10K Race recovery..according to the book

   Bob Glover in his book, the COMPETITIVE RUNNER'S handbook, suggests that our post race recovery  should be to "run easy for the same number of days after a race as the number of miles of the event".
It's an adage I've been aware of for probably a couple of decades but I would suggest along with the majority of club runners it's generally advice not adhered to.
  When was the last time you "ran easy" for 6/7 days after a 10K race?
I would suggest with so many club nights on a Tuesday many don't resist getting taken away on a hard session by others who haven't raced 48 hours previously.
   My return to anything near race pace has gradually extended  over the last decade from Wednesday to Thursday to Friday after a Sunday race.  But last week following the SALFORD 10K on Good Friday I was happy to comply with Glover's advice.  Few of the 25 miles after the event had been under 9 minute mileing.  But as the toll of the event dissipated  it was reinject some pace into the running;  it was pleasing to thrash out a tempo 3 miles (7.37 7.41 7.07) last  Friday.  It was  7 days after the race.  I could see Glover nodding in approval.

 NATIONAL 12/6 ROAD RELAYS

  The first email I opened immediately after the Friday session was one from Dave R. at the club  appealing for runners to make up the "B" for the NATIONAL 12 man relay the following day as several selected had withdrawn as the week developed from both the "A" and "B" team.
 If I hadn't made plans to go up to the Lake District and hadn't done the tempo session I would have gone down to Birmingham.   As it turned out the withdrawals became signuficant  as the "A" team dipped from 5th at halfway to 24th.  The "B" team  was 4 men short in the end; so I would have run in an incomplete team for yet another time.
 I heard the view expressed a couple of times last week that "Birmingham is a long way to go and it's a whole day out".   My reply was that runners will be travelling across the world to run under 10 seconds in the Olympics!
 Still it was good to see that 61 teams DID support the national event including CORSTOPHINE and SHETTLESTONE from Scotland and LES CROUPIERS from South Wales in the mens race.
ALDERSHOT  went up from Hampshire with a team full of internationals to win the womens event. Respect.
  I can't help but think that those who have never run at Sutton Park and withdrew missed taking part in a great National event.   Long may it continue!
  LONGSLEDDALE SUNDAY 10

The week was concluded with a favourite Lake District road run; up and down the Longsleddale valley ,north of Keswick.   A cold biting headwind robbed much of the pleasure from the upward 5 but true to form I was 5 minutes faster with the tail wind.  4 cars passed me in 10 miles of running ;  surely one of THE "quietest" roads in the Lake district.   
                       Hopefully the first of a few runs on that route in 2012.