What Te Araroa Taught Me About Recovery
Recovery on a 66-day run is less about perfection and more about doing the useful basics quickly enough to repeat them tomorrow.
Finish the day before you collapse
An earlier finish can be more valuable than squeezing out a few extra kilometres. Time to eat, clean up, stretch and sleep improves the quality of the next day.
The strongest days often followed the calmest evenings, not the hardest pushes.
Feet are a daily task
Dry shoes, toe socks and early attention to hot spots prevented small problems from turning into expedition-ending ones.
Foot care works when it happens every day, including the days when nothing hurts yet.
Comfort is part of performance
Warm layers, familiar food and a predictable place to sleep are not luxuries on a long attempt. They reduce the number of stresses the body and mind need to absorb.
Recovery is the bridge between today's finish and tomorrow's start.