{"id":5303,"date":"2023-07-04T04:22:43","date_gmt":"2023-07-03T21:22:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=5303"},"modified":"2023-07-04T04:22:43","modified_gmt":"2023-07-03T21:22:43","slug":"ironman-recovery-a-veteran-competitors-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=5303","title":{"rendered":"Ironman Recovery: A Veteran Competitor&#8217;s Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-franchise outlines-corners relative p-[20px] mt-[30px] sm:flex sm:items-start sm:flex-row\" style=\"min-height:105.83762886598px\">\n<div class=\"article-franchise__text text-default mt-[10px] text-center inline sm:inline-block sm:mt-0 sm:text-left\"> <span class=\"italic text-gray\">With the Well+Good SHOP, our editors put their years of know-how to work in order to pick products (from skin care to self care and beyond) they\u2019re betting you\u2019ll love. While our editors independently select these products, making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission. Happy shopping!<\/span><span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/shop\/\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/shop\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Explore the SHOP<\/a><\/span> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>While some people prefer to spend a Saturday Netflix and chilling, for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/kralovanec\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/kralovanec\/?hl=en\">Jill Walker<\/a>, there\u2019s nothing better than heading out for a 2.4-mile swim, followed by a 112-mile bike ride, and topped off with a 26.2-mile run\u2014aka an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ironman.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.ironman.com\/\">Ironman triathlon<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Walker completed her first Ironman in 2007, and was instantly hooked. \u201cI just, you know, enjoyed being out there all day,\u201d she says. \u201cWhat better way to spend a day than swimming, biking, and running?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Which is why, over the past 16 years, she\u2019s completed 68 of these extreme endurance triathlons. That math works out to more than four Ironmans per year. For comparison, the average athlete takes about five or six months to train for this kind of race, and then another two to four weeks to recover afterwards.<\/p>\n<p>Walker doesn\u2019t exactly do average, though. Earlier this year, she and her husband, Dougin, completed six Ironman races on six continents in six weeks as part of their quest to join \u201cthe club\u201d of people who\u2019ve done every Ironman in the world (a club of which there are currently only five members). Last year, they completed two Ironmans in one weekend\u2014one in Kalmar, Sweden, on Saturday followed by another in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Sunday. The Tampa, Florida\u2013based couple even got married on the bike course during the 2022 Ironman in Cozumel before finishing the rest of the race. Casual.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content \" style=\"\" data-module-init=\"related-content\" data-module-immediate=\"\" v-cloak=\"\">\n<div class=\"related-content__wrapper \" v-cloak=\"\" :class=\"{'is-loaded':isLoaded}\">\n<p> <span class=\"inline pr-6 text-seafoam-dark\">Related Stories<\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <related-content class=\"related-content__links\" parent-article-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/ironman-recovery\/\" current-title=\"\u2018I\u2019ve Completed 68 Ironman Races, and This Is My Workout Recovery Hack That Costs $0\u2019\" current-image=\"2_i-2965885-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-6402_045301-29812417-425x285.jpg\" v-on:parsely-posts-loaded=\"onPostsLoaded\" start-date=\"2023-01-03\" tag=\"div\" inline-template=\"\" url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/ironman-recovery\/\" secret=\"w5ztterVB03LGZJLfXS0hf3EvQBuFFIWew9hmVQxthU\" apikey=\"wellandgood.com\" limit=\"3\"> <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"related-content__card mb-[10px] sm:mb-[20px]\" :class=\"{'related-content__card--full':posts.length === 1}\" v-for=\"(post, key) in posts\"> <a v-on:click.prevent=\"trackLinkGA($event, key)\" :href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/ironman-recovery\/post.url\" data-url-source=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content__link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content__card--image bg-tan\" :style=\"{ backgroundImage: 'url(' + post.image_url + ')' }\"> <img decoding=\"async\" :src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/ironman-recovery\/post.image_url\" :alt=\"post.title\" class=\" js-inline-lazy-load\" src=\"\"\/> <\/div>\n<p> <\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/related-content> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<h2>Walker\u2019s number-one key to recovering well enough to compete so often<\/h2>\n<p>This begs the question: How in the world does someone keep their body not only healthy, but recovered enough to compete in major endurance events so close together? (And Walker <em>is<\/em> competitive\u2014during her six-in-six-weeks challenge, Walker won her age group in the Philippines and took second in Brazil.)<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/sleep-tips-from-experts\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/sleep-tips-from-experts\/\">Sleep is my superpower<\/a>,\u201d admits Walker. \u201cI get, on average, nine to 10 hours a night.\u201d Even in foreign hotels, or on planes during travel days, she sleeps well, she says. \u201cI can just lay down anywhere and go to sleep. Once my head hits the pillow, it\u2019s like I go into a coma,\u201d she jokes.<\/p>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_1084237\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1084237\" style=\"width: 611px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1084237 js-inline-lazy-load\" alt=\"\" width=\"611\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Photo-by-Patrick-McDermmottGetty-Images-for-Ironman-611x400_falsexfalse_true_70.webp\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1084237\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jill Walker. Photo by Patrick McDermott\/Getty Images for Ironman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p>This ability to sleep helps explain how Walker can manage such high volume. As experts will tell you, sleep is the most powerful muscle recovery tool we have. &#8220;Non-REM sleep is associated with the highest levels of growth hormone release during a day, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/sleep-and-recovery\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/sleep-and-recovery\/\">allowing muscles to heal and grow<\/a>,&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/smarr.eng.ucsd.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/smarr.eng.ucsd.edu\/\">Ben Smarr<\/a>, professor at University of California San Diego in bioengineering and data science, previously told <em>Well+Good<\/em>. That human growth hormone helps repair the microscopic muscle tears that happen during exercise, helping your body bounce back and grow stronger.<\/p>\n<p>And for endurance athletes like Walker, the muscle repair process that happens during sleep also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/sleep-and-recovery\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/sleep-and-recovery\/\">helps improve your body\u2019s stamina<\/a>, according to Jeff Monaco, Gold\u2019s Gym director of education. &#8220;If an individual is engaged in endurance training, the body will respond by increasing the oxidative capacity of those muscle fibers through increases in mitochondrial density and size,\u201d he previously told <em>Well+Good<\/em>, adding that sleep also helps to keep your endocrine, immune, and nervous systems functioning properly so that your body can operate at full strength. (FYI: mitochondria are your cell\u2019s battery packs aka energy sources.)<\/p>\n<p>The effects of all this physiology are something Walker has long relied on. \u201cI know there are a lot of people that are like, &#8216;I can sleep six hours and be fine,&#8217; \u201d she says. \u201cI&#8217;m just not one of those people.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Her other recovery tools<\/h2>\n<p>Sleep may be the primary recovery technique Walker uses to get her to start line after start line, but it\u2019s not the only one. Here are a few of her other non-negotiables:<\/p>\n<h3>1. Chocolate milk<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cWe have chocolate milk after any kind of workout, any kind of race,\u201d Walker says. Research has shown this tasty childhood treat has an <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/23075563\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/23075563\/\">optimal ratio of carbs to protein<\/a> for post-workout recovery.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Consistent body work<\/h3>\n<p>Walker and Dougin go to a chiropractor and also get a 90-minute massage every week. \u201cIt\u2019s not a relaxing massage,\u201d Walker clarifies, with a laugh. \u201cOur massage guy beats us up, but it\u2019s what we need.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>3. Normatec boots<\/h3>\n<p>Hyperice\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/normatec-3-review\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/normatec-3-review\/\">Normatec 3 Legs<\/a> use a rhythmic series of compression from your feet up to your hips to encourage blood flow for faster recovery. \u201cThey also get me to sit still,\u201d Walker admits.<\/p>\n<h3>4. Massage guns<\/h3>\n<p>Walker regularly uses portable massage guns, which have been proven to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/what-do-massage-guns-do\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/what-do-massage-guns-do\/\">increase muscle strength and power, and to reduce muscle pain<\/a>. In fact, having one is such a \u201cmust,\u201d that when the couple forgot to bring their <a href=\"https:\/\/clicks.trx-hub.com\/xid\/leafgroup_ca5e0_wellgood?q=https%3A%2F%2Ftheragun.xibx.net%2Fc%2F2372336%2F617418%2F10041%3FsubId1%3DSTMSLS-784877%26u%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.therabody.com%252F&amp;p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellandgood.com%2Fironman-recovery%2F&amp;event_type=click\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.therabody.com\/\">Theragun<\/a> to a race, they ended up buying a <a href=\"https:\/\/clicks.trx-hub.com\/xid\/leafgroup_ca5e0_wellgood?q=https%3A%2F%2Fgo.skimresources.com%3Fid%3D104860X1561639%26xs%3D1%26xcust%3DSTMSLS-1022057%26url%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fhyperice.com%252Fproducts%252Fhypervolt-2%252F&amp;p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellandgood.com%2Fironman-recovery%2F&amp;event_type=click\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/hyperice.com\/products\/hypervolt-2\/\">Hypervolt<\/a> while they were there. They also own the Theragun mini for easy packing. &#8220;It helps refresh, and make you feel better,&#8221; says Walker.<\/p>\n<div class=\"disclaimers__after_content mb-[18px] mt-[16px] pt-[16px]\">\n<div class=\"outline-earmark relative mt-[8px] pt-[10px] pl-[20px]\">\n<p>\n            Our editors independently select these products. Making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission.          <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async defer src=\"https:\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With the Well+Good SHOP, our editors put their years of know-how to work in order to pick products (from skin care to self care and beyond) they\u2019re betting you\u2019ll love. While our editors independently select these products, making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission. Happy shopping! Explore the SHOP While some &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5304,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5303","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5303","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5303"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5303\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5304"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5303"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5303"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5303"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}