In many ways, it’s a sign of a job well done—your training session produced microtears in your muscles, leading to natural inflammation. Given the proper rest and nutrition, those tears will heal and make you stronger and faster.
But if you skip recovery tactics like downtime and eating right, you might find yourself in a state of progress-plateauing fatigue. What’s more: If you ditch recovery efforts enough times, you may set yourself up for chronic inflammation, which can lead to big health issues like heart disease, dementia, diabetes, and even cancer, per Nature Medicine research.
While it’s okay to have some inflammation in the body—inflammatory cells fight off injury, infection, even disease—if inflammation sticks around for months or years, that’s when other problems can arise.
This story is from the Issue 02, 2022 edition of Runner's World.
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This story is from the Issue 02, 2022 edition of Runner's World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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PARENTING THROUGH RUNNING
I GRAB MY headlamp and run down the driveway, heading out for the quiet streets an hour before sunrise.
STOP LISTENING TO MUSIC WHILE YOU RUN! (TRY AUDIOBOOKS INSTEAD)
I'VE RUN MORE than 30 marathons over the past 20 years, but I recently found one hack that has made my last two training cycles the most fun I've ever had logging a ton of miles: audiobooks.
RISE OF THE "ILLEGAL" RUNNING SHOES
Banned shoes emerged courtside long before they found their way onto a marathon course.
THE SECRET TO SPEED IS IN YOUR BLOOD
Some of the world's best runners credit this unorthodox Norwegian training method for their success. Is it right for you?
TEAM BONDING AND AMATEUR FILMMAKING
I WENT TO my first high-school cross-country practice freshman year in jean shorts, mostly walking as I heaved and huffed.
I NEED A DRINK RUN
TO KEEP THE cold at bay one December night in 2022, my friend Justine and I got together for some mulled wine, a hot drink as delicious as it is sentimental to me, reminding me of holiday gatherings and Christmas markets back home in the Czech Republic.
HOW TO START A RUN WHEN YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE IT
I'VE ALWAYS FELT validation when reading a story about writers and their love of procrastination.
THE CASE FOR NOT RUNNING
I HAVE TO let you in on a little secret: I haven't been running much these last few months, and it's the best decision I've made.
THANKS, SPECTATORS!
IN THE EARLY MORNING hours of Marathon Sunday, the nerves hit me even before I donned the shirt I made for the race, with \"ALY\" across my chest in hot-pink glittery letters.
HOW FAR CAN RUNNING LAKEYOU AFTER A DECADE OF ADDICTION!
WHEN MITCH AMMONS FINALLY GOT CLEAN, HE COULD BARELY JOG A HALF MILE. NOW HE'S LINING UP WITH SOME OF THE COUNTRY'S TOP DISTANCE RUNNERS AT THE 2024 OLYMPIC MARATHON TRIALS.