Paw Prints Hoof Tracks and Tales IX

Jennifer Shaffer Reports in from Wisconsin!

Here is this week’s Safari Email

The Bicentennial Trail Map is right here!

We needed a scapegoat to explain why this week’s edition of Paw Prints, Hoof Tracks and Tales is so late, so we’ll blame it on vacations across the continental United States and power outages across greater Kalamazoo. This blog is being updated on generator power as certain far west territories and tabloid editors are still in the dark.

This note from Jennifer Shaffer came in last week from Wisconsin: “I miss you all. I ran my first race today in Wisconsin. It was a small 5 miler. I finished in 31:12...I also met some runners from Sheboygan who have a small running group...they said I could join...so that is good!!!” Jennifer is planning on paying us a visit for the September 15 Kalamazoo to Battle Creek Run!

No need to run a marathon to find an excuse to travel. Alicia Curry and Kristi Buckham are planning on a visit to the West Coast to run the San Francisco Half Marathon! Nicky Lycan traveled to Maine to run 2000 meters and leap over a few obstacles. Nicky finished 2nd in the 2000 meter USAT&F Steeplechase Age Group National Championships and was ranked number one in this event in her age group in the country last year. If you need proof, the evidence can be found at http://www.mastersrankings.com/ under previous year's results. We also discovered another Safari Marathoner was listed in the Indoor Age Group National Rankings for the same year, ironically in the sprints, tossing conventional fast twitch/slow twitch muscle fiber theory out the window. Did you know Trivia? In USAT&F Track and Field you are considered a "Masters Runner" at age 30!

It appears as though Nicky was not the only herd member caught flocking to Eastern Atlantic territories for some vacation rest and relaxation these days. Myra Willis, one of our half marathon celebrities, migrated to Falmouth, Massachusetts and ran in the famous CIGNA Falmouth 7 miler along with her husband……and about 10,000 other runners!!! She confesses to getting lost in the crowd during her adventure, but described it as an amazing experience. Elizabeth (E) Wright is also back from New England's quaint Nantucket, where she resided on a Yacht for the duration of her stay. Joel Shaffer wants to know if it had sails.

Team Leader Cristi Dedoes is morphing into a mega racer after winning her age group at the Mattawan Wildcat 5k last Friday evening, and then rising bright and early for her Saturday morning long run. Andrea Burke and Track Coach Joe Hulsebus both won their age divisions, and Sheila Clothier had a strong showing in her stacked age group. Congratulations to all of our Safari Wildcat finishers!

Could it be possible that ATM's are now dispensing band-aids? It was reported that one very friendly bank doubled as an infirmary for one of our Safari runners at last Saturday’s run. We think her name was Colleen. As it turns out, her training partner and half marathon rising star Julie Lehman also happens to be responsible for overseeing the Southwest Michigan retail branches of this financial institution and was able to secure a band aid through her network of connections. We are happy to report that thanks to the efforts of her training partner, Colleen safely finished the run.

Predicting Goal Marathon Pace

Julie Steeby paced herself to a Boston qualifying time at this year's Bayshore Marathon. Running a Half Marathon is one great method for predicting your marathon pace.

The Safari program incorporates sporadic Pace Runs to practice your goal marathon pace. It can still be a challenge, especially for the first time marathoner, to determine goal marathon pace. The marathon distance is still an unknown. The good news is there are several methods that can be used to predict your marathon time, without actually running one.

Here is a great article Chris Crowell is passing along from the Running Times E-Newsletter...

As the fall marathon season approaches, it is important for you to nail down your best marathon pace. Improper pacing is the number one mistake that marathoners make so having a really good idea of what is a reasonable pace can make your marathon experience much more successful (and enjoyable!).Ways to Predict Your Best Marathon PaceRunners and coaches have found several ways to estimate your best marathon pace. Here are a few good ones:

1) Race a half-marathon. Take your half-marathon time and double it then add five minutes. This has long been a quick rule of thumb for predicting marathon time. Doubling your half-marathon time and adding seven minutes is a bit more realistic for most marathoners. Of course, you can always use one of the many race time calculators and charts available online and in many running books to also gauge the marathon time predicted by your half-marathon performance.

2) Perform eight to ten 800 meter repeats. Run each repeat in the minutes and seconds of your goal hours and minutes of your upcoming marathon. Take equal recovery jog between each. For example, if you want to run three hours and thirty minutes for your marathon then run eight to ten 800 meter (2 laps of the track) repeats in 3 minutes and 30 seconds taking 3 minutes and 30 seconds jog between each. If you can perform this workout without having to strain to hit the time then this would predict that your marathon pace is reasonable. Special thanks to Bart Yasso for this “Yasso 800” workout.

3) Perform two to four marathon pace runs where you warm up then run for four to 10 miles at your goal marathon pace. If you can build up to an eight to 10 mile marathon pace run and not have to work exceedingly hard to maintain the pace, then your goal marathon pace is reasonable.

4) Run marathon pace at the end of a few long runs. If you can run the last four to eight miles of a long run at your goal marathon pace then your goal pace is reasonable. Do this on two to four long runs in the last couple of months before your marathon to get another gauge of whether your marathon pace is reasonable.All of these methods are good but most coaches and runners find that there is no one single best predictor. Rather, it is a good idea to use several of the predictors listed above to better determine your best marathon pace.

Greg McMillan is an exercise physiologist and certified USA Track and Field coach. He helps runners via his website http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/.

From Milestone to Marathoner!

Marathoner Ron Reid

Many of you are about to achieve something extraordinary this weekend. Perhaps not self-actualization as defined by Maslow, but nevertheless something quite special. It is a major marathon training milestone both physiologically and psychologically. For experienced marathoners, it represents an affirmation of sorts; the body is trained and ready to go. For first time marathoners its completion represents the very first exhilarating moment and the knowledge 26.2 is within reach. For all, it establishes confidence. What is IT? It is the 20-miler.

Just as many of you will complete your very first 20 miler this coming week on the Kal-Haven Trail, I remember experiencing the same joy of finishing my very first 20 miler a mere 4 years ago on the same trail, through the Safari program. It was a day I remember well. My training partner that year was also training for his first marathon, and as the two of us started down the narrow path, I still hadn’t made up my mind as to whether I would actually run a marathon. Less than 3 hours later, I had come to the realization that 26.2 was within my reach and I knew I could do it. Shortly after the run I signed up for the Detroit Freepress Marathon.

Although there are alternative schools of thought, 20-milers are the anchor of most marathon training programs. Long runs over 90 minutes, train the body to store glycogen and utilize fat for energy. Endurance Training also increases the capillarization of your muscles. It also has psychological benefits. During a 20 miler, you simulate the stresses your body will go through during the marathon. When your legs tire, you learn how to isolate different muscle groups, shorten your stride and cope when the fatigue of 26.2 sets in. Sometimes more than anything, you want to stop, but through the experience gained through your long runs, you learn how to persevere until the end.There is no scientific evidence that clearly establishes the longest distance to run during your training, hence the various schools of thoughts.

The Hanson’s regiment eliminates 20 milers altogether for all but the most elite runners. Galloway uses a 26.2 miler to establish confidence for the marathoner. Our Daniels/Pfitzinger philosophy recommends 22 miles, with 24 being the ultimate limit for experienced marathoners who are not injury prone. Even though scientific evidence doesn’t establish a clear cut long run distance, there clearly needs to be a balance between running far enough to stimulate the physiological adaptations needed to cover the distance while remaining injury free. Frequent runs that are too long will make you strong but slow because you won’t be able to run your other workouts such as lactate threshold runs at the proper intensity. You risk of injury will escalate because your muscles fatigue and lose their ability to absorb impact.

Experience (rather than scientific evidence) indicates that gradually building to long runs 21 – 22 miles will maximize the probability that you will arrive at the starting line in top shape while staying injury free.It is also recommended that long runs be run 10-20% slower than goal marathon pace, with the first part of the run being close to 20% and gradually building up to 10% of goal marathon pace. If you do long runs in this intensity range, a 22 miler will take about the same amount of time as it does to run the marathon. This provides an excellent stimulus for the physiological adaptations needed to complete the marathon, and it provides psychological reinforce that you can run a steady pace for that length of time.

Reference: Pfitzinger, P., and S. Douglas. 2001. Advanced Marathoning. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

The Blue Planet Run is Coming to Battle Creek!

Contact Brian Dobbie at brian.dobbie@gmail.com to participate or obtain more info!

The Blue Planet Run is coming through this area and you are invited to join in! Safari Team Leader Brian Dobbie's son, Will, is running a leg and has extended an invitation to anyone who would like join him in supporting this worthy cause on Friday, August 24 at 7:30 p.m.

Here are the details: The run begins at M-66 and K Ave in East Leroy (take M-66 south from I-94) There's an elementary school about 100 yards from the start point where there is a parking lot. The run starts on M 66, which is a busy road, but there's a wide, paved, shoulder. Once the route turns onto Capital Ave, it's mostly residential with some heavy commercial areas near I-94 and also near the end of the run. There's lots of parking at the end of the run, either at the Ben Franklin (the 'official' end point) or at a church next door. Depending on the size of the group, it might be a good idea to have some cars parked at each end so we can shuttle each other back and forth. There are lots of potential bathroom facilities near the end of the run, fast food places, etc. But the facilities at the beginning would be of the 'behind the trees' variety. Overall, the run is reasonably scenic and relatively flat. When Brian talked to Will yesterday, he mentioned that a small group can easily be handled with the normal Blue Planet Run escort services--they try to have a van or a motorcycle accompanying the runner(s). It's a 10 mile leg, which Will is planning on running at an 8:30/mile pace. This link will take you to an interactive map of the route through the U.S. You can zoom in and find the exact location of the leg. This leg goes from East Leroy into Battle Creek. It's leg number 1311 of the run. http://peerwater.org/run/map/country/na

To learn more about the Blue Planet Run visit http://blueplanetrun.org/run

Check back for any updates!

Paw Prints, Hoof Tracks and Tales VIII

Who's Who in the Jungle? Meet Annie Laugavitz (#342). Great run Saturday Annie!

Here is this week’s Safari Email

The Riverview Drive Run Map is right here!

As we head into fall half marathon and marathon season, please let us know about your experience so we can report on it in Paw Prints, Hoof Tracks and Tales! We will be checking Safari results for our target and some of the larger half and full marathons such as Park to Park, Chicago, Detroit and Grand Rapids. But if you are running a different event, please let us know about it. Of course we always welcome stories, whether fact or fiction! Our aim is to keep you guessing on what is truly fact and what is fable.

Mysterious disappearances were reported at last Tuesday’s track sessions as most of the runners vanished. What happened? The morning workout was accompanied by downpours, thunder and lightening which prompted most early risers to hit the alarm rather than the track. Only the most daring of jungle beasts ventured out into the wild tropical monsoon, including the fearless Dottie Sullivan who has been known to scale tall jungle fences. John Willard, Sherrie Mann, Crack of Dawn Wisecracker Bob Poznanski, Julie Pomeroy, Vicki Mergen, Marty Buffenbarger and Pat Johnson were some of the others. Mike Toburen, who had been told by jungle authorities that huge crowds of runners show up every Tuesday morning, made his am session debut only to find a skeleton crew.

The evening session fared no better after the masses wandered in search of south of the border delights to the KAR/BCRR Fiesta 5k Fun Run! After being giving “official” permission by Safari authorities to skip the evening track workout, the fun run won out over serious training as many of the Safari migrated to Borgess Health and Fitness Center to enjoy virgin margarita punch, salsa, taco salad, quesadillas and some fun theme-based door prizes. We learned Sheryl Foppema and Susan Fennema are training for the Park to Park Half, and Gordon Gallagher is in search of a half marathon and accepting suggestions. Pam Borer and Ferdy Huntz, both p.m. track regulars, hit the fun fiesta festivities, as well as Kristi Buckham, Karen Arrick, Giti Henrie and Cristi Dedoes. Karen held her audience captive as she retold the story of how she redecorated Charlie Miller’s Chainsaw. Is it possible her tale could become part of the legend itself as told by Chris Crowell each year? We will find out when Cristi Dedoes turns it in at the 2008 One One Run. Yes, the Safari’s Cristi Dedoes was this year’s recipient of the famous Chainsaw and we will be touching base with her shortly to find out the latest update on its whereabouts.

Sprechen sie Deutsch? Auf Weidersehen Frau Monica Lynch! Monica und Herr Bob Lynch wohnen ins Deutschland fur 3 – 5 jahren mit seinen hund. We can only hope no one reading this speaks fluent German or it will be quite obvious the author has no clue on past, present or future tenses or other language rules. In simple English, we will be wishing stray jungle beast Monica Lynch and her husband Bob a fond farewell as they relocate to Germany for 3 -5 years, and yes, they will be taking their dog! Before she leaves in December, Monica will be running the Toronto Waterfront Marathon along with Sherrie Mann, Cindy Owen, Bonnie Sexton and jungle stray Peggy Zeeb! In honor of the pending move, Monica cut her hair.....short! So did Shani Iuni, who donated her long tresses to Locks of Love! Both have reported a slight increase in velocity on the run.

We could have used a tow truck or two at last Saturday’s Run from KVCC. Pat Johnson just pulled into the parking lot when his serpentine belt snapped, and Julie Steeby returned from her run only to discover a flat tire. Paige Sexton’s pink 20 inch two-wheeler was offered as alternative transportation. Mark Sigfrids as of late only rides two-wheeled alternative transportation, but it isn’t pink. Wait a minute, is it a Department Store or Coffee joint? In order to compensate for the invasion of sweaty runners into Asiagos’ Saturday, Bonnie Sexton gave away free samples of Heavenly Body Spray to entering runners and did have several takers! Yes, this truly is West Michigan’s most comprehensive and innovative marathon training program (or at least we think so). We try to meet most of your marathon training needs and some needs you didn't know you had!

Downhill Training with Declines!!

Bronson Bouldevard Provides the ideal grade for Decline Training. Here gravity pulls Shani Iuni and Phyllis Florian down at the end of the Kalamazoo Klassic

This week the Gazelle training schedule adds decline training into the mix with the Gnus and Leopards incorporating them in a few weeks. We have all heard of “uphill” training, but why down hills? Sprinters have used downhill training for years to improve leg turnover, but it can also be beneficial to the distance runner as well and has been incorporated into many distance training programs. Decline training not only teaches you proper downhill technique, but will also improve speed while running on the flats and can even help prevent injury and muscle soreness.

When you first begin a decline training program, it is important to start with a small dose and gradually build up. Downhill running is easy on the cardiovascular system, so it is easy to overdo the pounding on muscles, connective tissue and joints. If you train carefully, however, you can actually decrease your risk of injury because your body will adapt so that it can better handle descents. After the first couple of downhill sessions, you may notice a bit of soreness in the quadriceps; this will eventually lesson and disappear as your muscles adapt to the demands of running downhill.
Bill Gephart takes the lead on the downhill

Increased Leg Turnover
Downhill training will increase leg turnover which improves acceleration and speed on flat terrain. Your maximal stride rate is controlled by your neuromuscular system and downhill running teaches your nervous system to allow you to run fast. Like any other skill, this is best achieved through practice.

Improved Downhill Running Performance
Bill Rodgers was a great natural downhill runner and often left his competitors behind as he ran away on the descents. He was able to make down hills his personal weapon by improving that skill during training. Anyone can gain this edge by improving skill and confidence running downhill.

Reduce Delayed-onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)
If you have ever run the Boston Marathon or Borgess/National City Half Marathon you have experienced firsthand the impact downhill running can have on your muscles. When running hard downhill, your muscles work eccentrically to resist the force of gravity, which causes microscopic damage to the muscle fibers and surrounding connective tissue. This leads to inflammation and muscle soreness. Although you will be sore after the first few workouts, training on down hills protects your muscles from future damage and soreness. The muscles not only repair, but are also better able to handle future demands because the adaptations that occur within the muscle. A session of downhill running every two to three weeks is enough to maintain those adaptations.

Gaining an Advantage When Cresting a Hill
Runners will often work hard running to the top of a hill then back off slightly to recover. By practicing downhill running, you can gain an advantage by maintaining intensity over the top of a hill and down the other side.

Technique
The key to optimal downhill training is to allow gravity to help you flow down the hill, using minimal effort. This requires proper downhill form; you must adjust your body position forward so your body remains as close as possible to perpendicular to the hill. If you try to remain upright as you would on the flats, it will actually cause a braking effect…..a common downhill running error. As you run downhill, your leg turnover should increase as you gain speed. It is also important to prevent over striding, which will also increase the braking component of downhill running; increasing the jarring forces and slowing you down. To improve balance and stay in control, keep shoulders relaxed but allow the elbows to move out moderately from your sides.

The downhill workouts most appropriate depends on your goals and experience running downhill:

Downhill reps of 75-150 meters
Downhill reps on a gentle grass slope are a great way to learn technique and improve leg turnover while minimizing the chance of injury. This technique is often used by sprinters to improve speed. It is very important to warm up well, including a few striders on the flat before launching into these. Concentrate on correct body position and on letting your legs turnover more quickly as you gain speed. Limit yourself to three to five reps the first few sessions, particularly if you haven’t done much speed work recently.

Up and Down Intervals
Up hills and down hills can be incorporated in the same workout by doing intervals in which you run up a hill hard, than sustain the intensity over the top and down the other side. If you make these intervals two – six minutes in duration (with a one to two minute recovery jog in between), these make excellent VO2 max workouts and can replace the ones listed on your training schedule. These training sessions are time-efficient as they incorporate the benefits of several different types or workouts, and reinforce the ability to maintain effort over the top of a hill and shifting technique to pick up speed on the downhill.

Hilly Courses
Doing your regular training runs on hilly courses is an effective way to get used to running downhill without major changes to your training program. To gain the most benefit, concentrate on correct downhill running technique and increasing leg turnover as you run down the hill. Making downhill running part of your training routine allows you to gain experience so that downhill running technique becomes second nature.

Race Simulation
If you are training for the Borgess/National City Half Marathon, your muscles need to be able to handle the 2 mile descent from the start into downtown Kalamazoo. If you are training for the Boston Marathon, you need to be able to handle the descent from Wellesley into Newton Lower Falls at 15 miles, and the plunge into Boston proper after cresting Heartbreak Hill. If you are preparing for the ING New York City Marathon, your body needs to be ready for the downhill into Manhattan at 16 miles. It is important to try to simulate the descents that you will encounter in your goals races in terms of steepness, length, and where they fall within the race.


Pfitzinger, P. 2005. “Moving Up by Going Down.” Running Times 328 (July/August): 16

Paw Prints, Hoof Tracks and Tales VII

Joel Shaffer's whereabouts when missing from the jungle. Joel's Trivia Question...do you always pass an approaching vessel on your starboard or port side? What about an approaching runner (on the road)?

Here is this week’s Safari Email

The Western Hills Course Map will be posted here later this week!

One of the grandest rewards of training with a group such as the Safari is the camaraderie and laughter shared amongst the runners. To recognize the high level of jungle prestige carried by a little humor, Safari School is pleased to announce the 2007 Safari Class Comedians for the morning and evening track sessions. The crack of dawn wise cracker is Bob Poznanski, who raised his hand to ask why we had to run so far when we were training for only 26.2 miles. The sun down comedy club comedian is hands down David Thierjung, who had the locals rolling in laughter over his raccoon story. David would have given Bob Poznanski some stiff competition for the morning session title had he arrived at Kanley Track at 5:45am instead of 6:45am.

We have to admit this story could be fact or it could be fiction….we aim to keep you wondering. David Thierjung forgot to have breakfast Saturday morning and forgot his Gu. As a result, he found himself somewhat depleted on the course. David wandered over to the convenience store, convinced a customer to give him a dollar, and then bought a package of combos. It is a fact the leaders of last week’s morning Oakland Drive track workout encountered a live skunk, but managed to evade its lethal spray, choosing flight over fight. Mike Nock has been named Tuesday evening social director and is unofficially in charge of selecting Tuesday night post run hot spots. Safari recruiters are still seeking a Tuesday morning social director.

Stray jungle beast Gale Fischer finished his 13th marathon, the Grand Isle Trail Marathon. Gale completed the challenging course in an amazing 3:25, placing 2nd in his age division and 11th overall. Despite his blistering pace, Gale was able to savor the breathtaking views and scenic beauty of Lake Superior. Joel Shaffer would be more likely to be found sailing on Lake Superior rather than cantering along the shores. There is a strong possibility that Joel may be even more passionate about sailing than running and is rumored to resort to “tacking” on particularly windy days and baffle his running partners with starboard and port turns, and leeward and windward directions. It all sounds like “jib”berish to most runners reports wife Amy Shaffer.

Jeff Datillo is expected to continue his reign as “most improved” jungle beast after his return from high altitude running in Colorado. By the way, according to Jeff, Peak Performance rocks! Stephanie Sabin was the lone Safari participant to play hooky from the Portage Jungle Adventure to run the Otsego Ready or Not 4k. Stephanie won her age group in the event, and added to her Club Championship points and first place age division standing. Julie Pomeroy wins the award for the "Most Weddings Attended" during the Safari Training Program.

Special thanks to Carole Stevens for volunteering to help with Safari Aid stations during her recovery. Welcome back Marty Buffenbarger.

Managing Muscle Soreness

As we build up our mileage and increase the distance and intensity of our track workouts, many of us experience sore muscles. This is not uncommon and is part of the process of gaining strength and endurance. However there are ways to decrease and treat the amount of muscle soreness. Read “Sore Muscles” in your notebook for a general idea of what is happening.

Here are some of the methods that are most effective:

The amount of muscle soreness you experience tomorrow will always be directly proportional to how far you work your muscles beyond what they are accustomed to today. The longer Saturday runs and the faster Tuesday runs are most likely to be followed by some muscle soreness unless you have been training consistently for several years. You may also find soreness is increased 2 days following a hard workout rather than the day after. This concept is known as DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness)

Start Slow, Warm Up, and add Dynamic Stretching:

Always precede any high-intensity running you do with easy jogging followed by dynamic stretching or flexibility drills (such as high knees and butt kicks). These precautions warm and lubricate the muscles, making the fibers less prone to tearing during the training. On Saturdays start slower than the pace you train. On Tuesdays always do a warm up slow jog followed by dynamic stretching before your work out.

Cool Down:

Circulation is the primary facilitator of the muscle repair process after intense exercise. Finishing workouts with low-intensity activity keeps circulation levels up without further damaging muscle fibers and thereby kick-starts the recovery process.

Stride Outs or Declines:

The most effective way to minimize muscle soreness is actually to cause it in small amounts. Doing so results in structural adaptations in the muscle that make it more resistant to future tearing. To stimulate these adaptations, do four to six 100-yard stride-outs or declines twice per week.

Easy Recovery Runs:

Muscle soreness also has a tendency to accumulate if the muscles are not given adequate opportunity to heal between hard workouts. So you should always schedule recovery workouts (short and easy) between your harder and longer training sessions. You may not feel like a run will do any good but a short easy run will aid in your recovery.

Cross Training:

Non impact cross training such as swimming or water running is another great way to aid recovery while promoting cardiovascular fitness. These workouts increase blood flow to promote healing, while at the same time eliminate further physiological breakdown to already sore muscles. This concept is know as "active recovery."

Refuel and Hydrate:

You should also consume protein immediately after your workouts. The faster you get protein into your body, the faster your body can go to work repairing muscle damage. Always consume plenty of carbohydrate, to restore energy, and fluids for hydration following workouts as well. The most convenient way to get all the nutrition your body needs for immediate post-run recovery is to simply drink a carbohydrate-protein sports drink (eg. Endurox). In one study, athletes who consumed such a drink after a hard workout exhibited 36% less muscle damage than a control group the next day.

Antioxidants:

Antioxidants can also reduce muscle soreness. Oxygen radicals are believed to play a role in the cellular damage that follows the rupture of muscle fibers during exercise. By consuming a diet that is high in antioxidant vitamins and enzymes you can limit this damage.

Time:

Time is the only true cure for muscle soreness. Certain treatments, however, can reduce the severity of the soreness you experience while time works its magic.

Icing:

Icing is the best way to reduce inflammation and the associated soreness. Combining a cold treatment with compression of the sore muscle, for example with a neoprene sleeve, is even more effective than a standard ice massage. An ice bath is even better. My favorite recipe’ for an ice bath includes a hot beverage and sweatshirt, with just legs immersed!

Elevation:

Elevation is another tried-and-true treatment for inflammation. Simply sit with your legs propped above heart level for 30 minutes or more. Or simply put your butt up against a wall and raise your legs upon the wall for 10 – 15 minutes.

Self Massage:

The Stick is a great devise for enhancing circulation and stretching muscles.

Stretching:

Frequent stretching also increases circulation and speeds the return to full mobility. Always stretch a sore muscle very gently, and if it is extremely sore, do not stretch it at all. In such a case light activity is a better alternative.

Summary submitted by Chris Crowell
With many of these concepts taken from:
That Hammered FeelingSimple Steps to Soften Muscle Soreness
by Matt Fitzgerald