NatNews

When individuals regularly put physical stress on their bodies through different forms of exercise, such as running, consistent recovery habits become integral for athletes to continue to perform well and stay injury-free. Strategies for rest and recovery don’t necessarily look the same for everyone, so it’s beneficial for each person to find what works best for him or her.

Dallas-area resident and avid runner Robyn Allen said she doesn’t do anything fancy but recognizes just how important it is for her body to receive the proper post-exercise care it needs to function fully.

“I haven’t always dedicated enough time to recovery, but as I have gotten older, I have made a conscious effort to give my body the post-run rehabilitation it needs to help prevent overuse injuries,” she said.

For Allen, this means making sure to include weekly stretches/yoga and functional bodyweight exercises into her recovery regime.

“Every day, I will insert squats, lunges, and/or isometric holds during my 2-minute teeth-brushing routine,” she said. “I also like to do plank challenges with friends after group runs, and I make time to do deep stretches two to three times a week. For this, I like using the Peloton app, which has been great. I highly recommend, and it’s only $13 a month.”

Dallas-area resident Emmanuel Amadi, who incorporates two intense tempo workouts and endurance runs in his running schedule each week, said he believes that recovery is important because it ensures longevity and better overall performance.

“In studying behavioral patterns amongst most elite and pro runners, I’ve observed that they outperform their competitors because they approach recovery almost more seriously than training,” he said. “Ever wondered why Eluid Kipchoge and the Nike NN Running Team held months of training camp prior to his successful sub 2-hour marathon record? It was essentially to focus on recovery—meaning, a strict sleep schedule, strict healthy eating routine, fewer distractions, less social media, etc. I believe no amount of talent or training can outperform a poor recovery routine.”

Amadi said that he not only ensures that he gets adequate sleep each night (as well as a 1–1.5-hour nap each day), but he also utilizes cryotherapy and Normatec compression therapy, gets sports massages on a biweekly basis, and spends time in the sauna after long runs and strength and conditioning workouts.

“We only have one body, and for it to function optimally every day, we must take care of it,” he said. “It is important to note that some of us are not sponsored pro runners with limitless resources for accessing the best recovery tools out there. But if you’re in love with this sport as much as I am, we have to be devoted to the recovery side of running.”

With whatever resources one has available, Allen said taking proper care of one’s body is crucial.

“My main recovery advice is to prioritize the time and effort for it,” she said. “If we want to maintain our running lifestyles, then our bodies deserve the extra care.”

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Last week, residents throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex experienced what seems to have become an annual occurrence in recent years around this time—cue something about the Icepocalypse or Dallaska or some other semi-clever quip regarding the iced-in situation.

Schools throughout the metroplex closed for at least four days (with some releasing early on Monday, as well), and many individuals were forced to work from home in order to avoid venturing out on the frozen streets. It was almost a combination flashback of the pandemic lockdown days and the infamous Dallas freeze of 2021 (minus as many power outages), especially with the amount of businesses that temporarily shut down for the concern of the safety of employees and patrons. And for some individuals, it was quite disappointing not to be able to leave the house.

“I’ve been waiting a year to go skiing down the 75/Parker overpass on-ramp,” tech company CEO and president Josh Odegard said. “I was too busy during the days when ice was on the ground, and I wasn’t motivated enough to go out in the evening. Both of the two weekly evening social runs that I manage also decided to cancel due to the ice on the ground, so I didn’t leave my house from Sunday night until Friday night. It really put a damper on my social life!”

Dallas resident and corporate controller Elizabeth Cruz, who was able to start a new show called Truth Be Told on Apple TV, valued not having to drive to her office last week.

“It was kind of nice to get extra sleep and time at home,” she said.

For Dallas-area resident and middle school teacher Stephanie Hone, though she enjoyed spending extra time with her almost 2-year-old daughter, she certainly felt a bit of cabin fever.

“I was at home with a toddler doing ALL of the indoor things we could,” she said. “Cars and Bluey were on repeat. Moana was in there, too.”

Dallas resident and financial planner Aaron Byrkit spent the week working from home while also balancing his role as dad to two young boys.

“My wife and I traded off watching the kids while the other worked or took calls or did online meetings,” he said. “I spent some time outside with the boys playing in the ice that they were convinced was snow.”

And while there were certainly challenges—including not being able to run, a source of stress relief for him, for most of the week—Byrkit and his family faced in trying to sort out keeping the kids entertained and fulfilling all of their job responsibilities, he said he’s fortunate for the circumstances he had in what could have been a more difficult situation.

“Looking back, I’m extremely grateful my family worked so well together, getting through the tricky scheduling, that our power stayed on, and that I work a job where I would still get paid through the weather situation,” he said.

For Hone, in spite of the feelings of being a little stir crazy, the additional quality time she was able to spend with her daughter last week is something she treasured.

“It was actually really good, thankfully, because this time around, our power stayed on, thank God, and we had enough food and everything to get us through the few days without having to go anywhere,” she said. “And snuggling on the couch with my little one for hours was a rarity I don’t take for granted.”

WEEKLY PHOTO OP

Congratulations to NatNews readers Ethan and Paige Celuch on becoming husband and wife

Monday, February 6: National Frozen Yogurt Day
Saturday, February 11: WRRC Saturday run at Taco Joint
Saturday, February 11: Dallasites101 6th annual Cupid's Crawl
Sunday, February 12: Super Bowl Sunday