Refueling.

That's what I love about Sundays...

Long Runs!

Ok, so not that long, but 6 miles is ok with me when I'm not training. Jamie and I decided to stay another week at 6 miles and completed our run by running around downtown Omaha. Switching up the route is always a good idea in my book, I tend to get bored easily.

Of course I found a way to work in my favorite one mile loop around Heartland of America Park.

Our splits weren't bad, a little slower than last week but we included some inclines this time. (Note huge hill during mile 3).

Split	Time	Distance	Avg Pace
Summary	58:15.4	6.01	9:42.0
1	9:56.1	1.00	9:56.2
2	9:56.3	1.00	9:56.4
3	10:07.0	1.00	10:07.0
4	9:18.4	1.00	9:18.0
5	9:52.3	1.00	9:52.3
6	9:03.4	1.00	9:03.5
7	:1.6	0.01	5:30.4

Not too bad. 

But after I got home from the run, I was feeling really weak. I have run a good number of long runs, many a lot more miles than just 6 - but there was something about this run that left me weak. I tend to not think too much about my post-run habits:

Drink water (or sports drink depending on the length of the run),

Stretch,

Take a shower,

Relax.

But after my run today and how weak I felt, I decided to look more into the best ways to refuel your body post-run. I stumbled upon this great article:

Three Steps to Long Run Recovery

(from Active.com)

It focuses on three easy to remember rules: Chow, Chug, and Chill.

Chow: Chow down on something as soon as you stop running, you have a 15 minute window to get maximum absorption to the muscles.

Chug: Drink lots and lots and lots of fluids: think one qt of fluid for ever half-hour of running. You are dehydrated, although you may not feel it until your next workout.

Chill: Gentle message and stretching helps relax the body, remember recovery continues over multiple days.

So I made sure to eat some yogurt and a few pretzels to give my body some calcium and salt. I also tried to chug lots of water.

I tend to forgot sometimes that the refueling after the run is just as important as fueling up before the run. Hopefully this article and the nifty "Three C's" will make remembering a little easier.

Happy Sunday!