This was a recovery week, and I really needed it. I was really beaten up after my half-marathon last weekend - I suspect that's due to the rough conditions. Additionally, since I've got a marathon in four months, I really need to reset myself now, so that I don't end up fried come fall.
For the first several days, I kept things in the pool - I've found that gentle water exercise (pool-running or swimming) works better for my recovery than either short easy runs or full rest. Towards the end of the week, I switched to land running again, but kept stuff pretty slow, with the duration of the run roughly matching that of my pool-runs earlier in the week.
On Saturday, I went to a not-so-close amusement park (Kings Dominion - about 80 miles away) to meet up with a group of friends from my old night clubbing days. I haven't been on a roller coaster in many years, and it was neat to remember just how much I loved them. I got to ride the Intimidator 305 - categorized as a "giga-coaster" due to its height of over 300 feet - and also relived my teenage years by riding the Rebel Yell and the Grizzly. We used Anaconda as an appetizer and Avalanche as a palate cleanser, with a moment of silence for the dearly departed Shockwave. I wore my Garmin with heart rate monitor for each, and the Garmin records for each are linked below (under Saturday) in case anyone is curious.
Sadly, no Woodstock Express (formerly known as the Scooby Doo) - I would have had to pay a special entry for that. And the lines for Dominator and Volcano were simply too long. But it was a good day, and I honestly think that six rides (I rode the Grizzly twice) was probably about my limit. I don't remember feeling that achy and sore after rollercoasters before. I like to think it's because I'm no longer jumping horses, so I'm no longer used to bumpy rides and sudden moves in random directions. It's probably also that I'm a bit older than the last time I made it down to Kings Dominion....
I had planned to run on Sunday, but was tired and my back ached when I woke, so I decided to skip running in favor of some relaxed swimming. That's the whole point of a recovery week - you don't run unless you want to and it feels good.
Dailies
Monday: 6 "miles" easy pool-running with belt. Foam rolling in the evening.
Tuesday: Yoga and 6 "miles" easy pool-running. Massage at night.
Wednesday: Upper body weights and 7 "miles" easy pool-running plus foam rolling.
Thursday: Yoga and 8 "miles" easy pool-running. Foam rolling in the evening.
Friday: 8.5 very easy (9:41) plus upper body weights and core. Foam rolling at night
Saturday: 7.5 miles easy (9:30). Also rode the Anaconda, the Intimidator 305, the Avalanche, the Rebel Yell, and the Grizzly. Foam rolling at night.
Sunday: 2000 yards easy swimming. Foam rolling at night.
That's awesome you went to KD. I remember when the Shockwave came out and there were commercials for it. Feeling old! Any chance of seeing you at the PRR Firecracker on Monday?
ReplyDeleteNot sure if I'm doing the Firecracker - will probably be a last minute decision.
Delete