This is a good question because recovery is a topic that many runners don’t even think about before their race. Most runners’ feedback is that to improve, you have to run harder almost every day. The down time of recovery is when the body heals, repairs, and strengthens from the rigors of training and racing, which results in improved fitness.
“The simplest definition is the act or process of returning toward normal,” says Trent Stellingwerff, the research and physiology leader at the Canadian Sport Institute. “It can happen in terms of seconds – like the recovery between intervals on the track – hours or days. It can be weeks or months.”
Recovery is the restoration of energy-producing enzymes inside the muscles, functional proteins, fat and carbohydrate stores, and the regeneration of the endocrine and immune systems, Stellingwerff says. Recovery comes down to repairing, resting and refuelling – while still allowing the body to adapt to the training workload and reap fitness gains.
Your body won’t know the difference between physical and psychological stress. A hard run and a hard day at work both require extra recovery.
Can we run when we are sick?
When you are sick, it is recommended to rest more and recover first. It will not help in your performance during the training. Just take a break and consider about gaining more knowledge like reading up on some running books, rest and prepare for another upcoming challenge.
Rest day activities
Rest days can include the following:
- Short and easy paced runs
- Cross training
- Swimming
Exercise promotes circulation, which brings nutrients and oxygen to soft tissue; therefore, enhanced circulation replenishes and repairs the body. Therefore, exercise can assist with recovery, provided it is done at a low intensity level so as not to stress the body further.
As for me, I prefer a deep sleep and firm roller exercises.
Source from https://www.runnersworld.com