Elite observations: Tips to enjoying a quick post-race recovery
- Details
- Created on Wednesday, 29 September 2010 15:57
- Written by Nathan
By TOMMY MANNING
Editor’s note: Manning is a math teacher and cross country coach at Fountain Valley School who finished 18th this month in the World Mountain Running Championships. He will provide periodic tips — all of which can be found here on OutThereColorado.com.
So you've just finished a big race and you're thinking "What do I do now?"
Whether you run three days per week and just completed your first 5k or you're a seasoned runner and you just completed a marathon, you need to refuel your body. There are really two periods of recovery we are dealing with: right away on race day and the next few days to a week. Let's focus on just after the race.
Right away you need to think about refueling your body. It should be obvious that the longer the race, the more fuel you used and the more you need to replenish (think marathon vs. 5k). I advise to drink liquids right away. Water is great; sports drinks that replace electrolytes are better. As far as eating foods is concerned, I say pig out. Eat whatever you can - don't wait to get home so you can eat just the right post-race casserole you read about in a running magazine.
Some people might disagree and sports nutritionists will say you need a delicate balance of carbohydrates and proteins; I say refuel on something quickly. If you can refuel on a proper balance of carbs and proteins right away, go for it. The problem for most of us is post-race food is often a burger or pizza or a chicken sandwich. It's much better to get something in your body quickly than it is to wait several hours to get the more healthy option. Time is of the essence. In my hometown, I got into an argument with a nutritionist over this. She eventually conceded to me, saying yes, getting something in your body quickly, even if it's not the ideal meal, is better than not having anything in you.
Experts will say to stay away from beer too. I drink beer after races. You have to know your body and stay within your limits though. If you are new to running or just finished your first race, you should be more conservative and might not go for that beer. If you run regularly and have raced a lot like I have, then one beer or slice of pizza isn't going to ruin your recovery or slow you down. The bottom line is to get some carbs and some fuel into your body quickly. The more healthy the better, but that's not always an option and that doesn't always taste as good as a nice cold beer after a race.
Weather
Current Contests
