Jenny, my daughter, is currently studying the Ancient Greeks at school so I thought I would share a tale with you.
Milo of Croton was a legendary strongman and wrestling champion. Probably his most renown feat was carrying a bull into the arena on his shoulders. Legend has it that he then felled the bull with a single blow, slaughtered it and ate it in a single meal. The feats of eating are of less interest to us than the feats of strength!!
The reason that Milo had the strength to carry the bull on his shoulders is that he started lifting it when it was still a calf and he was a young man, easily capable of lifting it. Milo lifted the calf every day and as the animal grew, so did Milo’s capability of lifting it.
Whether this story is true or merely myth, what is does do is illustrate a very important training principle – that of progressive overload.
What has that got to do with the topic of rest and recovery?
A good question and one you are entitled to ask. The human body is an incredible structure. One of the most important biological principals is that it will seek homeostasis that is to remain in balance. Once we place a stress upon the body, the body reacts by saying ‘I was a bit out of my comfort zone there – next time I’ll be ready for it’. (I know, you body doesn’t really talk like that but bear with me…it’s just for illustration!) In practice, when we train we break down the body microscopically. The body then seeks to repair itself but rather than just rebuilding to the original level, it rebuilds to a level higher than before – so that it is ready for the next time we train. This is known as supercompensation.
So where does rest and recovery come into all this?
If we train too soon, before the body has reached the point of supercompensation, all we will do is to continue to break it down resulting in overtraining and injury.
There are strategies we can use to speed up the period of recovery:
• recovery runs/walks
• good nutrition
• fluid management
• massage
• hot and cold therapy
• stretching
How do we know that we have reached the supercompensation point?
That is the $64,000 question. How long would it take to recover from a 10 mile training run for example?. For a veteran runner who’s been runner 50 mile weeks for the last 20 years, maybe the next day. For a runner who has just run their first 50 mile week and 10 miles is their longest run, it might be two or three days.
By employing good recovery strategies, making progress gradually and listening to your body, you can maximise your fitness and minimise your injury risk.
Train Smart.