Professional runners, who make their living running races, still take downtime after marathons and long training segments. In a recent interview, Desi Davilla mentioned that she took two weeks off and then two weeks very easy after her Olympic Trials race.
Having been a part of the Hansons-Brooks project myself, I can attest that this is standard protocol for all runners in the group, Olympians or not. While it may same counter-intuitive, research has proven that resting for days will not significantly diminish fitness.
While percentages are fantastic, what do those numbers really mean for runners? A minute 5k runner has a VO2max of roughly Accordingly, after downtime, his or her new VO2max would be Luckily, this slight reduction in fitness is easy to gain back. Again, using elite runners as an example since their training and racing schedules are widely available and we can assume they are training optimally , it only takes three to four weeks for runners to return to hard training and near peak racing shape.
Meb Keflezighi might be the best example to illustrate how quickly a runner can return to peak fitness. After the NYC Marathon, Meb was forced to rest for three weeks thanks to an untimely foot infection. With just 70 days to prepare for one of the biggest races of his life — the Olympic Trials — Meb regained his fitness quickly to dispatch one of the most heralded fields in US history and punch his ticket to the London Olympics. However, Meb took the needed recovery time to heal and still finished 4th place in the Olympic Marathon.
After a week off, training should be very light for two weeks post race. It might sound like you would be holding yourself back by being so cautious, but your long-term progression will actually benefit as you allow your body to recover and get fully rested for your next training segment. A version of this post originally appeared at competitor. Your team of expert coaches and fellow runners dedicated to helping you train smarter, stay healthy and run faster.
We love running and want to spread our expertise and passion to inspire, motivate, and help you achieve your running goals. Training is like trying to walk a tight rope. Since most people aren't stepping on a scale before and after, you should aim for about 16 to 20 ounces of water or an electrolyte beverage immediately after finishing, says Kissane.
Then shoot for another 16 to 20 ounces within the next hour, and continue every hour until you're rehydrated. And sports drinks are a must, according to Marni Sumbal, R. While the amount of fluids you'll need will depend on the length of the race, heat, humidity, and how much you were hydrating during the race if you stopped at every water station you might not need as much , the easiest way to monitor your post-race rehydration is with the age-old urine test. Mandje recommends doing some basic static stretches after the race, paying special attention to your quads and hamstrings to help promote better blood flow to the area.
Try a basic quad stretch: Hold on to something to support yourself, bring your foot behind you, grabbing the ankle, and slowly pull toward your glutes, holding for 5 seconds. Repeat a couple times on each side. Then give your hamstrings some love: Lying down, keep one leg flat on the ground and grab the opposite leg behind the calf, gradually bringing it toward your chest. Do the same with the other leg. FYI, here's what training for a long race really does to your leg health. You probably already want to do this anyway, but it's important to plan ahead and have a friend who can bring you dry or warmer clothing to change into, says Mandje.
Thanks to cold sweat and reduced body heat, "walking around in your race gear means risking getting ill once the sweat has dried and the race's adrenaline has subsided. And in the meantime, be sure to grab one of those shiny thermal blankets at the finish line, says Alexis Colvin, M. More than just a souvenir, they'll make sure you don't end up cold and shivering while you find your dry clothes.
While you're doing that outfit change, you might also want to consider adding a compression sock into the mix. Although some research has indicated there could be some effect on muscular endurance , the jury is still out on whether compression gear can really boost your performance while you're running.
But hey, if you're like Olympic-medal-winning runner Meb Keflezighi and think it helps, go for it. However, there is evidence to support the use of compression gear after you finish. That's because they can prevent blood from pooling in the lower extremities, says Dr.
See why that's important above! Cardone recommends putting on a sock that comes up to the knee and keeping them on until you go to bed, to prevent pooling, and to possibly prevent lactic acid buildup and any swelling, he says. Sure, if you really want to treat yourself to an ice-cold beer to celebrate, it's not going to be that big a deal, but all the experts agreed on this one: Alcohol is not recommended for at least 24 hours while your body returns to normal.
While beer is often a part of the post-race celebration, consuming alcohol on an empty stomach while your body is depleted means it will enter your bloodstream much more quickly read: you'll feel the effects faster than you normally would and will actually dehydrate you further, says Sumbal.
Not to mention, alcohol can also negatively affect muscle recovery and cause restless sleep, she says. That's the exact opposite of what you want. What things you want to do differently next time? And of course, what your next race will be? You want to come back to running re-energized and ready to go. Taking a short break will help rekindle that fire. This varies based on time, your experience, and general feelings about the race. Finally, only you are going to know exactly how you felt after the race.
If you felt amazing like I did when I ran a 10k with a friend, then get back to running sooner. But if you ran harder, it was a tough race, etc. Take it all. Even though you might not want it now, you probably will later. You might want to open both a bottle of water and a Gatorade and alternate between the two. Also, you need to walk around! I know I was exhausted after my race because the temperature had unexpectedly shot up, and it was insanely humid. She wandered around the finish line area with me just to make sure that I was walking around and to keep my legs from cramping.
Within two hours of the race, make sure that you eat some food. I opted for a robust salad from Panera with nuts and chicken along with several fruits and lettuce. The remainder of race day is your time to relax. Wear compression socks to aid in your recovery and help get the blood flowing.
Elevate your legs, take an ice or cool bath or ice your feet or legs , and continue to rehydrate. You should be seeing a pattern.
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