Discussion: recovery from multiple races

I'm 50/50 on this issue so thought I'd seek input.

After running 4 sprint races on Saturday, and 2 on Sunday, is it better to do:

- take day off Monday, recovery jog Tuesday
or
- recovery jog Monday, take day off Tuesday?

Option c: jog on Monday + jog on Tuesday. :-)

I vote for light running or at least walking on Monday. I've always been told that doing so is beneficial to recovery due to getting increased blood flow to the affected muscles.

Drink a lot of chocolate milk on Saturday and Sunday and whichever day you choose for a rest day from running go biking or swimming or both. (Only half kidding about the chocolate milk.)

I'm with Cristina. Light activity both days, but definitely activity on both. And chocolate milk is a great recovery drink! It has replaced sports drink as the post-practice drink for my school orienteering team and also the school cross country team.

I'm sleeping all day Monday and all day Tuesday, but my definition of "running" this weekend is a little different than yours... ;-)

Definitely chocolate milk. Very light active recovery (can even be a brisk walk) + lots of stretching and foam rolling.

Depends on who you are, what sort of races you just did, how they compare to your "usual" race history, where you are in your training plan/season, and what works for you.

Can't go that wrong with easy movement, eating food, and sleeping enough.

Easy bike ride. Blood flow but no impact. Lemon Pledge on quads to restore luster and avoid waxy buildup.

Exercise both days, light, loosener. I used to do a swim session (I was a tri-geek too in my O days) or a 60min or so small chain ring recovery ride. Physiologically speaking, better to keep doing the light relatively unloaded movement. As for nutrition... eat healthily, there's no magic bullet. Choc milk sounds useful from the evidence, but many people are partly lactose intolerant without necessarily realising it. It is a quick and easy help if you don't have real food available though, for sure. Choc-full of sugar and fat (energy).

Why would recovering from multiple races be any different from recovering from one race? Assuming they are equally tough efforts?

Here's an interview with Dr. Shona Halson, Senior Recovery Physiologist at the Australian Institute of Sport:

https://www.scienceofultra.com/podcasts/65

She specifically talks about recovery runs starting at 22:55.
And here is an interesting summary paper discussed in the interview regarding the efficacy of various recovery techniques:
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55b7ffebe4b...

She specifically talks about recovery runs starting at 22:55.

That seems awfully specific, and after a lot of people's bedtime.

Good rogaine training, maybe...

Thanks all! Recovery is progressing