A few weeks ago, I posted about making sure to get protein after a workout.  In order for the muscles to start repairing themselves you should ideally get a ratio of 3:1 carbohydrate to protein.  In terms of timing, I’ve heard you should aim to consume the protein within 15 minutes to one hour after ending the workout.

That’s kind of a big window, but I prefer the sooner the better.   So I aim for consuming something 15 minutes after finishing.  My reasoning is I want to start recovering as soon as possible so my body is ready for future workouts with minimal lag-time.  That’s why I’m sharing with you my two favorite post-run recovery drinks:

The first thing I drink after a workout is Vega protein powder.  One scoop has 15 grams of protein, making it an ideal addition to your post-run recovery routine.  Depending on how much prep time I have before the run, I will either mix it into a smoothie or I will just bring a baggie with the powder in it and mix it with water.  The vanilla flavor mixes well with water and it’s not as chalky as other powders can be.

My second post-run recovery drink is tart cherry juice.  Tart cherries have anti-inflammatory properties and research shows they may help speed up recovery (here are some links to the research). I find that drinking tart cherry juice after a workout eases my soreness and makes my run the next day easier.   In the above picture I have the tart cherry concentrate mix, but I usually prefer the tart cherry juice- just look for one that is 100% pure juice.  To use the concentrate, I mix one tablespoons with 8 ounces of water.  For a more potent dose you could do 2 tablespoons, or even just a straight shot of it without mixing with water.  It’s a nice final end to my workout.

A lot of the time I’ll combine the Vega protein powder with tart cherry juice for a refreshing recovery drink that falls within the ideal carb to protein ratio.

DO NOT BE ALARMED: your pee might have a pinkish tinge, especially if you do the concentrate… just a heads up.

Enjoy your post-run recovery drinks!

Happy Running,

Becca

Week 7 Boston Training

(To catch up on previous weeks, click here)

Monday:  EZ 9.  Day’s total: 9.05, 7:47 pace

• AM: Hit the treadmill for an easy 9 this morning.
• PM: Barre Method

Tuesday: EZ 7.  Day’s total: 7.44 mi, 8:05 pace

• Very easy morning run. After a slower mile with Clock tower as they warmed up for speed, I ran a few on my own and hovered around 8 min the whole time.

Wednesday: November Project + Speed (30 min tempo@HMP).  Day’s total: 9.77 mi.

• AM: November Project.  Did a total of 1.55, most of it via the new workout: pushing Andy’s car from one station to the next.  See the top photo…

  

• PM: 30 minute tempo run@ Half Marathon Pace. Felt mentally and physically great!  I was able to get in 4.5 miles and splits were 6:45, 6:42, 6:41, and 6:32.  Didn’t lap the last half mile, but I was holding around the 6:30 pace.

Thursday:  Rest/XT day.  Day’s total: 0 mi.

• Tabata class (Cardio Core at I.D. Gym).  I was so bummed that my ClassPass for Zen Yoga Garage had maxed out for the month so I had to choose a different class.  This one was still good though, a great mix of ab work with cardio, but I am looking forward to Buddha Burn next week.

Friday: EZ 9.  Day’s total: 8.68 mi, 7:15 pace

• AM: November Project then my usual run back home.  The winds started to pick up but luckily my run was all northward so I benefited from the tailwind!

Saturday:  Cutback week, 14mi. Day’s total: 16.95 mi, 7:34 pace.

• Ran 2.5 mi to Fleet Feet to warmup and then did 14.4 with Kate along the lake.  I was really proud of my splits- steady and consistent all the way!  Afterwards we went out for some vegan donuts 🙂

Sunday:  EZ 8.  Day’s total:  6.08 mi, 8:10 pace.

• AM: Easy recovery run.  I only got about 6 hours of sleep last night but I woke up early and couldn’t fall back asleep, so I decided the best thing to do would be to go for a run and wake my body up.  A morning run is always better than coffee!  Since I was ahead in my mileage for the week I only ran 6 miles- trying to be good about not doing too much!
• Later AM: Deep Stretch at Yoga Six.  This was a heated class that really just worked on stretching out the back and hips- no vinyasa flow or typical yoga poses.  It was nice, but I missed my Bikram :/

Week 7’s mileage:  Planned: 54.o mi  Actual: 57.9 mi

• Felt awesome at speed and on my long run.  Gotta keep that up!