So, you have your medal, now what?

Joe Simko, PT

Fit For Life Physical Therapy

Whether you are a veteran racer who just set a new marathon or half marathon PR, a new runner who finished training for your first 5k, or a track & field athlete nearing the end of your season, the toughest part of race training may now be upon you…. the recovery!  As odd as it may sound, sometimes it is more difficult to run less than it is to run more.  With races available every weekend, Facebook posts about how many miles your friends have run today, and perfect running weather just around the corner, saying "no" to running more can be challenging.

Recovery can take many different forms.  Some runners may benefit from a week or two off without running to recharge your mental and physical well-being.  Others may not need to take off any time from running, but rather get easy comfortable base mileage in.  The important thing is to listen to your body.  Studies have shown that immediately following a significant physical effort such as a marathon, our immune systems are more vulnerable, so it is not unusual to get sick the week after a big race.  If you feel tired or start to feel that cough coming on, take a day off.

Muscle soreness is a sign of fatigue and can lead to overuse injuries such as tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, or stress injuries.  Easy runs and an emphasis on stretching, such as the hamstring stretch shown below, can help reduce tightness and help prevent injury.

Grab behind your thigh with both hands with your knee bent.  Actively straighten knee as far as you can and hold the stretch for 10 seconds...let knee bend back to your starting position and relax.  Repeat 10 times.

Finally, while racing is fun, too much of a good thing can be bad.  Most elite marathoners only run 1-2 hard races a year.  That’s because our bodies need time to bounce back from a maximum effort.  Now is a fun time to look at the schedule and pick your next goal race.  It is OK to run lots of fun short races with your friends, just remember that it is impossible to PR at all of them! (and it is ok to take a day off occasionally!)

If you need more advice regarding your race recovery, please contact us.

Fit For Life Physical Therapy cares for people of all activity levels - to help prevent, recover from, or rehabilitate sports & orthopedic injuries.  We are proud to move people every day.

Please visit our website https://www.fitforlifephysicaltherapy.com/, email us at info@fitforlifephysicaltherapy.com, or call or text us at any of the phone numbers for our three convenient locations inside Fleet Feet/FrontRunner stores:

Polaris:  1270 East Powell Road Lewis Center, Ohio 43035 ~ 614-981-2065

Upper Arlington:  1344 West Lane Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43221 ~ 614-981-1979

New Albany:  5792 North Hamilton Road, Columbus, Ohio 43230 ~ 614-581-7441