I’m coming into the 4x4x48 event undertrained…yes, way undertrained. Over the years of being a coach I can honestly say that it’s not my first time either. The good thing with an event like this is that it’s mostly mental, so I know I can grit through it and complete 4 miles every 4 hours for two days…if worst comes to worst, I can always walk or ruck it.
Now just because I’m undertrained doesn’t mean I won’t have a game plan for the weekend…in fact, this is when I plan the most! I know that since my physical readiness is not there, I am going to need to step up my nutrition and recovery plan. I need to make sure that I maximize the areas I can to ensure I give this event my best…and you can too!
Today I want to focus on recovery and how I’m going to attack the event. First off, let’s look at the time of the legs we’ll be running:
- Loop 1: Friday, 6PM
- Loop 2: Friday, 10PM
- Loop 3: Saturday, 2AM
- Loop 4: Saturday, 6AM
- Loop 5: Saturday, 10AM
- Loop 6: Saturday, 2PM
- Loop 7: Saturday, 6PM
- Loop 8: Saturday, 10PM
- Loop 9: Sunday, 2AM
- Loop 10: Sunday, 6AM
- Loop 11: Sunday, 10AM
- Loop 12: Sunday, 2PM
I know that I’m going to be utilizing the methods below as a majority of my recovery practices:
- Cold Plunge
- Infrared Sauna
- Contrast Therapy
- Normatec Compression Therapy
- Percussion Massage
- SLEEP
So here’s the dilemma for most…when do I use these techniques to maximize recovery?
With any event like this, sleep is going to be at a premium so I’m going to make sure my recovery plan is centered around that. I know that the cold plunge is like a wake up call (but also the most beneficial for me), so I’m going to make sure I don’t do that between the 6PM and 6AM intervals. In fact, after the 10PM and 2AM intervals, I’ll probably try to get back to sleep as soon as I can unless my legs are achy and I might sleep with the Normatec boots on.
I will cold plunge or utilize contrast therapy AS MUCH AS I CAN. I find that I react best from this than any other type of recovery therapy. So I know I’ll try to get in the plunge tub after the 6AM, 10AM and 2PM intervals. I’ll plan on coming in, taking a shower and then hitting the cold plunge and sauna for 3 rounds of 2-3:00 and 10-15:00, respectively. I’ll also take that time to make sure my hydration levels are good and then go grab some food and work some mobility.
In regards to Normatec, I’ll use those after intervals I’m not plunging on. While not as effective, the flush always feels good and I can eat/drink while in the boots (see, I can multi-task). I’ll probably stick to the legs, but I might sneak in a session for the hips as well.
For percussion massage and foam rolling, I’ll do that before every interval (except for the ones I’m waking up right before). This is a great time to work out a few kinks before getting out and pounding the trail. It’s also a chance for me to shift my mindset to what I need to get done…4 more miles.
Now of course, I’ll be utilizing other recovery methods as necessary, but these are my main focuses for the weekend. How do you plan on recovering for 4x4x48? Have questions? Text us at (817) 904-8638 and we’ll help you devise a plan to maximize your chance at completing 4x4x48!
