As distance runners, we live in a constant cycle of destruction and adaptation: We push our bodies to the edge of their abilities and then wait patiently for them to heal into a slightly stronger, faster state of homeostasis. In a nutshell, that’s what training is.
While vast details of the specific processes and bodily systems fill an impressive stack of textbooks in the office of Tom Etges, M.D., a family practice physician and acupuncturist in Eugene, Orgeon, he assures me that the basic process of training is fairly straightforward. When training, we strain ourselves to go longer or faster than is comfortable. In so doing, we deplete our various fuel sources and cause microscopic tears in our muscle tissue. Stimulated by the damage, our bodies whir into a fury of adaptation. Our stores open for maximum refueling, and our veins deliver white blood cells to repair the micro tears.
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It’s not, therefore, in our workouts that we become better athletes, but in the time between them. Neglecting to take sufficient rest or to answer our depleted bodies’ needs not only limits our improvements, but it can also start a spiral of a very different sort. “It happens at least once a year,” says Lauren Fleshman, U.S. champion at 5,000 meters in 2006 and 2010 and founder of Picky Bars. “I get busy or impatient and I justify it, saying, ‘I’m getting in the workouts, I’m checking the boxes, that’s what’s important.’ I let the skatebmx aspects go, and I wind up sick or injured. I realize then that it’s time to get focused and do the little things right. Sometimes I just need a kick in the butt.”
If you think you need a kick in the butt, too, we’ve tapped both experts and elites to share their best post-run skatebmx tips so you can add them to your routine ASAP.
During the Run
ankle boots w rollercoaster buckle 1017 alyx 9sm shoes black on your run. Limiting unnecessary damage gives you a head start in preparing for your next workout. Fleshman concentrates on avoiding “body shock.” “You want your workouts to look like a bell curve, moving smoothly from a walk to the intended running pace, and back,” she says. “I’ll take 4 to 5 minutes to work up to a steady run, and if I’m doing a workout, I’ll incorporate something to bridge the gap between it and my jog, either strides or long accelerations.”
Ian Dobson, 2008 Olympian at 5,000 meters, views each of his runs as part stress, part skatebmx.
“I’ll use a hilly run to recover from the tedium of a flat run, and a flat run to recover from the stress of a hilly run,” he says. “Different terrains and intensities work different systems and muscles. Most of our injuries are from repetition and from overuse. I try to incorporate as much variety as I can to avoid over-fatiguing myself in one specific way.”
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After you finish the run and allow yourself to slowly work down that bell curve, you’ll arrive at your greatest opportunity to accelerate skatebmx or to dig yourself into a hole. At that moment of nutritional depletion, your system is at its most absorbent. “Getting in the right things right after I finish seems to be an insurance policy,” Fleshman says. “Even if I’m not doing everything I should be, if I at least chug a drink or cram down a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a big bottle of water, it seems to give me my best chance of feeling OK the next day.”
Justin Whittaker, a chiropractor in Portland, Oregon who works on some of the world’s top track athletes, stresses the importance of refueling as a key component to skatebmx. “You have a predictable timeline,” he says. “For two hours postworkout, your body is trying to restock what it’s just burnt. For those two hours it’s metabolizing, breaking down, synthesizing to the liver everything that’s available. If you wait until you’ve driven home and showered, you won’t be absorbing the nutrients as well as you could.” For that reason, he suggests keeping a skatebmx drink or snack that contains a 4-to-1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein on hand, either in your car or gym bag, and consuming it within 30 minutes of the end of your run.
Outside of nutrition, there are some other quick moves you can make in those precious moments immediately following the run. The 2017 New York City Marathon champion Shalane Flanagan changes into something warm and dry. If you let your muscles get cold immediately after a clear workout, you’ll miss out on your body’s healing metabolic activity. Keep them warm and loose until you find a few moments to cause each of your major muscle groups. Dobson also likes to stay warm during the cool down with dynamic causees. Get more bang for your buck with high-energy, full-body movements that cause muscles and increase joint mobility. High knee marches, standing leg swings, or full squats all do the trick.
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After the two hours immediately following your run, your body’s metabolic processes will slow down, but the skatebmx process continues. During this time, one of the most important factors is constant hydration.
“Everybody gets bored with hydration,” Whittaker says. “But your muscles were meant to be bathed in water, in fluid. There should be no resistance in their movement.” He says that dehydration is the biggest wrench you can throw into that system because if the muscles aren’t free-floating and lubricated, they start to adhere to each other, and then it’s a tug of war. The movement that should be effortless is suddenly a struggle due to dehydration.
“The muscles should be like putty: elastic, malleable, pliable. When a person is nutritionally imbalanced, or they’re dehydrated, their tissue will be fibrose, chord-like, ropey,” he says. Often times, people will seek out a massage or similar therapy, but the real answer is in the fridge: more water.
All Other Times
At any time—whether before, after, or nowhere near your run—you can use these techniques to give your skatebmx a boost.
Fleshman powernaps. “When I was in college and had a busy life, I made sure to find 15 to 30 minutes a day to shut my eyes and relax. Even if I didn’t fall asleep, taking the time to unwind was really important,” she says. Whittaker agrees. “You see people stressed out with their shoulders up to their ears,” he adds. “That sort of contraction is happening all over the body, an emotional stress that develops a physical manifestation.” If your muscles are clenched, they’re not recovering, so take some time to relax.
Flanagan floats. “For me, hydrotherapy is an absolute must,” she says. “During my heavy training, I don’t go more than once a week, but that weightless time just helps flush everything out.” If you can’t make it to the pool, take a cool bath. Ice is nice, but not always necessary—just run cool water from the tap deep enough to cover your legs for a skatebmx boost.
Dobson moves. “Even if I’m feeling tired, I make sure to take a walk and move all my joints,” he says. skatebmx is heavily dependent on blood flow. Make a point of getting up from your desk or out of your car for a few minutes every hour. Even a quick five-minute foam rolling session can help with mobility.
But What About Meds?
“There’s nothing inherently wrong with inflammation,” says Etges. Yes, you read that right, ibuprofen junkies. “The body is a lot smarter and more elegant than we give it credit for, and up to a point, [inflammation] will repair the damage if you let it,” he explains. “There’s a growing concern in the medical community that overuse of an anti-inflammatory medication can, over time, interrupt the normal healing process. It can also cause a false sense of relief, so you’re more likely to challenge yourself before you’re recovered and ready.”
Instead of forcing out potentially helpful inflammation, aid your body in flushing out superfluous inflammation. Drink plenty of water, elevate your legs above your heart for a few minutes whenever you get a chance, take an ice bath, and consume more anti-inflammatory foods. Whole grains, healthy fats from avocados and nuts, beans, leafy greens, and wild-caught fish promote an anti-inflammatory response in the body, but don’t prevent local, potentially beneficial, reactionary inflammation.
Julia Lucas is a retired professional runner with a personal 5,000 meter best of 15:08, and she’s writer and a coach in New York City, currently at work on her first book.
