeine before, during, or after a training session or endurance race? Any detrimental affects?

Happy Training!

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He mentioned how beneficial foam rollers (Perform Better – top site I found after a quick search) have been for him as a general injury preventative tool. Ok, never used them before but I had seen the rollers at my club so I decided to give it a try after my run this morning.

“Oh, mama!”, was running through my head as I rolled along my IT band and other tender spots. Ouch, Ouch, Ouch! I had the feeling I was doing some serious deep tissue massage. I worked both legs for about 20 minutes and when I got up, it was amazing how much looser my legs felt. I also felt some tingling sensations like they have had some major massage work done on them. I was pumped!

It was very interesting, throughout the whole day my knee and hip felt much better and I really feel it was due to the foam roller pounding I went through in the morning. I am going to start adding this roller work to my weekly routine because I have a feeling it is going to help many aspects of my training.

If you have never used foam rollers, you just might want to give them a try. Perform Better also has a free Foam Roller guide to give you the inside scoop on how to use them.

For those have have used the rollers, what are your thoughts on them?

What other recovery tools have worked good for you?

Happy Training!

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