Beyond General Fitness: Running: Recovery Test 2

Well it has now been four weeks since I started my Recovery Test.  Part 1 is there and just to recap my schedule is:

The test will be as follows.
Run 1:  7 mile road run on pavement or concrete.  No assisted recovery
Run 2:  8 mile trail run on packed dirt and mud.  No assisted recovery
Run 3:  9 mile road run on pavement or concrete.  Compression socks applied post run only.
Run 4:  10 mile trail run on packed dirt and mud.  Compression socks applied post run only.
Run 5:  11 mile road run on pavement or concrete.  Epsom Salt bath post run.
Run 6:  12 mile road run on packed dirt and mud.  Epsom Salt bath post run.

So now I am post Run's 1-4 and my schedule was altered because of life.  I was unable to do a trail run for my 10 mile run.  So the only thing that throws off is how I felt after Run 2. 

So after my first two runs I will say that I was sore.  My quads, calves and knees were sore for several days post run.  I won't say that I was in pain, but just sore like they had been worked. 

Now after runs 3 and 4 I have used my Mud Gear knee high compression socks applied post run and shower.  I will say that my calves and feet feel better then they did on the first runs.  I had no calf or foot soreness or stiffness even the day after my run.  I'm still having some knee and now hip soreness post the last two runs, but again it isn't pain.  The compression socks of course don't cover the knee or the hips so I am not really surprised that they would still be sore.

I am starting to think that my experiment will simply be that any post run recovery is better then no recovery at all, but as a fairly scientific minded person I'm going to see this test through.  So for my final two training runs I will finish the runs then before going to bed at night I will do a hot Epsom Salt bath before bed.  I'm not sure if this will throw off the results as I am not doing it directly post run, but I have a life and run in the morning.  I don't have time to do a soak until after my children go to bed.

We will see how the final few runs go.


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