Race Recovery

So it's spring.

Tis the season for races. I work at a gym, so everywhere around me people are training for 5Ks, triathlons, marathons, and half-marathons. It's exciting to me. These events turn your average gym-goer into a goal minded, somewhat competitive, thrill seeking athlete (sort of). Plus it takes their mind off losing weight.

About a month ago I completed the Go! St. Louis Half Marathon, and a few weeks ago some good friends of mine completed the Indianapolis Mini Marathon. I have one client currently training for a half and one member training for a triathlon. So I thought we needed to discuss race recovery!!

If you've ever done an event (esp. a marathon or half) then you know it may be hard to walk for about 48 hours afterwards. I'll never forget the struggle to go down the stairs after my first full marathon. Whoa.

Well, there's a few things we can do to optimize our recovery and make it as short as possible.

1) Don't trade your training schedule for "couch-potato days and cheesecake nights".
We need to keep our body moving and our blood flowing to eliminate the lactate (that's the stuff that makes you sore) from our muscles. I always recommend one easy day of light exercise for every two miles run. So if you have just completed a half marathon, you should do 6-7 days of slow jogging/walking before you can hit it hard again. But whatever you do, don't stop completely!!!

2)Make sure you get proper nutrition in the 24 hours after your event! I have to admit. I'm terrible at the nutrition aspect. BUT...Scientists tell us after our event we should consume 1 gram each of protein and carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight. You should also rehydrate by consuming sports drinks, good old fashioned water OR.....

3)MILK! It does a body good! This is my surprising fact of the day. A study published last year in the British Journal of Nutrition stated that milk is more effective than water or sports drinks at replacing sodium, potassium, and vital salts lost through sweat. Researchers also said that "the body retains milk's combination of sugar, fat and protein longer than other drinks". So drink up!

Good luck at your events, Judi, Tracy, and Gabby!