It’s my 12th week which means it’s taper week. I’ve got two days to go till Marathon Day. I’ve only got one run left which is just a short 3K day before D-Day. Of course, I’m freaking’ out. I’m starting to get worried.
But I’m trying to seize this fear and use this energy into getting everything ready both for race day and post-recovery.
Race day fuel – check.
Race kit – check.
Post-run recovery food and liquids – check.
I’ve also familiarized myself with all the right things to do days following this epic run. Stretches, how to rest, what to eat – the whole deal.
Because we don’t have a bathtub in the house and I really want that ice bath after the race, I got an inflatable pool which will serve this purpose.
To do an ice bath, according to RunnersConnect, fill the tub with ice and cold water and submerge your lower body for 15 minutes. Some sites suggest going for a maximum of 10 minutes. You don’t need the water too cold, 55 degrees is optimal, but anything colder than 65 degrees will do.
And here’s the theory behind this cold therapy according to Active.com: “The general theory behind this cold therapy is that the exposure to cold helps to combat the microtrauma (small tears) in muscle fibers and resultant soreness caused by intense or repetitive exercise. The ice bath is thought to constrict blood vessels, flush waste products and reduce swelling and tissue breakdown. Subsequently, as the tissue warms and the increased blood flow speeds circulation, the healing process is jump-started. The advantage of an ice bath submersion is that a large area of intertwined musculature can be treated, rather than limiting the cold therapy to a concentrated area with a localized ice pack.”
Meanwhile, I came across a very apt quote from no less than Martin Luther King Jr. While below quote has a deeper meaning in terms of pursuing justice and the civil rights movement, I’m going to think of it on a more literal way come Sunday.
“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”
