Hi, and Happy Veterans’ Day. I have to give a special thank you to all present and past veterans that have fought for our freedom. Today is more than a day off of work!
As it is Tuesday, I’m once again linking up with Tuesdays on the Run with April at Run the Great Wide Somewhere, Patty from My No-Guilt Life, and Erika from MCM Mama Runs. This week we’re talking about Race Recovery!
[bctt tweet=”Race Recovery Tips! #totr #sweatpink #runchat”]
Race Recovery Tips
So you’ve trained for a race for a few months and you finally make it across the finish line…what comes next? It is vital to safely recover your body after a long training cycle, especially if you have run a half marathon, marathon, or triathlon/endurance event. Here are a few tips I have picked up along the way on how to best recover after a race:
- Give those overworked muscles some TLC! I highly recommend making the time/investment to get a massage after your race! Lots of races offer free massages at the finish line, but you’ll have to hurry to get a spot! If you can’t schedule time with a pro, don’t neglect your foam roller! Spend some time on your calves, quads, hamstrings, and IT band area at a minimum. And don’t forget your feet! While it may be painful, your body will thank you! Here’s a great resource on how to get started.
- Rest, rest, rest! If you’re a relatively new runner or completed a new distance, you don’t want to rush back out on the road, or worse, train for another race right away. Your body needs time to rejuvenate. Don’t feel guilty for taking a few days off, and don’t fear that you will lose fitness in the process! Resting will ensure that you stay healthy!
- Check your shoe mileage. Have you logged over 300 miles in your running shoes or do they feel worn down after a few months of training? When I ran the Rock and Roll Philly Half Marathon in September, I knew that I was at the end of the life of my running shoes. So once the race was over, I stopped using my old running shoes and already had my replacement pair ready to go. If you’re looking for a new brand of shoes, recovery mode is the perfect time to go shopping!
- Enjoy a little bit of freedom! Remember that thing called downtime? You’ve gotten it back! Get back into some non-running hobbies for awhile, spend time with your friends that you may have neglected during your training, just stop and smell and roses! You’ve earned this time!
I haven’t blogged in a few days but I promise it was for a good reason — I was on vacation! Bret and I went away to Bucks County for the weekend to celebrate Bret’s birthday and me being done with the PE exam! I wanted to share some pictures from our wonderful time which included running, biking, and lots of eating!
Workouts for the Week:
Monday 11/3: I enjoyed a little rest after the 10K!
Tuesday 11/4: Lunchtime run, 2.62 miles at 9:29 average pace.
Wednesday 11/5: Core and More Class, which was great. Then I went for an evening group run with City Fit Girls! There were six of us total, and I was able to get in 4 miles. It was nice meeting new people and not thinking while I run! This will definitely be added to my workout routine!
Thursday 11/6: Kickball was cancelled due to the weather.
Friday 11/7: In the morning, I did a yoga practice focused on Chaturanga…it was really tough but only 30 minutes long thank goodness! We traveled to Newtown in the afternoon and Bret and I went for a 3 mile hood run that evening, which was chilly, but nice!
Saturday 11/8: We biked over 30 miles from New Hope, PA to Frenchtown, NJ. It was such a beautiful ride, but I was freezing pretty much the whole time!
Sunday 11/9: Bret and I had a birthday run in Tyler State Park for 4 miles. The first 2 miles had very steep hills, so it was very challenging! But the view was so gorgeous that it made up for my shortness of breath!
[bctt tweet=”Just finished a race? Check out these Race Recovery Tips! via @Janelle_RWNR #sweatpink #PYBCYE #runchat”]
What tips do you have for recovering after a race?
Beautiful fall foliage. And all that food looks very yummy! I love getting a massage after a race as part of my recovery. It really does help. -L
We ate like kings, it was sooo good haha! I always forget to schedule a massage in time after myr race…I have to get bettter about that!
That looks like it was a great weekend! I love the New Hope area and all of its beauty. I haven’t done many races but after I have, it was all about REST!
New Hope is just so nice and it was great to get away for a few days. Yes, rest is the way to go!
This looks like a really nice few days, a lot of great food shots to make your readers hungry. 🙂 I appreciate those recovery tips, when I first started running I didn’t realize how important it was to log number of miles to swap out shoes.
Thanks….yeah that pizza photo…drool! The shoes is so important, I had a friend show me a crazy blister she got on her foot, I told her it’s time to go shopping!
Looks like a beautiful place to run!
Oh my gosh, it was ridiculous! I love running in nature, and there were even people horseback riding on the trail!
I seriously love your new header picture! (I’m not sure how “new” your new blog look is, but I just noticed it…and it’s awesome!)
Thanks Ali, yes it is brand new! Glad you like it 🙂
Oh my, those food pictures were making me hungry! Looks like you had a great weekend! I love your recovery tips, I really have to dust off my foam roller. I have a love/hate relationship with it! Thanks for linking up with us today!
Thanks April! The pain is always worth it! Love linking up with you guys 🙂
Those pictures make me miss living in Philadelphia!!!
Aw, sometimes I give it a hard time but it’s an awesome place to live, especially as a runner!
Thanks for these great tips on running recovery! You nailed it with your point about foam rolling. I can’t tell you how much that has helped my calves loosen up and not burn so much. A light foam rolling session has become a mandatory part of my recovery! Keep up the great blogging!
Thanks so much! Foam rolling is awesome…you don’t even need an expensive foam roller to get the job done etiher!
Ahhh great food pics! Did you update your header? it looks nice!
Yes, I did! Thanks Jennifer! I don’t know why I didn’t think of it sooner!
Nice tips! Love Tyler State Park! Did my first trail run, The Looney Leperchaun back in March there and was not prepared for the hills! Looks like you had a great week!
Oh wow that must have been an intense race! Maybe I’ll look that one up for next year!
I so envy your ability to run. It absolutely scares me! Looks like a great race.
Oh it’s not as scary as it looks, I promise 🙂
Looks like an amazing trip.
Thanks for joining us again and offering such great recovery tips.
Thanks MCM Mama! It’s fun to link up with you!
I suggest rest those race legs after a race. 🙂 #wowlinkup
Rest, rest, rest! Your body will thank you!
Looks like an amazing (and well deserved!) mini vacation. Great recovery tips too! #wowlinkup
I wish I was still on vacation….too short! Thanks!
My friend just ran her first 12 mile race this past weekend, I will be sharing this post with her for sure 🙂
Congrats to her, and thanks!
The food! I want it all! I’m a newbie runner so thank you for the tips. #wowlinkup
No problem!!