We had a great day at the Great Ireland Run yesterday in conjunction with Bootcamp Ireland. We dealt with tight IT bands, buttocks in spasm, several acute tendinitis of the patellar tendon under the kneecap and even a severe calf tear at the 3km mark.
There is so much build-up to a race, that alot of people forget to properly plan their recovery.
So here are a few tips to keep your legs from getting stiff and sore! After your race:
- Hydrate and eat a good meal as soon as you can after the race
- Do a cool down and pay particular attention to stretching the quads, hamstrings, calf muscles, gluts and lower back
Keep moving and stretch your leg and buttock muscles to help prevent soreness and stiffness
- Avoid alcohol as it will further dehydrate you
- Perform an ice bath for 10 minutes to minimise some of the small bleeding that may occur in your muscles fibres following the exertion of the race. Or paddle in the sea for the same effect!
- Get into a pool within 24 hours to help your recovery. Gentle stretches in the water are great for flushing out the muscles
- Gentle cycling is great for keeping the legs moving post race and preventing stiffness
- Use a foam roller to roll out any tight knots in your muscles, this will feel great after a hard race
- A deep sports massage within 48 hours of the race is great for stiff muscles
- If you get injured, follow the PRICE protocol – Protect, Rest, Ice, Compress, and Elevate the injured area – and seek help from us to get you back on track.
Congratulate yourself and enjoy the achievement of finishing the race! Well done!