Recovery from High Intensity Training

High Intensity Training at East Bank was brutal. I don't know about you, but Monday is definitely the day when I can use a good butt-kicking to rev myself into gear for what's to come for the rest of the week. My trainer, Dan, gave me the butt-kicking, but instead of gearing up, I think I spent most of the week rolling in reverse.

More than 48 hours since H.I.T. and my quads are still killing. It hurts to get up from my desk, I'd rather lay on the couch, legs extended, and not have to move for the remainder of the day. I brace myself before I cough or sneeze, knowing my abs will ache which each shift of my torso. The bed sounds more inviting than getting work done and bundling up to embrace the bone-chilling cold is the last thing on my mind. Sitting still seemed like the best form of recovery at the expense of everything else to get done. Now I understand why you'd only want to lift twice a week with H.I.T.--anything more and you'll likely find permanent muscle damage, or enough aches to feel like you've aged 50 years in a day.

It finally took a Powernap (more on that to come) and Budokon class at Equinox to stretch out those lingering pains. Maybe it was the deep breathing, stretching my limbs in directions they normally don't move (I NEVER do yoga) or the constant returns to down-dog. Whatever happened in that hour and a half, thank goodness, because now I want to go back and work my muscles to the max all over again. Posted by Kate