Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast we are talking with Jonathan Levitt about the strategies he uses to recover quickly after hard training blocks, or an Ultra before resuming training.
Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast we are talking with Jonathan Levitt about the strategies he uses to recover quickly after hard training blocks, or an Ultra before resuming training.
I am sure most of you listening know Jonathan Levitt as the host of the podcast For The Long Run. Fortunately for all of us, he is taking time out of his schedule and away from his microphone to join us here and provide his insights on rapid recovery for ultra runners.
We will have all the links for you at the bottom of the show notes for this particular episode at DocOnTheRun.com under the podcast section. We 
will have links to his show For The Long Run, make sure you start listening to his show as well. You will love it!
Jonathan, welcome to the show!
Jonathan Levitt: (check out the podcast audio to hear what he had to say)
Dr. Segler:
So, before we get into some questions maybe you could just give us a little bit more detail about your running history and why you became so interested trail running and ultras.
Jonathan Levitt: (check out the podcast audio to hear what he had to say)
Dr. Segler:
Question #1
Sooner or later, all of us as runners will have to deal with some uncertainty and adversity in making it to the finish line. Right now, obviously there’s a lot of uncertainty for athletes in training. Much of us are having trouble getting to the starting line, since so many races have been canceled. But I understand you actually finished your first 50K with a last minute change of plans when The North Face 50K was canceled. No one wants to have to change races at the last minute. So that must have been tough.
How do you think that experience prepped to you for what’s going on in the world right now?
What can you tell us about how you dealt with all of the potential anxiety that had the potential to derail your event?
Jonathan Levitt (check out the podcast audio to hear what he had to say)
Dr. Segler:
Question #2
I was recently talking to Lucy Bartholomew and she referred to sleep as her second workout of the day. She was explaining to me that you have to dedicate yourself to sleep as much as you do to training. Of course, that totally makes sense when you think about the fact that all of the healing and the actual strength building really happens when you are’s the sleep and rebuilding all that tissue.
How important do you think sleep is to your running recovery?
Jonathan Levitt: (check out the podcast audio to hear what he had to say)
Dr. Segler:
Question #3
I think most runners believe they should sleep more. But there are all of these little things we should probably do more effectively but most of us, just don’t. But sometimes we shift into high gear and we are little more deliberate, and a little more intentional when we are in training.
Do you do anything special with sleep to recover faster when you’re in hard training mode?
Jonathan Levitt (check out the podcast audio to hear what he had to say)
Dr. Segler:
Question #4
Recovery, in its simplest sense, is just a process of rebuilding tissue, after you stimulate a healing process which begins as tissue damage induced by a hard workout. It takes building blocks to rebuild that tissue damage. And that means sound nutrition.
What are your nutritional habits? And how do you think your diet has changed in the years since you started training as an ultra runner?
Jonathan Levitt: (check out the podcast audio to hear what he had to say)
Dr. Segler:
Question #4B
As we’ve already discussed, you must have to have a solid nutritional plan and the right building blocks if you want to rebuild tissue and resume training and recover as quickly as possible.
But since the beginning of time, when it comes to training and determining what we’re supposed to eat, what we need to eat and what we really need to optimize our own bodies and reach our own goals, most of that has really amounted to guesswork.
If everybody were the same we would all do the same thing. We would all eat the same thing and we would train the same way. And we will all get the same results. But that’s isn’t how it works.
You and I could both register for the exact same race. You and I could both do the exact same workouts. In fact, you and I could eat the exact same thing every day leading up to that event and we would not have the same results. Some of that has to do with physiology and the way that our bodies actually use the food that we eat and the way that we train in a unique way that won’t work for someone else.
What can you tell us about the company you work with and how they are using science and technology to deliver ultra personalized guidance on nutrition.
Jonathan Levitt: (check out the podcast audio to hear what he had to say)
Dr. Segler:
Question #5
I have heard lots of different athletes talk about their secret weapons to help them recover faster. Some people take naps, others get massages. Some have secret recipes.
Maybe you could share with our listeners how each of those three categories helps you recover faster, or maybe even decrease your risk of injury when training?
Jonathan Levitt: (check out the podcast audio to hear what he had to say)
Dr. Segler:
Question #6
After racing a lot of people just take time off. They take what seems a casual approach to recovery. They rest, or maybe do something less-structured like go on a “vacation.”
What do you do to recover in the first 24-48 hours after you finish a long trail run or race?
Jonathan Levitt: (check out the podcast audio to hear what he had to say)
Dr. Segler:
Question #7
I know you’ve done lots of races, now in lots of different states, but I’m really curious of all the events you have done what has been most memorable.
What has been your favorite event you ever completed?
Jonathan Levitt:
Dr. Segler:
Question #8
Undoubtedly all of the race cancellations from 2020 have caused some chaos in your training and racing schedule.
What is the race you’re currently focused on and how are you staying motivated through all of this uncertainty?
Jonathan Levitt: (check out the podcast audio to hear what he had to say)
Dr. Segler:
Question #8
I was hoping maybe you could share with our audience and discuss the mental side of race preparation for runners. The longer the race, the more important this really becomes.
What what is the key for you when it comes to mental flexibility and staying focused?
Jonathan Levitt: (check out the podcast audio to hear what he had to say)
Dr. Segler:
Question #9
I know you have many different interesting guests and episodes of your show.
Of all the athletes you’ve talk to you and interviewed on your podcast, who really sticks out as been one of the most interesting characters or who provided the most interesting insights for you personally?
Jonathan Levitt: (check out the podcast audio to hear what he had to say)
Dr. Segler:
Question #10
Okay I’m at a go go ahead and say that I think everybody should check out your show, For The Long Run, and all of you listening right now should go follow Jonathan on social media. We’ll have all the links in the show notes episode under the podcast section at DocOnTheRun.com.
I’ve certainly learned a lot today and it’s really been great having you on the show!
Jonathan, thanks so much for taking time out of your schedule to share all of your rapid recovery strategies with our listeners today. And if anybody is trying to figure out how they can follow you, connect with you, or reach out to you directly, how can they best find with you?
Jonathan Levitt (check out the podcast audio to hear what he had to say)
Links to include in our Podcast Episode Show Notes:
Please add links you want us to publish on on our website DocOnTheRun.com and promote through social media channels.
Podcast Website: https://anchor.fm/forthelongrun
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ForTheLRPod
Instagram: http://instagram.com/jwlevitt
Email: jlevitt815@gmail.com
Inside Tracker: https://www.insidetracker.com
Pain is the best tool to help an injured runner decide when run. You don’t have to figure out what to write down. We made a simple Pain Journal PDF for you.
To print out your copy of the pain journal, Download here:
If you have a question that you would like answered as a future addition of the Doc On The Run Podcast, send it to me PodcastQuestion@docontherun.com. And then make sure you join me for the next edition of the Doc On The Run Podcast!
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