The Recovery Run

Most runners, especially distance runners, are familiar with the recovery run. For those of you who have never tried it, it’s kind of self-explanatory: a slower run, usually after a hard workout. Some call it “conversational pace,” but recently it’s been dubbed “sexy pace.” Time to take in the scenery, have a chat, work out some work problem that’s had you stumped for a while. Maybe even craft and essay in your head.

And there are more and somewhat surprising benefits of sexy pace runs. It may sound counterintuitive, but recovery runs will actually help you run faster. First, the slower run keeps you in better aerobic (read: fat-burning) zone. And as you burn more fat, you drop more weight, you can run faster. Also, these paces enable your cardiovascular system to work more efficiently, so you’re able to—you guessed it!—run faster for longer periods of time.

Well, so what? What’s the point? I could continue explaining the research I’ve conducted (no matter how minimal) on the benefits of recovery runs. I could even offer some anecdotal evidence of the thousands of miles and fifteen (or is it sixteen?) marathons I’ve run. (Yeah, it’s sixteen.) Here’s the point: In the last week, I’ve discovered a new and different understanding of a “recovery run.”

I am not, by nature, and anxious person. Yes, I see the world through a morose lens, worrying here and there about my loved ones, but I generally scoff at the notion of “anxiety.” As a God-fearing Christian, I’m not even referencing the typical Scriptures about worry, fear, unease, or anxiety. (I will, however, encourage you to read Isaiah 41:8-10; Psalm 56:3; 1 John 4:18; and John 14:27. Or just google “God’s promises in the Bible.”) 

Like everyone else in the world, I’m talking about COVID-19, which is proving to cripple society at large, sending people into seclusion (an introvert’s dream), kids away from schools (proving why we don’t home-school our kids), shuttering amateur and professional sports (I miss you, Pittsburgh Pirates). It has the potential to shutter small businesses across America, handcuff the health care system, and delay—or at least shorten—the Presidential campaign. Ok, that last one seems pretty good.

Yet in the midst of all this doom and gloom (which is a decent, if not formulaic, Rolling Stones song), I’ve continued to train for my upcoming marathon as if it won’t get cancelled. (Update: It has! But I’ll keep running.) Since I started running more than ten years ago, I’ve always noted the psychological benefits of logging miles, thinking through issues, burning off stress. But with all the unknowns surrounding COVID-19, there are few things that have made me feel human the way running has. Elevating my heart rate, breathing the air outside, seeing a hawk swoop down in front of me, sweating, praying, talking with my running crew (no fist bumps & six feet apart!)—this practice continues to reap benefits. 

I wish I could say I’ve discovered some answers; that rarely happens. Running isn’t the solution to COVID-19. In fact, it’s not even the solution to the anxiety surrounding it. If that were the case, I’d like log thousands of miles between now and the “all clear” call. (Truthfully, I will likely log a lot of miles during that time. I’ll keep you posted.) What I do know is that being active is helpful; it’s a conduit and a healthy coping mechanism. I’m not always running the sexy pace; in fact, just yesterday it was more like a tempo run (non-runners, look it up). Running in the midst of a crisis: It’s my new recovery run.

(This is not a good example of social distancing, but it's Santa Claus! I KNOW him!)