VHI Women’s Mini Marathon Recovery Tips
Congratulations!! If you are reading this, you have completed your training plan and are ready to run or walk this year’s event. My first piece of advice is to enjoy the event: the atmosphere is amazing and it’s certainly one of my favourite running events.
Recovery begins 48 hours before the start of the race. You have done all your training so no hard runs on race week; it’s far better to arrive at the start line fresh and full of energy. Eat well and hydrate fully: balanced nutrition and a minimum of 1.5 L of fluid (per day) in the 48 hours leading up to the race will really stand to you. Watch the forecast and as is often the case for the VHI Mini Marathon it’s warm and muggy. If so, increase your fluid intake and consider taking a serving of electrolytes. Taking plenty of fluids the day before the race avoids the panic around fluids and queuing for toilets on race day. Adequate nutrition and hydration are the cornerstones in preventing muscle injury.
Post race hydration is important. But what if an hour post race you wonder if it was really these legs that took you around the 10km route. Muscle soreness post a race is common; you’ve pushed yourself. DOMS “delayed onset muscle soreness” can strike anytime from 60 mins- 48 hours post event”. Most common in the quads and calf muscles and though it may not seem like a good idea moving is the best solution. So regular short walks, gentle muscle stretches and even some squats can help. The good news is that it generally resolves at 72 hours.
Sore hips are another common complaint; more prevalent in the walkers especially those walking 10 km for the first time. The advice is the same, keep moving and here gentle squats are very useful. A yoga “child’s pose” stretch can also be of benefit. If you are experiencing both hip and knee pain after the event a session with your physiotherapist would be of benefit. Pain and stiffness across both joints are suggestive of muscle imbalance and you will benefit from some targeted exercises; strengthening the muscles around the hips, quads and calf.
If you are a regular runner, you will probably do an easy recovery run within 48 hours. New to running: well done, your recovery should be a walk the next day and then if you feel comfortable a gentle jog by the end of the week. An easy Pilates or yoga session is always beneficial to move stiff joints and stretch out achy muscles. Should you experience any persistent aches and pains contact us at Ballsbridge Physiotherapy Clinic in Dublin 4 because there’s always another race around the corner.
Running Clinic
Running problems arise with the three Ts: Too much, Too soon, Too far. So what do you do to avoid or overcome these problems? Take part in our running gait analysis to minimise the risk of running associated injury.