Are we, simple mortals, condemned to the one day rule?

It has been 2 weeks since my 50 miler ultra and I haven't totally recovered yet. Even though I wasn't sore after just 2/3 days,  my legs are still tired. I am happy that I didn't get injured and that my hip pain latest just 2 days but  I was hoping to recover faster from the muscle fatigue :( to start my training for my next marathon. I took a week off and started running last Sunday again. During the week I worked out every day except Friday but I am not happy with the quality and quantity of my runs.

Sunday: 3 miles
Monday: 6.5 miles - easy- as I was mentoring a beginners group
Tuesday: 15 miles bike ride
Wednesday: 4.5 - again very easy with the beginners group
Thursday: 13 miles bike ride - Hard...hills repeats
Friday - off
Saturday - 6 miles

This is really a low millage week for me  but  my legs feel "heavy" and  I can't run fast. Also I am really tired!! I have been sleeping so much!!! 

Today I was hopping to do 2 loops in Central Park but I was running so slow that it didn't make any sense to keep going.  I was energy less even though I had a lot of carbs yesterday.

After my previous 50 miler I did some research and read forums and most of the articles mentioned that in "general" takes 1 day per mile   to recover after a huge effort. That means 50 days!!!  I think that the last time took me like 3 weeks and then I ran the NY marathon and around mile 22 I felt pretty tired. I was hopping that being this my second 50 miler I could recover sooner.

There are many people that are ready to race again just after a couple of days, not to mention those ultra runners that runs another ultra just the next weekend!!! 

I think  is so hard to tell how long it  could take to each person  to recover. Everyone is different to start off, we are trained to different levels of fitness and of course we all  have different predisposition to recovery naturally. 

I also looked at my races and workouts during the last 2 months and it does make sense that my legs are tired...after a very hard training and crazy work seasons.  I noticed that for the last 3 months I have done much more long consecutive runs (20+ miles) than never before and just during May I ran : a trail hilly marathon, a 50 K at Bear Mountain ( the most difficult course I have never run) and the 50 miler......all this in just 44 days!!!  May be I do need to give my legs  some credit and let them to be lazy for a couple more days!!!

Dear Legs: I  will try not to get mad with you these days, I am thankful for all the effort and  good times you gave me and I will patiently wait  until you recover.  I know you will then catch up with the training,

Love my inner runner!

Listen to your body!!! it is also part of your training!!