Pro Recovery Secrets for Crushing Back-to-Back Races

DUTCH RUNNER SIFAN Hassan wowed the world at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics this summer when she attempted an unprecedented distance triple, competing in the 1500-, 5,000-, and 10,000-meter races. Between heats and finals, Hassan would cover 24,500 meters in barely an eight-day span, with as little as 12 hours between races.

- CINDY KUZMA

It was June when she proposed the idea to her coach, Tim Rowberry. He was speechless at first, but soon they began making a plan to help Hassan compete at her highest level in such a short span of time. The feat didn’t have a true road map, though Rowberry knew it would require a careful balance between speed and endurance, along with several swift recoveries. And it worked: Hassan pulled it off—winning two gold medals and a bronze.

Your competition schedule likely isn’t as daunting. But you might face two or more hard efforts on a tight timeline. Perhaps you’re running races on subsequent weekends, completing an overnight relay, or simply want to feel fresh for a long run a few days after a speed workout.

Every runner should have a recovery plan, says Alisa Harvey, a former elite middle-distance runner who now competes as a masters athlete and coaches in Manassas, Virginia. Your body is a remarkable machine, naturally repairing microtears in your muscles, replenishing your energy stores, and clearing out the waste products you produce during hard efforts. But these actions occur during recovery, not during the effort itself. It’s that downtime that allows you to grow stronger and faster, which is why it’s so important. Actively promoting these processes also reduces your injury risk, builds your confidence, and prepares you to train and race hard again, says Robyn LaLonde, running coach and owner of EDGE Athlete Lounge in Chicago.

Each runner has unique needs. But dialing in a few key elements—and practicing them throughout training—can help you nail recovery when it really counts.

Practice tight timelines

As a general rule, good recovery means at least a day of rest or easy running between hard and long efforts, LaLonde says.