How to recover properly after a race?

Runner, when you finish a half or marathon, ask yourself the following question: How do I plan the next week of training? It's lazy, isn't it?

A first piece of advice: "Listen to your body, give it what it asks for, don't force it".

In this post we will differentiate the ways to recover depending on what your goal is.

• Pre-main goal (An intermediate race that serves as preparation for your main goal).
• Goal of the season (The race you've been preparing for all this time)

Pre-main goal

Think of these mini-goals as quality training. Try to finish the race so you don't have to stop the next day. From Runnea Academy we advise you to replace the scheduled weekend training for that race you want to conquer so much. Keep in mind that if we are replacing the training for this mini goal you must finish it with enough guarantees to continue the next day training normally, or at least try to do it.

In case you are very fatigued, rest, don't get overwhelmed and listen to your body.

If you are really fatigued because you have given more than you should ... take the next 24h calmly, do not worry, if you gave everything is because your body and mind asked you both physically and mentally. From #RunneaAcademy we advise you to leave your worries behind because this challenge before your big goal will have been a comforting stimulus to increase your self-esteem and confidence.

When you feel with renewed strength and desire, continue training until you adapt 100% to normality. In this case we recommend you to do light training sessions. Workouts in which you feel comfortable and easy to finish.

Goal of the season

Congratulations! You've given it your all, whether you've achieved your goal or not doesn't matter, you've prepared and you've tried!

The two days after the race:

#RunneaAcademy recommends: The ideal is to go out to loosen up and get your body back into the habit of training, don't stand still. Win the battle against post-race laziness and try to avoid stagnation. Above all, get moving: Walk, jog, do mobility exercises, even alternate with a sport that you are not used to practice and you like to do from time to time.

If your body asks for rest, give your body 2 days of REAL rest, forgetting about training, enjoying the rest and the feat achieved, remembering the good times you have had and the ones to come in the future.

Eat listening to your body and recharge your batteries. During these days... If you feel like eating something special, allow yourself to do so! For many, these days are great for scheduling upcoming challenges and goals.

When do I start training again?

You should check if you are recovered after the race. How do I do it?

Climb stairs, don't use escalators or urban facilitators, try not to use the elevator. If you do not notice any acute signs of muscle fatigue when avoiding them, you are ready to return to training.

On the other hand, if you feel muscle fatigue, give yourself two or three days of rest. After the third day, do not get comfortable, go out and do an activation training, trying to stimulate your body physically and mentally to see how it responds.

Example training after the third day of rest after the main objective:

Perform 30 to 40 minutes of easy rolling + 10 × 50 m progressive (to generate a stimulus and activate your body again) You will see how you have recovered and how you feel. This run is a great indicator.

With these progressions within the training what we want to achieve is that the pulse goes up and down trying to reach similar sensations to those before starting the target race. If you manage to overcome it with good feelings ... you are ready to return to training.

If after this training you do not manage to perceive a positive stimulus in your body, go back to rest until you recover 100%. Do not be in a hurry!

I get older and it takes longer to recover!

Indeed runner, with the years we lose physical abilities, but ... do not be discouraged. It is a fact of life and if we are constant with our words is that it is never too late to start doing sports and acquire good habits. For it we advise you:

• Optimize your external factors.
• Take care of your diet, the more you take care of yourself the better you will recover, however from time to time you can allow yourself a whim, do not forget that the most important thing is the daily habits.
• Your rest, sleep enough hours, go to your physiotherapist or sports doctor and ask him about any ailments that may appear.
• Your body physically and mentally, try to maintain a stable life, with as few shocks as possible. We run because we like it, not by profession.
• Individualized advice. The difference is abysmal. Let yourself be advised and train under the guidelines of professionals in the sector. Put yourself in the hands of a coach, trust in their training and let them advise you. You will get the most out of your physical and sporting performance.

You do not have time and want to be trained and get weekly feedback from a coach with a personal plan to improve your fitness?

At Runnea Academy we provide you with all the possible tools to have the right plan for your current physical and fitness level and to improve it, with an exclusive training for you, so you can achieve that longed-for goal. Shall we train together?

Runnea Academy: Your running coach for 29,95€/trimester