I have excellent news for you, Leggers. While the rest of the world is worrying about New Year’s Resolutions you are miles ahead of the game (about 325 miles since August, if you’ve been keeping up with your training). Yay for YOU!
A lot of people are making resolutions this week to become more fit and trim, but you’ve got that covered. The Journal of the American Medical Association just published a study of more than 100 clinical trials that indicates 2.5+ hours of moderate to intense aerobic exercise per week may help lead to a meaningful loss of weight. That’s less than most Leggers do on an average week and besides the weight loss edge you’re also gaining strength and social and mental health benefits as well.
So if you’re already in a good groove in terms of amount and intensity of exercise, what’s the next step? What resolution(s) might benefit you in 2025?
The hard work, the miles and the cross training, are only half of the program. Recovery work is the other half, and I think a lot of us could do better there. I know I could! I think the irony is that this is the stuff that is easy and satisfying to do. Many of us just don’t get around to it because we’re busy or it’s not part of our routine or we just don’t think of it as part of our training program — but it is. The basic building blocks of our training program are these two things: stress (i.e. miles) and recovery. We need to do both to get better.
So what can you resolve to do in 2025? Here’s a list of things that will help you recover, cement your gains, and feel better in 2025. Pick one or two if you like.
Sleep — Simply paying attention to your bedtime is a big one. You’re arranging your life to do those miles, right? You need to arrange your life to make sure you’re hitting the sack consistently. I’ll be publishing more about sleep later in the season, but shoot for 7 hours. Resolve to make good sleep a habit.
Stretching and Rolling — I feel like one of the things the club needs to do better at in future is helping you all with skills around post-miles stretching and the use of foam rollers. In fact, we used to have sessions on both a while back. Until we can get that on track, ask what your buddies are doing, or check out YouTube for some routines. Foam Rollers and Lacrosse Balls in particular are helpful for recovery. Resolve to set aside time (at least on Saturday afternoon) for stretching and/or rolling.
Massage, Stretch classes and “Stretch Lab” — if you have the resources, by all means indulge in these. For years the Leggers have had a great relationship with LA Sport Massage, and they’re one of several firms around town whom our members have used. Again, ask around! A good session with one of these folks is a great reward for an 18 or 20 miler. Resolve to treat yourself to a massage or two.
Dry January, Runner’s Lent, and so on — OK, so there are some resolutions that involve some self-denial, but if they’re time-limited they’re not so bad and you might learn a thing or two. After the holiday season there are a lot of people who do a “Dry January” and avoid alcohol for the month. If that’s not your thing you might try NOT indulging in something else, like sugar and treats. Many of use Leggers have made a practice of dropping sweets for the month leading up to the Marathon, but it also works if you drop them for the first month of the year. Resolve to drop something for a month.
Yoga, Tai Chi, and Meditation — I know a lot of you enjoy yoga, but if you’ve never tried it (or related practices like Tai Chi or meditation) you’re missing out on major physical and mental benefits. If you don’t have a class or teacher handy, YouTube is again a great resource. Marathons are a mental game, after all: put yourself in a better frame of mind. Resolve to try a new practice in the New Year.
Again, congrats on being ahead of the pack in the Resolution Department. Keep at it and Happy New Year!
