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Episode 16 - Recovery The Training You Don’t Log
This episode explains why recovery is one of the biggest limiting factors in ultrarunning performance. The key idea is that training does not create fitness by itself, training creates stress, and recovery allows the body to adapt.
The episode challenges the common mistake of treating recovery as something you can buy or add at the end, such as massage, compression boots, red light therapy, or other gadgets. These tools may help some runners feel better, but they are secondary. They cannot compensate for poor training structure, under-fuelling, lack of sleep, or high life stress.
The four fundamental recovery pillars are:
Sensible training: protecting easy runs, using de-load weeks, and respecting race recovery.
Food: eating enough protein, carbohydrates, fats, and fuelling key sessions properly.
Sleep: the most powerful recovery tool, supporting repair, immune function, mood, and performance.
Stress management: recognising that work, family, emotional pressure, and life load all affect the same recovery system.
The practical message is that ultrarunners should stop asking, “How much training can I survive?” and start asking, “How much training can I absorb?”
Fitness is not built by the training you complete. It is built by the training you recover from.
Key references:
- Kellmann, M. et al. (2018). Recovery and Performance in Sport: Consensus Statement. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance.
- Thomas, D. T., Erdman, K. A., & Burke, L. M. (2016). Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance.
- Kerksick, C. M. et al. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Nutrient Timing. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.
- Jäger, R. et al. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Protein and Exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.
- Walsh, N. P. et al. (2021). Sleep and the Athlete: Narrative Review and 2021 Expert Consensus Recommendations. British Journal of Sports Medicine.
- Dupuy, O. et al. (2018). An Evidence-Based Approach for Choosing Post-exercise Recovery Techniques to Reduce Markers of Muscle Damage, Soreness, Fatigue, and Inflammation: A Systematic Review With Meta-analysis. Frontiers in Physiology.
- Mountjoy, M. et al. (2023). 2023 International Olympic Committee’s Consensus Statement on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport. British Journal of Sports Medicine.
- Charest, J. & Grandner, M. A. (2020). Sleep and Athletic Performance: Impacts on Physical Performance, Mental Performance, Injury Risk and Recovery. Sleep Medicine Clinics / PMC.
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By Coach Isaac AlcaideThis episode explains why recovery is one of the biggest limiting factors in ultrarunning performance. The key idea is that training does not create fitness by itself, training creates stress, and recovery allows the body to adapt.
The episode challenges the common mistake of treating recovery as something you can buy or add at the end, such as massage, compression boots, red light therapy, or other gadgets. These tools may help some runners feel better, but they are secondary. They cannot compensate for poor training structure, under-fuelling, lack of sleep, or high life stress.
The four fundamental recovery pillars are:
Sensible training: protecting easy runs, using de-load weeks, and respecting race recovery.
Food: eating enough protein, carbohydrates, fats, and fuelling key sessions properly.
Sleep: the most powerful recovery tool, supporting repair, immune function, mood, and performance.
Stress management: recognising that work, family, emotional pressure, and life load all affect the same recovery system.
The practical message is that ultrarunners should stop asking, “How much training can I survive?” and start asking, “How much training can I absorb?”
Fitness is not built by the training you complete. It is built by the training you recover from.
Key references:
- Kellmann, M. et al. (2018). Recovery and Performance in Sport: Consensus Statement. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance.
- Thomas, D. T., Erdman, K. A., & Burke, L. M. (2016). Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance.
- Kerksick, C. M. et al. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Nutrient Timing. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.
- Jäger, R. et al. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Protein and Exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.
- Walsh, N. P. et al. (2021). Sleep and the Athlete: Narrative Review and 2021 Expert Consensus Recommendations. British Journal of Sports Medicine.
- Dupuy, O. et al. (2018). An Evidence-Based Approach for Choosing Post-exercise Recovery Techniques to Reduce Markers of Muscle Damage, Soreness, Fatigue, and Inflammation: A Systematic Review With Meta-analysis. Frontiers in Physiology.
- Mountjoy, M. et al. (2023). 2023 International Olympic Committee’s Consensus Statement on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport. British Journal of Sports Medicine.
- Charest, J. & Grandner, M. A. (2020). Sleep and Athletic Performance: Impacts on Physical Performance, Mental Performance, Injury Risk and Recovery. Sleep Medicine Clinics / PMC.