Recovery
25 min Recovery Jog
20 min very easy
Recovery Run Workouts
Short, very easy recovery runs for the day after hard sessions and races, from a 25 minute jog to run-walk and post-race sessions.
Workouts
6 workouts
Recovery
30 min Recovery Run With Heart Rate Cap
25 min very easy
Recovery
Recovery Run Walk 5 x 4 min Jog, 1 min Walk
5 × (4 min very easy, 1 min jog)
Recovery
Post-Race Recovery Run 35 min With Walk Breaks
3 × (8 min very easy, 2 min jog)
Recovery
Recovery Run With 4 Relaxed Strides
20 min very easy, 4 × (15 s very hard, 45 s jog)
Recovery
45 min Soft-Surface Recovery Run
35 min very easy
Recovery Runs
A recovery run is the easiest run of the week. It follows a hard interval session, a long run or a race, and its job is to keep you moving without adding training stress. The benefits are blood flow through tired legs, a little extra aerobic volume and the habit of running regularly. Fitness comes from the hard days, and the recovery run helps you be ready for the next one.
The sessions here last 25 to 45 minutes. They include a plain recovery jog, a heart rate capped run, a run-walk version for sore legs, a run for the days after a half marathon or marathon, a recovery run with relaxed strides and a longer soft-surface run for higher-volume runners. All of them use heart rate as the default target, since pace on a recovery day depends on fatigue, heat and sleep.
Recovery runs suit runners who train four or more days a week. Beginners with three runs a week usually recover better with a rest day. Keep the effort below your normal easy pace, at about 70 percent of max heart rate or less, and finish feeling better than when you started.
To pick a workout, look at what you did the day before and how your legs feel. After a race, choose the post-race run or the run-walk. After a workout, the 25 or 30 minute runs fit. The 45 minute soft-surface run is meant for runners with a high weekly volume.
Questions about Recovery Runs
How slow should a recovery run be?
Slower than your normal easy runs, often by 30 to 60 seconds per kilometer. A heart rate below about 70 percent of max is a common guide, and you should be able to talk in full sentences the whole time. The pace will vary with fatigue and weather. If you are unsure, go slower, there is nothing to gain from pushing a recovery run.
Is a rest day better than a recovery run?
It depends on your training volume. Runners with three or four runs a week usually benefit more from a full rest day after a hard session. Runners who train five or more days a week often feel better after an easy 25 to 40 minute jog than after complete rest. If you are sore in one spot, injured or ill, rest instead.
How soon after a marathon can I run again?
Many runners take three to five days off after a marathon and wait until walking down stairs feels normal. Start with short, very easy runs of 20 to 35 minutes, every other day at first, and keep the heart rate below about 75 percent of max. Normal training usually resumes after two to four weeks, depending on how the race went.