IM recovery

I just go by how I feel the first week . If I feel bad I do nothing. Here is what I have done this week post IMLOU:

Mon - Nothing

Tue - Bike 1hr easy

Wed - Swim 2250 Meters, Run 6 miles

Thur - Bike 1 hour

Last year, I took almost 4 weeks off of really doing any type of consistent workouts.

Right now, I'm itching to, at least, get back in the pool or do an easy ride on my road bike.  Still waiting to get the green-light from my coach to get back on it. 

After Lake Placid, I didn't run for a week but many others took 2-3 weeks off running.

Swimming can be a good recovery activity. I love to ride so I did some short rides starting 4-5 days afterwards.

Hard thing is to listen to your body. It will be telling you what/when it wants to do something but more often in my case what it didn't want to do. My mind wanted me to do something but body didn't agree often.

Now finally 6 weeks later I'm feeling more like myself but not quite there.

If you aren't racing anymore this year, you could take 2-3 weeks as your off season.

What's with this recovery thing?  I ran for an hour the day after IMLP this year and didn't take any real downtime until three weeks after the race.

(I only made it through 70 miles on the bike-I had major issues on the downhills in the rain at LP).   Last year, when I actually finished the race, I ran for the first time a week later in a sprint tri I did purely for fun.  Swimming- I got right back into it about three days after the race last year (once I got back home and settled back into things).  Bike- um, I owned a bike last fall?  I didn't want to ride my bike much after IMLP last year at all- but I hated doing the bike training last year.  I rode about 30 miles about 4 weeks later and then did a HIM about 6 or 7 weeks after IMLP. 

This year, I have really wanted to ride a lot since IMLP (but not long).  Running, well, I like running, so I've been focusing on that as I'm attempting to salvage something, anything at all from what has been a terrible season due to weather and a shoulder injury 5 weeks before IMLP.  Swimming, well I of course would have been swimming more, but I'm severely limited in what I can do now.  

I think it's all about doing what your body and mind want to do and not trying to force anything after an Ironman, at least not right away.  Keep doing something active, even if it's just short walks or yoga (movement helps in the recovery process by getting blood flowing again).  And we are triathletes after all, and thus creatures of habit.  So the tendency will be to swim, bike, and run again soon.  But as far as running, I've generally heard 7-14 days, but all this recovery stuff is so particular to the individual athlete.  And didn't you learn anything about recovery from last year?

Spoke with my coach and some other vet racers about IM recovery.  And their opinion just also happens to mirror Dan Empfield's prescription for IM recovery:

- Week 1:  Nothing.  Period.  You might be feeling great, but this is an IM "afterglow" I'm told.  Don't let it fool you.

- Week 2:  one-third your normal volume, with little-to-no intensity.

- Week 3:  one-half your normal volume, with little-to-no intensity.

- Week 4:  two-thirds your normal volume, with some intensity.

- Week 5:  REST WEEK, back to one-half your normal volume, with some intensity.

So far I have done nothing but really iching to get back out there. I like the 5 week recovery program. I think I will adopt this approach.

Thanks ..... greg

until......say Sunday when you get to do it all again

I feel much better than after a standalone marathon. I adopted the same recovery week strategy after it.

Monday off

Tuesday 50mins running

Wed early morning swim (20mins) and 1hr running at lunch time

Yesterday, thursday I went back on track with 10x300meters just to speed up my legs again

Today, friday I will do 1h20running and 30mins indoor trainer bike

Tomorrow, saturday, 1hr running and 30mins swimming

Sunday, tempo run and 1h30mins cycling