Purplepatch Fitness

Every athlete knows recovery is essential, but Ryan Hall seems to be living it. At the Boston and Chicago marathons in 2011, as well as the Jan. 14 U.S. Olympic trials marathon, where he placed second, Hall toed the line fit and fresh. His recovered state comes courtesy of strategic changes Hall has made to his training over the last year since becoming self-coached — strategies he gathered from an unexpected source: professional triathlon coach Matt Dixon.