Thursday, October 20, 2011

5 miles easy - 10/20

After the marathon on Sunday, followed by the sports massage on Monday evening, I was feeling probably 60% recovered on Tuesday.  No major soreness, just muscle fatigue.  This recovery got to probably 80% by Wednesday, and by Thursday I felt pretty much ready to go.  The only lingering issue was my right big toe was still sore - I can't tell whether its connective tissue, or inflammation near the joint.  But it was getting better - just more slowly.

The timing worked out in such a way that I was able to squeeze in a quick 5 miler before the sun went too far down and it got too dark.  The intent on this run was to take it easy and keep the HR low - definitely below 150.  I knew there'd be a spot or two where it'd get above that briefly, but I wanted to mostly just get a handful of miles in before too much time had passed. 

It seems as though I'm pretty much recovered from the marathon.  One thing I've learned over time is how to use HR to monitor status, in terms of stress and recovery progression - so the fact I was able to average a pace faster than my marathon pace, with an average HR of 141, tells me that my body has replenished its stores of energy, repaired the vast majority of any cell damage incurred from the marathon, and was ready to go.  Unfortunately, the only problem is that damn big right toe - it's still sore.

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