Stop: Recovery Time

Okay I hope I haven't heard that title somewhere else and am ripping it off, but I thought it sounded catchy so there!  I have had several questions privately about what I do for recovery, so I thought I would write a short post about what I do to recover from either a long run or a hard speed session.  As I am getting older, these tools are becoming more and more important to me, as my body seems to think the time now is to fall apart.  Here are my favorite recovery items in no certain order.

Tart Cherry Juice

I read about how important Tart Cherry Juice was in the Book Roar by Stacy Sims, specifically for sleep, but also for inflammation.  Since my body seems to be full of inflammation lately, and I am trying NOT to use any pill form to control that, this juice is my go to.  I am not a fan of blueberries (unless it is in a muffin, YUM) or other anti inflammatory fruits, so Tart Cherry juice fits the bill.  I drink 4 oz either before bed if I am trying to influence sleep specifically, or after hard workouts or long runs.  There are a few brands I really like with the Cheribundi brand from Target being my favorite!  I am lucky that our usual grocery shopping store has an organic/health food section in which I can get Tart Cherry juice regularly.

Protein

I have always tried to stick to the protein within 30 minutes of running strategy.  I have used various bars and chocolate milk in the past, but these Simple Scrambles are my new go tos!!!!  As you can see, the version I had today had 23 grams of protein and was super easy to cook and YUMMY!  I was a little skeptical that the egg would cook enough for me to consume it, as I am a huge texture freak and can not do mushy or runny eggs.  I did increase the cooking time a little bit over the instructed time, but that may be because my microwave is as old as I am and doesn't work properly.  

Taking care of sore muscles

My pro compression socks have been a go to for years.  I sometimes wear them during runs, but I always try and get them on post long run or race for sure!!!!  Here lately I have been pairing Deep Blue Rub from Doterra on my calf muscles with Pro compressions on after that.  Wow, talk about recovering in style!!!!!  I have been using Deep Blue Rub for a few years now, and wow, it really works!  We have a local oil store that sells or you can become part of the Doterra family and buy your own. The cooling sensation is great, but the ending of soreness is WONDERFUL! I usually put this on before bed every night on my hip and down my IT bands.  Yes, I smell like a hippie as my hubby likes to say, but I don't care because it feels amazing!  I also really like to roll out using my Stick.  I am not a fan of the foam roller and will use it when I have to, but I feel like I get the job done better using my Stick.  I like the fact that instead of me getting in all weird positions to get the right part of me rolled out, I can just use the handles to move the stick to whatever spot I need it to be in.

If you have any questions or have other suggestions for recovery let me know!  Hope this helps someone out there looking for other ways to recovery.