We’re going to talk about the final kilometer of the 43.125km.
No matter the distance, it’s the kilometer right after your race. You can shrug it off because let’s be honest, you’re probably just going to be a tired pile on the ground by then. Instead of staying glued to the ground, we advise you to keep walking. Greedily take a few rounds of sponsored drinks if you can, but continue walking.
It keeps your circulation going. During an intense workout, your heart works a lot harder to deliver oxygenated blood to all parts of your body. If you stop abruptly, the muscles at your lower extremities does not respond by returning the blood to your heart. You end up with blood pooling at your extremities. It swells and hurt. So keep walking at least for a few minutes.
Recovery starts as soon as you stop running.
While you prop your leg up and rest, try some of these tricks that we have!
#1 Compression
It works by increasing blood flow to the area, which helps the removal of metabolic waste and introduction of antioxidants and other substances that can quicken recovery. There are so many variety of compression gear now from socks to quads to full length – there’s going to be one just for you!
#2 Foam rolling
Do it everywhere. It’s a form of self-myofascial release technique. You apply pressure at a muscle knot, which sends a signal to your brain to relax that area. For runners, target your calves, quads, piriformis and tensor fascia latae. It’s the solution to your pain.
#3 Light Yoga
It’s really a stretching and breathing exercise. It gets you to hold a position for 30 seconds or more, which tells your muscles to loosen up. Different Yoga postures also gets you to maintain constant and even breathing. Either way, it’s a good recovery technique.
#4 Get off your feet
Well, that’s after you’ve done some walking. Ultimately, running puts a lot of pressure on your feet. Your feet hits the ground over ten thousand times in a day. Every time you hit the ground, it sends shockwaves equivalent to about three times your weight. So after enjoying the carnival and hanging out with friends for a bit, lie down. Prop your feet up and rest.
#5 Eat carbohydrate and protein
Your post-race diet should mimic your pre-race diet. Sufficient in whole grains to refuel the lost energy from your muscles. This time, add more proteins to repair the muscle fibers. Remember that strength comes with recovery. Don’t save on these.
