Getting race ready, for after crossing the finish line

One of the most interesting things about running a race is the after-effect. I remember being shocked after my first half marathon with how sore and just werked I felt afterwards. Thank goodness my total lady crush Annmarie at Fit Foodie Mama has some great tips for preventing muscle soreness!

Hydrate after

Hydration before and during a race is obvious. But after I’m done, all I want is a glass of pinot grigio or a cider while eating all the French fries. Drinking water and other recovery drinks that replace electrolytes needs to stay on the radar too!

I love SOS Rehydrate for during my race – I put it in my handheld water bottle, and then have water in my CamelBak pack. I’m also excited to have fizzique with me on the recovery journey this year! It’s a sparkling protein water, so it offers those refreshing bubbles with a much-needed burst of protein! Want to try fizzique? Get 10% off your first case until 7/31 with the code LOVEYOURFIZZIQUE.

Roll out

YES,  YES, YES! Rolling out sore muscles may cause this face…

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… but it is SO important for recovery. It’s worth the short-term, albeit intense, pain during rolling in order to feel better and return to working out quicker.

And of course, don’t forget to stretch!

Re-fuel

I’m always ravenous after a race. Heck, even after a workout. But nothing is really better than chowing down after a long run on the trails.

One of my favorite things about my running crew here in Portland is that we have such a wealth of delicious post-run options, and everyone is always up for grabbing all the food.

 

As long as fries are involved… After our half marathon at Molalla last fall, we met up at White Owl for beers and burgers. And naturally a few of us proceeded to order extra fries for the table. Not knowing that fries came with all of our orders. Fries for all!!

Take a bath

Annmarie says that jumping right into an ice bath immediately after your run or workout is key for preventing Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. Brrr….

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The tumbler of vodka with your ice bath is totally optional… 😉 

Hot epsom salt baths an hour or two after is also great, and can help you sleep that night. Which, as with everything, sleep is the ultimate way to recover.

Walk it out

I think the ultimate savior for me with my half marathon in Lisbon, since I did none of the above except refuel on delicious food, was that we took the rest of the day after the race to walk around and explore the city. As hard as it was, and as much as it felt like we were walking as if we’d been riding horses all day, keeping moving helped prevent soreness from building up in my legs. Especially before the 6-hour bus trip back to Sevilla the next day.

Enjoy that feeling

One of my online runner buddies Wendy at Taking the Long Way Home talks about that feeling you get when crossing the finish line. And I totally agree! I haven’t run nearly as many races as she has, but that feeling of success, accomplishment, total badassery when months of hard work has paid off is such an amazing sensation!

Compression?

So here’s a question for all my runner friends out there. I’m running the Mt Hood 25k in July, the longest race I’ll ever have run. Well, the longest distance I’ll have run ever period. Plus the elevation… And then a week later I’ll be flying from Portland to Norway. My legs and feet are already in pain thinking about the soreness and swelling. What are your tips? Compression socks? No need to suggest airport / airplane yoga – I’m very familiar. 😉

So now that I’m ready for the finish line and what comes after, it’s time to get back to training! The Gixo 5k and 10k are just around the corner, on May 5th to be exact. Sign up for the app on April 29th and you’ll get a 7-day free trial on top of getting to participate in the virtual race! Ready to run? Keep your eyes out for the Fit Approach blog tomorrow – I asked our SPAs what some of their race day rituals are, and they’re amazing! 

**UPDATE: The race day ritual post is LIVE!**

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Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Gixo and fizzique. All opinions are my own. I truly appreciate all of the brands that support the Sweat Pink community.