5 tips to help runners recover faster

By Henry Howard

For runners, it can be challenging to balance the desire to push our limits while also listening to our bodies when they need to recover. Giving yourself time to recover properly doesn’t necessarily mean taking a long stretch of time off from running. It does mean that the runner should take some proactive action so they can enjoy their passion for many more years to come.

If you want to stay healthy long term, continue to progress with daily training to reap the benefits of running, then take action to boost your recovery.

So how do runners recover faster? Here are five simple but tested methods to help runners who have endured a challenging training cycle, an increase in life stressors or any other factors that may be compromising their fitness, health and/or mental wellbeing.

1. Take a cutback week. About every four weeks, I prescribe my runners a cutback, or down, week in terms of volume while backing off the intensity slightly. If you are uncoached, then take an active role in your recovery by making sure you check in with yourself and your training every few weeks. Evaluate how your body is feeling. Consider how excited you are to be training. If you feel you are due for a brief break, here is how runners should conduct a cutback week.

2. Fuel and refuel wisely. This should actually be every single day but when faced with a lack of energy, take extra care to fuel — and refuel — your body. Using carbs before and during your run provides your body with the fuel it needs. After your runs, aim to get in 20g to 30g of protein, along with healthy carbs. And follow that up with similar amounts of protein in meals and snacks throughout the day with the goal of hitting 100g daily. That amount of protein will help the body recover and will reduce the chance of an injury or other setback that may require a long period of time off. To hit 100g of protein daily as a plant-based athlete, I turn to clean protein powders. My favorite is Previnex, which has been independently verified as a clean source of protein. Try out Previnex and use my code HENRY15 to save 15%.

3. Roll regularly. As we age, active recovery becomes critical to staying healthy and injury-free. Regular foam rolling is a terrific way to keep the legs fresh. I do foam rolling as part of my dynamic warmup before runs and also just prior to going to sleep. Others do foam rolling right after their daily workouts. The timing is up to you. Here’s a guide on the best approaches to foam rolling.

4. Get some extra sleep. It’s safe to say most runners have Type A personalities and often attempt to do all the things. That can compromise the seven to nine hours of sleep most people need. Even one hour less of sleep can create issues. So do yourself a favor and prioritize sleep, which will go a long way in helping you avoid a long-term issue. Also consider having water on your nightstand so you can hydrate if need be.

5. Switch it up. If you are feeling burnout, it could be related to the consistency of similar training. If you focus on road marathons, sign up for a trail race and head to the dirt for some training. If you regularly run the same route, pick out a different way to get in your miles. If you don’t have anything on the race calendar that is inspiring you to train, fix that. Search for a race that inspires you to get out of bed and put in the work. You’ll be glad you did.

You also might be in need of a coach who can work with you to progress more effectively than without someone in your corner. I currently have openings for coaching clients. If you would like to set up a no-obligation introductory call to see if we are a good fit, here’s where to contact me.