1. EAT A LOT<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nMany long-distance runners have trouble eating enough. \u201cOn a basic, physiological level, high-mileage weeks mean my nutrition is that much more important,\u201d says ultrarunner Eimanne Zein. \u201cOn a long week, I don\u2019t pay attention to restricting calories at all, anything I want to eat, I do. Plus, making sure that I drink a protein<\/a> shake immediately after long runs made an incredible difference for me over the years. It instantly rebuilds your muscles compared to before when I wouldn\u2019t do that and would be so sore the rest of the day and for the next days long run. Food is also one of the things that gets me through those long runs. It\u2019s helpful to plan out some snacks that you\u2019re really looking forward to eating on your run, then it almost feels like going on that long run is like taking yourself out to eat!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n2. SLEEP MORE<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe more miles you do, the more stress you\u2019re adding \u2014 and it can be hard to find more time to sleep<\/a>, but you\u2019re going to need it, because a lack of sleep negatively impacts athletic performance<\/a>. \u201cPeak weeks mean I can\u2019t stay up as late because I have to get up so early to do the runs before work. And when I can balance both work and running, it probably means there won\u2019t be much time or energy left for my social life,\u201d says Zein. \u201cBut none of these things have to wear you down. Find things you like to do to wind down an evening in peace so you don\u2019t miss the late nights when you\u2019ve got an early run.\u201d Try to get to bed a bit earlier or sneak in a nap at lunch.<\/p>\nNutrition may also play a role in sleep: Sometimes, intense training can actually make it harder to sleep, but a recent study<\/a> found that adding more carbohydrates<\/a> to your diet, in this case, may help you snooze better<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n3. GRAB THAT ESPRESSO<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nIn 2008, one study<\/a> showed a post-workout carb and caffeine<\/a> combination helped athletes restore their blood glycogen levels faster than carbs alone, so if you\u2019re someone who looks at coffee as the ultimate treat, keep sipping. It\u2019s also packed with antioxidants and polyphenols, which can help reduce inflammation and speed recovery. (The caveat: Don\u2019t drink coffee late in the day, since you obviously want to prioritize good sleep for max recovery, not a slightly optimized glycogen restoration!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n4. GET ENOUGH RECOVERY TIME<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nYou might actually need more days off as you log more miles, which sounds paradoxical but can be done with a bit of pre-planning. There are two great ways to add more recovery time when running big miles: First, you can opt to do one day as a double<\/a>, with a longer run in the morning and a short\/mid-distance run later in the afternoon, followed by a day off. If that\u2019s not an option, consider skewing your workout times so you get the most time off of running, even if you don\u2019t have a full rest day anywhere in the week. You can do this by running your long Sunday run as early in the day as possible, and leaving your shorter recovery run on Monday until the evening, giving yourself more than 24 hours away from running to let your body recover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n5. DON\u2019T STRESS A MISSED RUN<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nIf you missed your 10-miler<\/a> on Saturday, but have a 15-miler on Sunday, don\u2019t even think about making Sunday a 25-miler to make up for it \u2014 at most, add an extra mile or two, but only if you\u2019re feeling great. \u201cIf you can\u2019t get enough miles because of work, be easy on yourself,\u201d says Zein. \u201cThere\u2019ll always be a way to make those miles up, and the truth is ultra-running is so much of a mental game, so a few missed runs here and there will not break your race. Look at work like mental training, and then even days at the office can be a part of the training!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n6. MEDITATE MORE<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nMindfulness has never been more important. With more mileage, you\u2019re likely to be a bit more stressed, possibly a bit more emotional and definitely in need of some bonus quiet time. Studies have shown<\/a> that meditation<\/a> can not only lower stress, but it can also improve self-control, which you\u2019re definitely going to need as your mileage creeps up, whether you need that self-control to get out and get your long run completed or the willpower to have a healthy recovery meal instead of a beer and a bag of chips.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Author<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Molly](\"https:\/\/3v718laqyo244ii5v20dg6ff-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2017\/04\/DSC00095-72x72.jpg\")
![\"Molly](\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2072%2072%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\")
2. SLEEP MORE<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe more miles you do, the more stress you\u2019re adding \u2014 and it can be hard to find more time to sleep<\/a>, but you\u2019re going to need it, because a lack of sleep negatively impacts athletic performance<\/a>. \u201cPeak weeks mean I can\u2019t stay up as late because I have to get up so early to do the runs before work. And when I can balance both work and running, it probably means there won\u2019t be much time or energy left for my social life,\u201d says Zein. \u201cBut none of these things have to wear you down. Find things you like to do to wind down an evening in peace so you don\u2019t miss the late nights when you\u2019ve got an early run.\u201d Try to get to bed a bit earlier or sneak in a nap at lunch.<\/p>\nNutrition may also play a role in sleep: Sometimes, intense training can actually make it harder to sleep, but a recent study<\/a> found that adding more carbohydrates<\/a> to your diet, in this case, may help you snooze better<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n3. GRAB THAT ESPRESSO<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nIn 2008, one study<\/a> showed a post-workout carb and caffeine<\/a> combination helped athletes restore their blood glycogen levels faster than carbs alone, so if you\u2019re someone who looks at coffee as the ultimate treat, keep sipping. It\u2019s also packed with antioxidants and polyphenols, which can help reduce inflammation and speed recovery. (The caveat: Don\u2019t drink coffee late in the day, since you obviously want to prioritize good sleep for max recovery, not a slightly optimized glycogen restoration!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n4. GET ENOUGH RECOVERY TIME<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nYou might actually need more days off as you log more miles, which sounds paradoxical but can be done with a bit of pre-planning. There are two great ways to add more recovery time when running big miles: First, you can opt to do one day as a double<\/a>, with a longer run in the morning and a short\/mid-distance run later in the afternoon, followed by a day off. If that\u2019s not an option, consider skewing your workout times so you get the most time off of running, even if you don\u2019t have a full rest day anywhere in the week. You can do this by running your long Sunday run as early in the day as possible, and leaving your shorter recovery run on Monday until the evening, giving yourself more than 24 hours away from running to let your body recover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n5. DON\u2019T STRESS A MISSED RUN<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nIf you missed your 10-miler<\/a> on Saturday, but have a 15-miler on Sunday, don\u2019t even think about making Sunday a 25-miler to make up for it \u2014 at most, add an extra mile or two, but only if you\u2019re feeling great. \u201cIf you can\u2019t get enough miles because of work, be easy on yourself,\u201d says Zein. \u201cThere\u2019ll always be a way to make those miles up, and the truth is ultra-running is so much of a mental game, so a few missed runs here and there will not break your race. Look at work like mental training, and then even days at the office can be a part of the training!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n6. MEDITATE MORE<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nMindfulness has never been more important. With more mileage, you\u2019re likely to be a bit more stressed, possibly a bit more emotional and definitely in need of some bonus quiet time. Studies have shown<\/a> that meditation<\/a> can not only lower stress, but it can also improve self-control, which you\u2019re definitely going to need as your mileage creeps up, whether you need that self-control to get out and get your long run completed or the willpower to have a healthy recovery meal instead of a beer and a bag of chips.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Author<\/strong><\/p>\n
Nutrition may also play a role in sleep: Sometimes, intense training can actually make it harder to sleep, but a recent study<\/a> found that adding more carbohydrates<\/a> to your diet, in this case, may help you snooze better<\/a>.<\/p>\n In 2008, one study<\/a> showed a post-workout carb and caffeine<\/a> combination helped athletes restore their blood glycogen levels faster than carbs alone, so if you\u2019re someone who looks at coffee as the ultimate treat, keep sipping. It\u2019s also packed with antioxidants and polyphenols, which can help reduce inflammation and speed recovery. (The caveat: Don\u2019t drink coffee late in the day, since you obviously want to prioritize good sleep for max recovery, not a slightly optimized glycogen restoration!)<\/p>\n You might actually need more days off as you log more miles, which sounds paradoxical but can be done with a bit of pre-planning. There are two great ways to add more recovery time when running big miles: First, you can opt to do one day as a double<\/a>, with a longer run in the morning and a short\/mid-distance run later in the afternoon, followed by a day off. If that\u2019s not an option, consider skewing your workout times so you get the most time off of running, even if you don\u2019t have a full rest day anywhere in the week. You can do this by running your long Sunday run as early in the day as possible, and leaving your shorter recovery run on Monday until the evening, giving yourself more than 24 hours away from running to let your body recover.<\/p>\n If you missed your 10-miler<\/a> on Saturday, but have a 15-miler on Sunday, don\u2019t even think about making Sunday a 25-miler to make up for it \u2014 at most, add an extra mile or two, but only if you\u2019re feeling great. \u201cIf you can\u2019t get enough miles because of work, be easy on yourself,\u201d says Zein. \u201cThere\u2019ll always be a way to make those miles up, and the truth is ultra-running is so much of a mental game, so a few missed runs here and there will not break your race. Look at work like mental training, and then even days at the office can be a part of the training!\u201d<\/p>\n Mindfulness has never been more important. With more mileage, you\u2019re likely to be a bit more stressed, possibly a bit more emotional and definitely in need of some bonus quiet time. Studies have shown<\/a> that meditation<\/a> can not only lower stress, but it can also improve self-control, which you\u2019re definitely going to need as your mileage creeps up, whether you need that self-control to get out and get your long run completed or the willpower to have a healthy recovery meal instead of a beer and a bag of chips.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Author<\/strong><\/p>\n3. GRAB THAT ESPRESSO<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
4. GET ENOUGH RECOVERY TIME<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
5. DON\u2019T STRESS A MISSED RUN<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
6. MEDITATE MORE<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n